Pakistan leg spinner Shadab Khan Friday credited his team's recent successes on their camaraderie after a crushing win over Zimbabwe in the opening game of a five-match one-day series.
After Pakistan won by 201 runs in Bulawayo, Shadab, who starred with the ball, was asked to explain his team's form.
Shadab and opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq delivered career-best efforts to ensure that Pakistan controlled the match throughout.
Imam cracked a career-best 128 to set up Pakistan's 308 for seven after they had been put in to bat under grey, wintery skies this morning.
Then Shadab made short work of Zimbabwe's lower order to collect four for 32 as the host were bowled out in the 35th over.
Shadab Khan's 4-32 are his best bowling figures in ODIs #ZIMvPAK #Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) July 13, 2018
Imam was backed up by Fakhar Zaman, who continued his good form with 60, and Asif Ali, who smashed a rapid 46 on debut to boost Pakistan’s total after they had been put in to bat under grey, wintery skies this morning.
Pakistan started slowly with the bat. With the new ball nipping around Imam played and missed at several deliveries and was lucky to survive an edge off fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, the ball dropping just in front of second slip.
But Imam gritted his way through the difficult patch, and, with Fakhar scoring fluently, Pakistan put on an opening stand of 113 in under 25 overs.
Fakhar brought up his fourth fifty of Pakistan's tour but then hit a return catch to debutant offspinner Liam Roche. Imam then shifted through the gears to bring up a 109-ball hundred in the 37th over.
Zimbabwe's bowlers struck back at the death with Tendai Chatara and Donald Tiripano picking up two apiece, as Pakistan lost five wickets in the last 10 overs.
Imam-ul-Haq is first Pakistan batsman to score 2 centuries in the first 5 ODIs. Overall he is 8th batsman. #ZimvPak
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 13, 2018
Pakistan's seamers were disciplined with the new ball, and were rewarded with five top-order wickets inside the first 15 overs.
Ryan Murray, on debut, was the only Zimbabwean batsman to come to terms with Pakistan's attack, compiling a tidy unbeaten 32 but Shadab dismissed four of Zimbabwe's last five to ensure the host slumped to the lowest ODI total recorded at the Queens Sports Club.
The teams face each other again in the second match of the five-game series at the same ground Sunday.
BRIEF SCORE
Zimbabwe 107 in 35 overs (Murray 32*, Shadab 4/32) lost to Pakistan 308/7 (Imam 128, Fakhar 60) by 201 runs
