Daijiworld Media Network

Harare, Sep 27 : Welcome, everybody! After an unwonted 13-day break, international cricket is all set and ready to resume with the shortest format of the game. The BOOM BOOM - Shahid Afridi, with fairly-experienced troops, will look to dictate proceedings against a confident-looking Zimbabwe side, who will be playing on their home soil after a gap of over 45 days.

Right then! A never-ending cricketing season beckons. Are you up for it? Toss and teams to follow. 

With less than 6 months to go for the T20 World Cup, both teams will be eager to trace the right combinations and build a solid side for the mega tournament - Horses for courses as many cricketing purists would say. So, it will be testing times for the talented lads from both sides.

Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to bat

Match Preview:

Just four months after breaking a six-year-long cricketing hiatus in Pakistan, Elton Chigumbura's Zimbabwe gear up to host the Asian giants. The series in May was a historic one, taking cricket back to Pakistan for the first time since Sri Lanka's ill-fated tour in 2008-09 that was marred by terror attacks. Pakistan play three ODIs and two T20Is in Zimbabwe, starting on Sunday in Harare.

Venue: Harare Sports Club

Time: 11.00 hrs GMT, 16.30 hrs IST

Weather: Mostly sunny and pleasant with a minimum temperature of 14 degrees Celsius.

Zimbabwe

Elton Chigumbura's Zimbabwe were comprehensively beaten by 80 runs in their previous T20I fixture against New Zealand at home but they can take heart from their surprising ten-run victory in the second T20I against India, earlier in July. Chamu Chibhabha had orchestrated that victory and Chigumbura will hope he and the rest of the top-order play a key role in their attempt to outplay Pakistan. The New Zealand series showed that their batsmen were vulnerable to pace but the lack of an out-and-out fast bowler in the opposition line-up should give them some confidence. Yet, the task of dealing with the tall Mohammad Irfan and the experienced Sohail Tanvir will be a tough task.

Probable XI: Hamilton Masakadza, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Elton Chigumbura (c), Sean Williams, Richmond Mutumbami, Graeme Creamer, Prosper Utseya, Chris Mpofu, Taurai Muzarabani

Pakistan

If right-arm medium pacer Mohammad Imran Khan gets his T20I debut on Sunday, Pakistan fans can get nostalgic with joy to see 'Imran and Wasim' in the team sheet once again. The 'Wasim' in question is slow left-arm orthodox bowler Imad Wasim, who has played the role of an effective all-rounder in domestic cricket. The 26-year-old has not made an early impact in the three T20Is he has featured in so far, but the two games in Zimbabwe provide him the chance to shine.

Pakistan, led by the charismatic Shahid Afridi, walk into the series at the back of morale-boosting series victory - across formats - in Sri Lanka. While the likes of Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal were in the runs in Sri Lanka in July, Afridi has endured a lull with the bat which he will seek to get over.

Even if performances against a weaker side like Zimbabwe do not account for too much, the think-tank will be keen to gauge consistency, fitness and determination levels in a bid to identify the core group for the World T20 in India in March 2016.

Probable XI: Mukhtar Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shahid Afridi (c), Imad Wasim, Imran Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan