PAKISTAN completed a 3-0 series win over Zimbabwe with a comprehensive victory in the third one-day international in Harare yesterday. Younus Khan did the job with the bat, making 81 in 90 balls to underpin a total of 270 for five, with Aizaz Cheema collecting four wickets as the hosts fell 28 short of their target with nine wickets down.
Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor won the toss and inserted Pakistan, who never really looked troubled as every batsman made double figures and only Shoaib Malik, with 14, failed to reach 20.
Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat, who together chased down a target of 226 to secure a 10-wicket win in Sunday’s second ODI, again got their side off to a strong start, adding 45 inside seven overs before Hafeez fell for 23, made from 21 balls, when his pull off Brian Vitori picked out Malcolm Waller on the boundary.
Farhat was smartly caught by Chamu Chibhabha after a period of tight bowling, bringing Younus to the crease. He eventually picked up the tempo and reached his half-century from 58 balls, with five fours.
Asad Shafiq followed, reaching the landmark from 69 balls, but he was dismissed with the addition of just one run when Tatenda Taibu completed a leg-side stumping off Ray Price at the second attempt.
Malik fell to a stunning return catch by Elton Chigumbura and Kyle Jarvis produced a similar moment of magic to end Younus’ innings at 81 before Misbah-ul-Haq (29*) and Adnan Akmal (24*) added an unbroken 55 with Chigumbura being the pick of the bowlers with two for 36.
Vusi Sibanda and Chibhabha made a game start to the reply, never scoring too quickly but rotating the strike well and keeping their wickets intact reaching 110 for the first wicket when debutant Yasir Shah finally removed Sibanda for 59 made off 76 balls with five fours and a six.
Ten runs were added to the score before Taylor became Cheema’s first victim and Chibhabha fell to Malik soon after for 62 and even though Hamilton Masakadza (21) and Tatenda Taibu (27) rebuilt busily, neither could kick on to a major score, falling to Sohail Khan and Yasir respectively.
That wrecked the hosts’ prospects and Cheema took full advantage of their ailing spirits by bagging the scalps of Waller, Chigumbura and Price while Hafeez removed Zimbabwe’s number 10 batsman Jarvis with four balls remaining in the match.