Zimpapers Logo

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE Test cricket skipper Sean Williams will be the man to watch when the country hosts Pakistan in Harare next month for a five-match series that includes two Tests and three T20 internationals.

The all-rounder made giant strides on the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings following his outstanding performances in the recent series against Afghanistan.

He was the biggest beneficiary in the latest rankings after he jumped to number 24, to become Zimbabwe’s highest ranked Test batsman. He was previously on 68th place in the world and the fourth among his Zimbabwean teammates.

But the 34-year-old, who recently recovered from a back injury, is now the Chevrons’ best ranked batsman in the long format after he overtook ex-captain, Brendan Taylor.

Williams was voted man of the series for his two centuries in three innings when Zimbabwe drew 1-1 with Afghanistan in the Test series played in Abu Dhabi.

He has thrived in the longer version of the game despite having been given added responsibility after taking over the skipper’s arm-band from Hamilton Masakadza.

To his credit, Williams has scores of 18, 39, 107, 53*, 105, 8 and 151* as Test captain and the recent milestones brought him to his career best rating on the ICC rankings.

Taylor is now the second highest ranked Zimbabwean after he retreated to 29th place on the global rankings. Sikandar Raza, now on number 46th place in the world, swapped places with Craig Ervine who dropped to 47th on the batting rankings. Raza also made it into the top 20 of the Test all-rounders at the end of the series. He is now 18th.

Both Taylor and Ervine were not available for the tour of Afghanistan due to injuries but they have since recovered. They have featured in recent Logan Cup games and are expected back for Pakistan.

Zimbabwe will host Pakistan next month for two Test matches and three Twenty20 international games.

The series will be held in a bio-secure bubble, which simply refers to an environment that is aimed at keeping the teams relatively isolated from the outside world so as to greatly minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection.

All the matches will be played at Harare Sports Club, with no spectators allowed in the stadium.

The tour will begin with the T20I series scheduled for 21, 23 and 25 April. The first Test match is pencilled in for April 29–May 3, while the second one is set for May 7-11.

Pakistan are expected to arrive in Zimbabwe on April 17.