Pakistan have been as bad as they could have been in this ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, losing to India in the opener and then bowing down tamely to the hit-and-miss West Indies. Another such performance, and their World Cup campaign could come to a premature end, which makes a win over Zimbabwe at the Gabba paramount.
While losing to India in the opener was not that surprising, considering their record against their rivals in World Cups, the performance against the West Indies was especially disappointing.
Losing four wickets with just one run on the board is something that should never happen in international cricket, and Pakistan will be smarting from that massive loss to the West Indies.
At the end of the day, the bowlers have not been able to restrict their opponents to a score under 300, while the batsmen have buckled under the pressure in the chase.
"You can say that the team has been under pressure the last two games, big games," said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq. "Both of the teams really locked us down in the first two games.
"So, we really have to come up good, play some good cricket and try to win this game because I think we were pretty average in the first two games, so we really need to improve our performance in all three areas of the game.
"We just have to press all the time, even in the middle overs, to get batsmen out. So just make sure that the teams don't reach 300 if we are bowling first, and then batting and the fieldsmen especially [should back the bowlers up].
"That is the most important thing. We need to take our chances, especially the catches, if we really want to be in the game all the time, and batting needs to be professional. We need to score big runs, and if one of your top four batsmen could just really play 40 overs or go to the end, you have a fair bit of chance to win the game."
The batting of Pakistan continues to be the concern, however, as the willow-wielders just do not seem to have the ability to absorb the pressure and show patience up front. The key thing on these Australian pitches is to keep wickets in hand so that you can go slam-bang in the second half, but Pakistan have not been able to do that.
That will be something that Zimbabwe are aware of, and they will know the importance of putting their batsmen under pressure early. Pakistan have not chased down totals well in the first two matches, and Elton Chigumbura will probably want to win the toss and bat first in Brisbane.
The Zimbabweans, themselves, though, are coming off an absolute rollicking at the hands of the West Indies, the match which saw Chris Gayle strike the first ever double century in a World Cup, and confidence will not be exactly sky high in that particular camp either.
"If you put the freedom in the team, then you tend to be relaxed and you can execute," said Chigumbura. "At the end of the day it's about also enjoying the game. You need to enjoy the moments and the occasion."
Where to Watch Live
Get the Full Scorecard of the Match HERE
Get the Match Report and Analysis HERE
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe is scheduled for a 1.30 pm local time (9 am IST, 3.30 am GMT, 10.30 pm ET) start with live coverage in India on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD4. Audience in India other countries across the world can also watch the match via live streaming online on Starsports.com or Star Sports Live Pro.
Viewers in Pakistan can catch the match action live on PTV and Ten Sports, with the live stream option on PTV Live and Ten Sports Live.
Zimbabwe, Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa viewers can catch the action live on SuperSport or live stream the match on SuperSport Live. ESPN will telecast all the action live in the US, while the game can also be live streamed on ESPN Cricket.
Australia viewers can watch the match live on Channel 9 and Fox Sports or via live stream on Foxtel and Cricket Australia Live. Audience in New Zealand will be able to watch the game live on Sky TV or Sky Go NZ. Viewers in the UK can tune in to Sky Sports 2 or catch the action online on Sky Go.
Team news: Pakistan: Misbah is sweating on the fitness of Ahmed Shehzad following an Achilles injury in training, but the opener is expected to be passed fit.
Zimbabwe: Even if they were smashed all over the park by Gayle and Marlon Samuels, Zimbabwe, following are expected to name the same XI, barring any late injuries.
Lineups: Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan.
Zimbabwe: Chamu Chibhabha, Sikandar Raza, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura, Solomon Mire, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara
