There is so much excitement about Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan, not only within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but also among cricket supporters here. This wonderful team that showed such magnificent fighting spirit in the 2015 World Cup that they almost beat Pakistan in a match is no longer a ‘weak’ side.

Still, had Pakistan not been labeled a no-go area by other international cricket teams, a tour by Zimbabwe would have gone unnoticed and would have been weakly pursued by the PCB, too. But today it is a presidential security-level event and the PCB is as happy to host it as a child is when the circus comes to town.

Zimbabweans are fabulously good cricketers. It’s just that since the walkout by their top players, mostly white, in 2003-4 over political interference in the team’s selection and management, and due to a surge by President Mogabe in favour of the black native population, Zimbabwe have never been the same side.

Zimbabwe is not a weak side; they have beaten Pakistan in the past and could do it again. Let the games begin!

Now Brendon Taylor, their Test captain and most successful batsman in the 2015 World Cup has walked out for financial reasons and they have come over without him to open the innings. Nevertheless they remain an exciting team. They can beat Pakistan. After all they have done so before when Pakistan were far, far stronger than they are now and the Zimbabwean players were not yet the finished product some of them were to become.

Though they have yet to defeat Pakistan in Twenty20 internationals in the five games they have played against them in this format, they have won three ODIs and tied one among the 48 games played. Let’s take a look at these four ODIs that have done them proud:

Harare (Feb 1995)

This was the first match of the ODI series as Pakistan undertook their first full tour of Zimbabwe. The hosts won the toss and decided to bat. The Flower brothers, Grant and Andy (also their captain), opened the innings and put on 45; at 159-3 they looked well poised for 250. However, once Aamir Sohail had Campbell caught, Wasim Akram and Aaqib Javed bowled with intelligence and penetration to restrict them to 219-9 even as Guy Whittal took 14 off the last over bowled by Aaqib Javed before falling to the final delivery. However, tragedy had already struck earlier as Wasim Akram tore the webbing of his right hand in going for a catch off his own bowling. He nevertheless finished with 2-24 off 8.5 overs.

Pakistan started poorly, losing Aamir Sohail and Inzamam to Paul Strang by the time they reached 13 and then Salim Malik at 68. Though they lost Ijaz not long after that but then debutant Shakeel Ahmed Jr added 65 with opener Saeed Anwar and at one stage 51 were required off the last 10 overs. Pakistan were looking comfortable, but then Shakeel was run out as was Rashid Latif a few balls later. From 175-6 Manzoor Elahi helped take the score to 209 when Paul Strang returned to get rid of him and Aaqib Javed. At 213-9 in walked Wasim Akram in the last over to bat with one hand; six stitches in his other hand. At the other end, Saeed Anwar completed his hundred and off the fourth ball managed just a single to tie scores but left Wasim to face Whittal. Trying for the winning run batting one-handed Wasim was caught and bowled and the match tied.

A lively team

Harare (Feb 1995)

Pakistan entered the final ODI of the three match series leading 1-0 despite the tied game in the opener. They were confident of keeping their unbeaten record against Zimbabwe in ODIs. But they were struck with controversy as Rashid Latif and Basit Ali had announced their premature retirements citing match fixing by Pakistani players and Moin Khan was drafted in as wicketkeeper.

Strangely, Pakistan chose to field after winning the toss and was staring down the barrel when Zimbabwe reached 119-1 and then 171-2 before opener Andy Flower went for 73, caught behind off Manzoor Elahi. He and Salim Malik then took two more wickets for three runs. Zimbabwe lost momentum and fell to 194-8 before a 28-runs partnership between Campbell and Streak took them forward only for Aaqib Javed to finish off both for them to end on 222-9. Moin ended up taking five catches equaling the then ODI record for most catches in an innings by a wicketkeeper.

Pakistan started confidently despite losing stop gap opener Moin Khan early; he came in because Aamir Sohail had a back injury and could not bat. But once they lost Shakil Khan Jr at 73, Pakistan struggled against the medium pace of 39-year-old Malcolm Jarvis, playing his last match for Zimbabwe. Inzamam batting at number three was the only one who faced all bowlers with confidence, scoring his 45 in 54 balls. But when he fell to make it 106-4 and Ijaz went at 112, Pakistan were in trouble. Manzoor Elahi joined Asif Mujtaba to take the score to 138 only for the next four wickets to fall for 10 runs. With Aamir Sohail absent/injured, Pakistan lost by 74 runs with 39 balls left unplayed in what was Zimbabwe’s first ODI win against Pakistan thereby also drawing the ODI series 1-1.

Sheikhupura (Nov 1998)

Zimbabwe were touring Pakistan and had lost the first ODI. Aamir Sohail was captaining Pakistan and lost the toss to Alaister Campbell who put Pakistan in to bat. We quickly lost Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail with the score at nine and then Shahid Afridi, who had come in as opener with Saeed, with the score on 36. He had nevertheless scored a rapid 26 off 30 balls. Yousuf (then Youhana) aided Inzamam in taking the score to 80 before he fell followed by Inzamam himself at 96 in the 28th over. By the 35th over Pakistan had slumped to 116-7, losing Moin Khan and Azhar Mahmood but Wasim Akram helped take the score to 153 with 17-year-old Hasan Raza. The teenager then teamed up with Saqlain Mushtaq to put on a brave 57 in just under nine overs; then a record ninth wicket ODI partnership for Pakistan. Both then fell to the last two balls of the innings. Hasan finished with the innings’ top score of 46, taking Pakistan to 211 all out.

Any hopes Pakistan may have had in holding back Zimbabwe with a bowling attack comprising Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq and supported by Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Akram, Shahid Afridi and Aamir Sohail were soon dashed as openers Neil Johnson and Grant Flower racked up the hundred in the 18th over. Even after Grant Flower departed Neil Johnson was unrelenting and with Murray Goodwin added another 60 for the second wicket. When Goodwin departed to make it 161-2 in the 30th over, the game was virtually over the bar, a collapse. Johnson scored a century. The left-handed opener departed with three runs left to win. He scored 103 off 120 balls with 13 fours. Zimbabwe had won by six wickets with over 10 overs to spare.

Extending a hand in friendship

Harare (Aug 2013)

This was the opening match of the ODI series and also the 100th ODI being played at Harare Sports Ground. Misbahul Haq won the toss and decided to bat against what he considered an inadequate bowling attack to counter Pakistan’s batting line up. But the Zimbabwean seamers made full use of early morning conditions and the Pakistani openers, Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shahzad, cautiously reached 56 in the 15th over before Shahzad was stumped off Prosper Utseya. Jamshed went in the 20th over and though Hafeez and Misbah added 99 in almost 18 overs there was a mini collapse once Hafeez went; Pakistan lost four wickets for 23. Misbah carried the innings forward but despite his unbeaten 83 off 85 balls (including two sixes but only three fours) Pakistan could muster no more than 244-7 in their 50 overs.

Zimbabwe’s opening pair of Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda easily countered the opening attack of Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan as they started confidently. They put on 107 before Sibanda fell to Ajmal in the 24th over after a fine half century. Masakadza nevertheless found a fine ally in Brendon Taylor and the two put on 69 in 14 overs to thwart the spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi. When Masakadza fell for 85 off 104 balls again to Ajmal, Pakistan seemed to have a whiff of hope. Junaid then dismissed Timycen Maruma at 201 in the 43rd over and Zimbabwe still needed 46 in 48 balls, but they had the advantage of wickets in hand. That seemed to be their saviour and so was luck as Williams inside edged Junaid for four with the ball touching the bails without dislodging them. Zimbabwe eventually won by seven wickets with eight balls to spare winning an ODI against Pakistan after some 15 years.

Those were the limited triumphs of Zimbabwe over Pakistan. Would Zimbabwe this time beat Pakistan for what will be their fourth ODI but more importantly their first series triumph? And would they win their first T20 International? They just might, given Pakistan’s hesitant performance in Bangladesh in the limited over games.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 17th, 2015

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