After only a week at home, the Zimbabweans took to the skies again for a tour of Pakistan.
Zimbabwe were in control of the first Test before an extraordinary partnership of 313 between Wasim Akram who hit 257 and Saqlain Mushtaq saved Pakistan.In the second Test a weakened Zimbabwe were at first struggling but made a good fight in the second innings until some unfavourable umpiring decisions broke their resistance.
The touring team's fast bowling attack suffered from the unavailability of Streak and Brandes as well as the loss of Olonga to injury while on tour. 20 year-olds Mpumelelo Mbangwa and Everton Matambanadzo became the second and third black cricketers, following fellow fast bowler Henry Olonga, to be included in a Zimbabwe team. Thrust into the second Test match, neither rookie could make much impression. Zimbabwe then lost the one-day series three-nil, although Matambanadzo, taken on tour largely as a net bowler, had success briefly with 4-34 in the one-dayer at Peshawar.
Despite the defeat the selectors stuck with Alistair Campbell for a home series against England and a one-day competition in South Africa. The indications were that Dave Houghton, with innings of 43, 65, 1 and 73 in the Test matches was coping well with the role of player-coach but he retired from playing international cricket next March.
Unavailable:Heath Streak (injured);Stuart Carlisle (university commitments in South Africa); Craig Evans, Wayne James, Eddo Brandes and Ali Shah were all unavailable because of business commitments.
Tour Party Announced :2 October 1996.
Not selected :
Time between selection and departure from Zimbabwe
5 days
(2 October-7 October)
Travel
HarareQLahore
The Zimbabwe team departed from Harare Airport on Monday 7 October and after a long journey arrived in Lahore on Tuesday afternoon.
Time spent in Pakistan
x days
(8 October - November)
Reinforcements
J A Rennie
Msh
26
RFM
ODI
John RennieHenry Olonga sustained a groin strain in the first Test and left the tour from Faisalabad on 24 October.
Fixtures/Results
a
Sahiwal
Pakistan Board XI
Drawn
b
SHEIKHUPURA
PAKISTANFirst Test
DRAWN
c
FAISALABAD
PAKISTANSecond Test
LOST 10 w
d
§Quetta
Pakistan(1st ODI)
Lost 3 w
e
§Lahore
Pakistan(2nd ODI)
Lost 9 w
f
§Peshawar
Pakistan(3rd ODI)
Lost 77 r
§ ODISeries
ϯ not first-class
Time spent in Pakistan before First Test:9 days
(8 October-17 October)
Test appearances on tour
2-Campbell,Dekker,A Flower,G W Flower,Houghton,B C Strang,PA Strang,G J Whittall, Wishart.
1-Mbangwa,Matambanadzo,Olonga,A R Whittall.
0-Brent,G J Rennie,J A Rennie.
Match appearances
a
b
c
d
e
f
G B Brent
x
o
ADR Campbell
x
T
T
o
o
o
M H Dekker
x
T
T
o
o
A Flower
x
T
T
o
o
o
G W Flower
x
T
T
o
o
o
D L Houghton
x
T
T
o
o
o
E Matambanadzo
x
T
o
M Mbangwa
T
o
H K Olonga
x
T
G J Rennie
x
o
o
J A Rennie
o
o
o
B C Strang
T
T
o
P A Strang
T
T
o
o
o
A R Whittall
x
T
o
o
o
G J Whittall
T
T
o
o
o
C B Wishart
x
T
T
o
Highlights
•Former captains Houghton and Flower made centuries in the first tour game against a Pakistan Board XI
•In the Test match at SheikhupuraPaul Strang scored a century and took 5 wickets.
•Dave Houghton and Alistair Campbell fought back at Faisalabad with a fourth-wicket partnership of 113.
•Everton Matambanadzo took four for 32 in the third ODI at Peshawar.
Tour Summary
P
W
L
D
Aban
Test Matches
2
0
1
1
-
Other first-class matches
1
0
0
1
-
ϯ Minor matches
0
-
-
-
-
§ One-day internationals
3
0
3
0
-
All Matches
6
0
4
2
-
Return to Zimbabwe
LahoreQ?QHarare
The last tour match, the 3rd ODI, took place on 3 November 1996.