PAK vs ZIM 1st ODI: Queens Sports Club Bulawayo Pitch Report

Queens Sports Club Bulawayo [Source: @ZimCricketv/X]Queens Sports Club Bulawayo [Source: @ZimCricketv/X]

On Sunday, Pakistan will cross swords against Zimbabwe in the first One-Day International of the upcoming three-match series. Led by Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan recently registered a historic ODI series win over Australia in their backyard. However, the Men in Green will miss some of their key players, including Babar Azam, with a relatively young side being picked to face the Chevrons. 

The eyes will be on Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique, who were exceptional with the bat in the Australia ODIs. Skipper Rizwan will play a key role alongside Kamran Ghulam, with Agha Salman spearheading the lower middle order along with Irfan Khan Niazi. 

Regarding Zimbabwe, the hosts will heavily rely on Sikandar Raza, who has a knack for bringing his A-game in home conditions. Captain Craig Ervine and Brian Bennet will be Zimbabwe's key batters, while Sean Williams and Blessing Muzarabani could be serious threat to the Pakistani side. 

So, as the spirited Chevrons gear up to take on Pakistan, let's see how the surface at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will behave throughout the contest. 

Queens Sports Club Bulawayo Stats And Records In ODIs

Criterion
Data
Matches played92
Matches won batting first38
Matches won bowling first49
Average 1st innings score234
Average 2nd innings score199


Queens Sports Club Bulawayo Pitch Report: Is it batting or bowling friendly?

The surface at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo will offer favourable conditions to the fast bowlers early on. The venue generally provides prodigious swing and a hint seam movement to the new ball bowlers in the first innings. However, with the sun beating down, the track will be dried up, and the batters will enjoy the pitch's even pace and bounce as the game progresses. 

The spinners will get a hint of turn in the middle overs. However, the conditions in the afternoon will heavily favour the batters, with the pacers hitting the hard length and using cutters to succeed with the old ball. 

Considering the seam-friendly conditions in the morning and the track gets better for batting with time, the toss-winning team will likely bowl first. 

Players To Watch Out For At Queens Sports Club Bulawayo

Haris Rauf

  • The right-arm speedster showcased exemplary form in the recently concluded Australia series. So, he will be a certain threat to Zimbabwe's batting unit and can trouble the hosts with his hostile pace. 

Saim Ayub

  • The stylish left-handed batter revitalised his white-ball career with some scintillating performances against Australia. Saim Ayub will once again be Pakistan's key batter, considering he will face a fragile Zimbabwean bowling attack. 

Richard Ngarava

  • The left-arm pacer can swing the ball upfront at a good pace. Ngarava is a fine ODI bowler and can use his height to trouble the Pakistani batters, especially if Zimbabwe bowl first. 

Sikandar Raza

  • Sikandar Raza is Zimbabwe's linchpin and most valuable asset with bat and ball. Besides spearheading the Chevrons' batting unit, Raza can be handy with his off-spin in the middle overs.