Pakistan is set to host top-notch cricket for the first time in six years when Zimbabwe kick-starts its tour on May 19, with the five-match limited-overs series containing two T20s and three One-day internationals. Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the short Pakistan tour. The matches will be played in Lahore and the team and officials will be given full security.
Zimbabwe will be the first full member nation to tour Pakistan since March 2009, when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team's bus in Lahore, rendering the country untenable as an international cricket venue because of security concerns. Pakistan Cricket Board announced that the Zimbabwe team would arrive in Lahore on May 19, and play two Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals between May 22 and 31. The T20s will be played on May 22 and 24, and the one-day internationals on May 26, 29 and 31. The Pakistan Cricket Board and the Zimbabwe Cricket have signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing on the itinerary.
"I am grateful to my counterpart in Zimbabwe Cricket, Wilson Manase, for acceding to our request of sending a full side on a tour to Pakistan. This will be an auspicious moment for Pakistan cricket and I am positive that it would open doors of international cricket in Pakistan. Kenya have already been here for five matches against Pakistan 'A' and I am indeed confident that Zimbabwe's incident-free tour shall be the harbinger of more and more associate and full member nations visiting us in the months and years to come", said Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Mohammad Khan.
Zimbabwe's security team will come over to Lahore - the venue of all the five games being the Gaddafi Stadium - on May 4 2015 with a mandate to review just the security arrangements put in place by the Pakistan Cricket Board with the full backing of the Punjab government and various provincial and federal law enforcement agencies.
"We vigorously tried to convince Cricket Zimbabwe to split the matches between Lahore and Karachi but the visiting team's members expressed concern on extensive travelling, and their request had to be accommodated", said a Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman. The tour itinerary, all matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore:
Itinerary:
May 19: Team Zimbabwe arrive
May 22: First Twenty20 international
May 24: Second Twenty20 international
May 26: First one-day
May 29: Second one-day
May 31: Third one-day
June 01: Team Zimbabwe departs.