This match is the first of six white-ball games between the sides – three ODIs and three T20Is, all of which will take place in Bulawayo. The hosts have handed ODI caps to Brian Bennett and Trevor Gwandu, and Pakistan's Aamer Jamal, Faisal Akram and Hasebullah Khan also debut in the format. Here's all you need know about the debutants.
Faisal Akram
21-year-old Faisal Akram is not just making his ODI debut, but his international debut in this match as well. A left-arm wrist-spin bowler, he is the second such player to debut for Pakistan in the space of a few weeks, after Sufiyan Muqeem played against Australia earlier this month.
Akram plays for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League, the same team as Pakistan's new white-ball skipper Mohammad Rizwan. In 29 List A matches for Southern Punjab, Multan, Pakistan Television and Lions, Akram has taken 43 wickets. He also represented the Pakistan Shaheens team which travelled to Australia for the Top End T20 series this August.
Akram caught the eye in 2021, when Pakistan called him up to a team practice session in Lahore, and he dismissed star batter Babar Azam. In an interview at the time, he also revealed that India all-rounder Hardik Pandya had sponsored a bat for him, via conversations on Instagram.
Haseebullah Khan
Wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan made his Pakistan debut in January this year, playing the fifth T20I against New Zealand. He had to wait nearly 10 months to play his second match though, doing so earlier this month when Pakistan toured Australia and scoring 12 and 24 on the two occasions he batted.
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He has made a name for himself as a dasher in the shortest format, particularly in the Pakistan Super League with Peshawar Zalmi. However, the 50-over format is where Haseebullah's record is at its best – averaging 49 for Pakistan's U19 side and 52 in senior List A cricket.
Haseebullah was also called up to Pakistan's Test squad for the last two Tests against England last month, but did not play.
Aamer Jamal
Aamer Jamal burst onto the international scene last year with a spectacular all-round show in his debut Test series against Australia, and has represented Pakistan in the T20 format as well. His ODI debut has been delayed almost entirely by the fact that Pakistan have not played in the format since November 2023.
Yashasvi Jaiswal 🤝 Graeme Smith
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 24, 2024
Yashasvi Jaiswal became the second player in Test history to notch 150+ in each of his first four centuries, joining South Africa's Graeme Smith 👏
Read here ➡️ https://t.co/nA9sXhFNhN pic.twitter.com/rUAe3g3JS2
Trevor Gwandu
Fast bowler Trevor Gwandu made his international debut in December 2023, in a T20I against Ireland in Harare. He has played five more times for Zimbabwe since then, all in the shortest format – against Ireland, Seychelles, Mozambique, Rwanda and Kenya, the last four in qualifying matches for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
The 26-year-old has had a difficult time in first-class cricket, with a bowling average of 41 from 19 matches for Midlands Rhinos, Rhinos and Southern Rocks.
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Brian Bennett
Brian Bennett is a relatively well-known name in Zimbabwe cricket by now. A top-order batter who bowls usefull off spin, Bennett has played 21 T20Is for his country since debuting one match after Gwandu did, nearly a year ago. Bennett is closing in on 500 runs in the shortest format, and has played a solitary Test as well – against Ireland earlier this year.
Still only 21 years old, he has an excellent record in List A cricket, albeit from just 10 matches – averaging 61 and striking at almost 95 runs per 100 balls.
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