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Brandon Moyo
THE rains may turn out to be the deciding factor in the ODI series featuring the Chevrons and Pakistan at Queens Sports Club.
Zimbabwe were left needing just one win from registering their first ODI series victory over Pakistan.
The hosts won the opener by 80 runs (D/L Method) on Sunday after rains interrupted play.
The weather forecast says more rain is expected this week.
There are two matches still to be played.
The second match is scheduled for today.
Bulawayo has been overcast and there were some light showers here yesterday.
Rain is also expected on Thursday.
A win for the Chevrons today will see them take an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Sunday’s victory was Zimbabwe’s first win over Pakistan in ODIs in nine years.
The last one had come in Harare in 2015.
Sikandar Raza, who was named player-of-the-match in the opening game, said they were hoping to seal the series.
“In the Bulawayo wicket you have to sort of graft, so if you can graft better on these wickets you put your team and yourself in a very good position to get a good score and, more so, the team is on its way to achieve the targets that we set.
“These are the small things that we want to get right and have to get right because in every game that we play the graph has to go up and only then do you win the games.
“We have one hand on the trophy so we just want to make sure that we come out on Tuesday and try to seal the series, Inshallah.”
The Chevrons moved two places up on the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI team rankings.
Zimbabwe jumped to 11th place, leapfrogging Ireland who dropped one place down to number 12 and Scotland who also dropped one place to 13th place.
Online Reporter