Scanning own ignominy weighs on sorry Zimbabwe

Imam-ul-Haq has so far collected two tons in the four ODI. © Getty

Four consecutive games have allowed Pakistan to do better than its opponents in the fifth and final ODI of this tour, Sunday, July 22 in Bulawayo.

If the loss of five key players at the beginning of the series because of the payment fiasco was not enough, the hosts lost more luster when a Solomon Mire and Kyle Jarvis in top form were injured And The embarrbadment o Losing a place in the final in the previous tri-T20I series at home was only magnified when Pakistan showed no mercy in the following ODIs, chaining two defeats of more than 200 and as many points by the margin of nine wickets

. were beaten in all three departments – the drummers showed no semblance of fighting, the bowlers were not penetrating and the fielding was also disappointed. Several team changes at each match also did not help their cause, none of them having had the chance to settle into a role. It's Zimbabwe's last hope of finishing the season with a consolation victory, but they should take their game several strokes overnight when the odds are against them.

To pull the hosts to only 67 to record their last Friday, Pakistan has intimidated Zimbabwe en route to a score of 4-0. Although it was not such a competitive series, it gave the next generation of Pakistan a chance to plead their case for a World Cup spot next year. None, however, impressed more than Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq at the top of the order, as evidenced by Pakistan's two wins of nine-wicket. The opening pair is leading run-charts with 430 and 285 points respectively, having scored two centuries each while Zaman's last shot was the best of his career, beating all records by 210.

Pakistan was well served by the young trio of teenager Shahdab Khan and pacers Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf while they rested the regulars Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir in the final stages of the series. All three have nine wickets each in four outlets. With the exception of Haris Sohail, who returned home early due to his daughter's illness, Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Nawaz of Pakistan tested their strength on the bench in various combinations to date. A batting reshuffle could be on the cards to get some order in the middle order, if not to rest the two heavy scorers

When: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, 5th ODI, July 22 at 9:15 Local, 12:45 pm IST

Where: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

What to expect: If the conditions covered for the day promise to help bowlers, a scrap metalist from a track that has already seen loads of visitors, restores balance.

News from the team

Zimbabwe: Despite the in-depth changes the hosts have made their eleven game every game, they are still getting a result favorable. Due to the absence of some big names, Zimbabwe has struggled to restore balance and hope that experimentation will continue

Pakistan: With a series of bald -mouse in sight, Pakistan should side full force. If they choose to rest the regulars, however, Hafeez and Nawaz could play a game that has only warmed the bench up to here.

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