LAHORE: Pakistan hammered Zimbabwe for 375 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in a rare display of batting brilliance in the first ODI here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday. The one-day international is the first to be played on home soil after a gap of six years.
Shoiab Malik who was playing his first one-day after two years was the star of the show, the Sialkot Stallions captain made a blistering 112 of just 76 balls with 12 fours and two sixes after Pakistan captain Azhar Ali opted to bat first on a flat pitch.
Malik capitalized on a confident 170-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez (86) and skipper Azhar Ali (79) as Pakistan improved on their previous best total of 349 against Zimbabwe at Jamaica in 2007. The hundred was Malik’s first in 31 innings and came after a gap of six years. He was finally dismissed of the last delivery of the innings, caught in the covers off Tinashe Panyangara.
He was part of 201 runs stand with Haris Sohail, who remained unbeaten on 89. The partnership was a new record for the third wicket against Zimbabwe beating the previous 145 runs stand between Javed Miandad and Amir Sohail.
Zimbabwe were 137/2 in 25 overs at the time this report was filed, Wahab Riaz and Anwar Ali both took a wicket each.