Having given their fans plenty to smile about in the two-match T20 series, Pakistan will look to bring more joy to their home supporters when they face Zimbabwe in a three-match one-day international series, starting with the 1st ODI in Lahore on Tuesday.
While the Pakistan batsmen came to the fore in the short T20 series, chasing down totals in excess of 170 twice, plenty of questions will need to be answered in these three ODI matches.
Batting was at fault for the major part in the World Cup gone by, while Pakistan were them pummelled by Bangladesh in an ODI series that followed the CWC disappointment.
In that series in Bangladesh, the bowlers also looked a little worse for wear, but Waqar Younis and new captain Azhar Ali will hope the privilege of bowling in front of their own fans will gee the bowlers up that little bit more, while the batsmen will hope to continue their good form from the T20s as well.
"Our target is win all the matches of the series and it's the main target for us," Azhar Ali said. "We will learn from our mistakes in the past and will try to take fresh start. We have another opportunity tomorrow to improve our game and build a combination, which transforms into a very good team.
"We will try to give consistent chances to the players. It's such an occasion as a team and for me that it's very important to win. You also know the scenario that we have to win every match and with every game points count, every game is important and we will enter with our minds set on victory."
Zimbabwe showed they are no pushovers in the preceding T20 series, while they were impressive in patches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as well. Ability to sustain the pressure and quality for the 100 overs is what differentiates a top-quality team from one just below, and Zimbabwe will want to show that they are a force to reckon with, with victory over Pakistan.
Waqar will be telling his Pakistan team more of the same in terms of batting, but the bowlers will need to step up a little more for this series. The first ODI will show just how well Zimbabwe can compete in the 50-over format in sub-continental conditions, and also how Pakistan cope when put under pressure.
"A win is a win and I am proud of my boys but definitely there are quite a few loopholes which we have to fix, but overall if you ask honestly I am not satisfied because we are better than this and should have performed well and won it more convincingly," Waqar said after the T20 series victory, which shows there are quite a few chinks that need to be ironed out.
Where to Watch Live
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 1st ODI Match is scheduled for a 4 pm local time (4.30 pm IST, 12 pm BST, 7 am ET) start with live coverage in India on Ten Cricket. Viewers in India can also catch the match via live streaming online on Ten Sports Live. Audience in Pakistan can tune into Ten Sports and PTV Sports to watch the match live, while the live stream option is on Ten Sports Live and PTV Sports Live.
Audience in the US can watch Pakistan vs Zimbabwe live on Willow TV and Willow TV Online.
