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Brandon Moyo
THE Zimbabwe senior men’s national cricket team has wasted no time in their preparation for their forthcoming series against Pakistan as they arrived in Bulawayo on Tuesday and have already held a couple of training sessions.
The Chevrons are set to face Pakistan in a white-ball series with the first One Day International (ODI) scheduled for Queens Sports Club on Sunday.
The tour consists of three ODIs and as many T20Is, all taking place at the same venue.
Zimbabwe held their first practice session under the scorching sun of Bulawayo on Tuesday and held another one yesterday.
In an interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub during yesterday’s practice session, ODI skipper Craig Ervine said everything is on course as they have been hard at work trying to polish their skills and a few areas that need to be worked on.
He said the heat in the City of Kings and Queens calls for a different approach to their preparations.
“Our preparations have been great. We spent a good day here yesterday (Tuesday) in the Bulawayo heat, working on our plans and a few other skills to execute come the first game. We put in some good preparations again this morning (yesterday).
“It’s nice to come down here and spend a few days to get acclimatised. It is a little bit hotter here than in Harare so hydration, recovery, and diet all play a crucial role in making sure that we are ready for Sunday,” said Ervine.
The experienced campaigner added that everyone in camp is looking forward to an interesting series against a strong Pakistani side. He believes that playing against Pakistan will be of assistance going into other assignments that are lined up.
“Everybody is confident and excited to play against Pakistan. We know that they are a strong side and for us to start the summer against a strong side like Pakistan, it can only hold us in a good state for the cricket to come,” said Ervine.
The forthcoming series is Pakistan’s first visit to the City of Kings and Queens in six years having last played at Queens Sports Club in July 2018.
Pakistan arrived at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo yesterday evening. They will be led by Mohammad Rizwan in ODIs and Salman Ali Agha in T20Is.
Gate charges are pegged at US$3 for the rest of the ground and US$10 for the grandstand. ODI matches start at 9.30am. Proceeds from the first game will be donated to KidzCan Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter