Zimbabwe women to make first tour of Pakistan for white-ball series

KARACHI: Zimbabwe women are set to tour Pakistan for the first time, with a six-match white-ball series scheduled to be played in Karachi from April 29 to May 15.

The tour will include three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals at the National Bank Stadium, in what marks a notable development in bilateral women’s cricket between the two teams.

The ODI series will be held on May 3, 6 and 9 and will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-2029. Zimbabwe began their campaign in the competition last month against New Zealand.

Zimbabwe had a difficult start to that championship, losing all three ODIs and all three T20Is in their home series against New Zealand by wide margins.

The T20I matches in Pakistan are scheduled for May 12, 14 and 15. This will be the first time the Pakistan women’s national cricket team and the Zimbabwe women’s national cricket team face each other in the shortest format of international cricket.

Limited previous meetings

The two sides have met only once before in international cricket overall. That match came during the 2021 World Cup Qualifier, where Pakistan secured a 114-run win over Zimbabwe.

Pakistan have so far played three matches in the current Women’s Championship cycle mentioned in the report. They recently lost their series against South Africa 1-2 and are placed fifth on the ICC Women’s Championship points table.

Preparation for upcoming events

The upcoming series is expected to offer both teams valuable match practice and international exposure as they continue preparations for future global tournaments.

With all six matches set to be staged at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, the series will also provide Zimbabwe with their first experience of touring Pakistan for women’s international cricket.

The ODI leg carries added significance because of its place in the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-2029, while the T20I fixtures will open a new chapter in the teams’ head-to-head record in that format.

For Pakistan, the series comes after their recent championship outing against South Africa, while Zimbabwe arrive looking to continue their campaign after their first Women’s Championship assignment against New Zealand.

The schedule released in the report places the ODI matches on May 3, 6 and 9, followed by the T20I series on May 12, 14 and 15, with the full tour running from April 29 until May 15 in Karachi.