PAK vs ZIM 1st T20I: Queens Sports Club Bulawayo Pitch Report

Debashis Sarangi

Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo [Source: @bxllyville/X]Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo [Source: @bxllyville/X]

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On Sunday, Pakistan will cross swords against Zimbabwe in the first T20 International of the upcoming three-match series. After incurring an unexpected defeat in the first ODI, Pakistan made a remarkable comeback in the series, swatting aside the hosts in the subsequent encounters. While Saim Ayub and Kamran Ghulam starred with the bat, Abrar Ahmed was lethal with the ball, dismantling the home team with his wily spin bowling. 

So, moving on to the T20I series, the Chevrons would be keen to avenge their ODI defeat. The onus will be on their senior players, particularly, Wesley Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Ryan Burl. 

On the other hand, Pakistan will rely on skipper Agha Salman, who can stun the home team with his incredible all-round prowess. Apart from the captain, the likes of Sahibzada Farhan, Abbas Afridi and Haris Rauf are expected to play crucial roles for Pakistan. 

As both teams prepare to take on each other, 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 T20Is

Criterion
Data
Matches Played19
Matches won batting first13
Matches won batting second6
Average 1st innings score154
Average 2nd innings score130
Average runs per over7.29

Queens Sports Club Bulawayo Pitch Report: Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The surface at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo generally doesn't offer significant lateral movement to the fast bowlers with the new ball. However, the pitch might be a bit tacky, with the pacers hitting the deck and employing more cutters to succeed at this venue. Anything pitched up will go the distance, so it will be important for the seamers to hit the hard length area. 

Meanwhile, run-scoring might get difficult as the game progresses. The spinners will get a hint of turn and trouble the batters in the middle overs. With the sun beating down, the track might deteriorate and get tougher for batting in the latter half. So, considering the fact that the teams setting the target have won 13 out of 19 T20I matches in Bulawayo, the toss-winner might opt to bat first. 

Players To Watch Out For At Queens Sports Club Bulawayo

Sikandar Raza

  • The experienced Zimbabwean all-rounder is the most valuable asset for his team in the shortest format. Apart from his handy cameos in middle order, Raza's wily spin bowling will be crucial from the Chevron's perspective. 

Sahibzada Farhan

  • Sahibzada Farhan is a talented opener and could be a game-changer for Pakistan in this T20I series. Although he failed to impress in the Australia series, the Zimbabwe tour gives him a golden opportunity to showcase his mettle and cement his place in the T20I side. 

Sufyan Muqeem

  • The left-arm leg spinner was impressive in the Australia T20Is, keeping the hosts quiet with his accuracy and variations. He can capitalise on Bulawayo's spin-friendly surface and trouble Zimbabwe's middle order in this match.