HARARE, Nov 6: Pakistan’s warm-up match which began their month long tour of Zimbabwe ended here Wednesday following 20 hours of chilly rain.
After noting more than 40mm of rainfall by mid-afternoon of the third and final day, the umpires abandoned the tourists’ game against Zimbabwe ‘A’ at the Zimbabwe Academy ground.
After declaring on 456-6, with Taufiq Umar’s 86 and Younis Khan’s 84 leading the Pakistan runs chase, Zimbabwe ‘A’ replied with 200-5. Their captain Guy Whittall reached 67 not out before bad light brought the second day to a close.
The Pakistan tour to Zimbabwe comes right at the beginning of the Zimbabwe rainy season. The rains are a couple of weeks early this year and they might well become a factor in the outcome of the two Tests and the scheduled five One-day Internationals.
Zimbabwe will announce their Test 12 or 13 Thursday morning, but Pakistan manager Brig Khawaja Nasir said they will not choose their lineup until Friday evening.
Final scores: PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 456-6 declared (Taufiq Umar 86, Younis Khan 84, Hasan Raza 64 not out, Inzamam-ul-Haq 63, Saleem Elahi 49, Shahid Afridi 49, Kamran Akmal 43 not out);
ZIMBABWE ‘A’ (1st Innings) 2005 (G.J. Whittall 67 not out, G.J. Rennie 48, M. Vermeulin 43; Mohammad Sami 3-39).—AFP