Test Cricket Tours - Zimbabwe to Pakistan 1996-97

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Tour of Pakistan 1996-97 Captain: Alistair Campbell

Zimbabwe’s fifth Test tour

Second Test-playing tour of Pakistan by Zimbabwe

(October - November 1996)

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.

Other Zimbabwe tours

Previous tour

Sri Lanka 1996-97

Next tour

Sri Lanka 1997-98

Next tour of Pakistan

1998-99

Members of the Test tour party (15)

Opening batsmen Grant Flower, Mark Dekker, Craig Wishart.

Middle-order batsmen Alistair Campbell, David Houghton, Guy Whittall, Gavin Rennie.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Andy Flower

Fast bowlers: Henry Olonga, Everton Matambanadzo, Mpumelilio Mbangwa

Medium-paced bowlers : Bryan Strang, Gary Brent.

Spin bowlers: Paul Strang, Andy Whittall.

G B Brent	Msh	20	RM	ODI
A D R Campbell	Msh	24	LHB captain	ODI
M H Dekker	Mat	26	LHB opener	ODI
A Flower	Msh	28	LHB WK	ODI
G W Flower	Msh	25	RHB opener SLA	ODI
D L Houghton	Msh	39	RHB	ODI
E Z Matambanadzo	Msh	20	RFM	ODI
M Mbangwa	Mat	20	RFM	ODI
H K Olonga	Mat	20	RF
G J Rennie	Msh	20	LHB	ODI
B C Strang	Msh	24	RM	ODI
P A Strang	Msh	26	LBG	ODI
A R Whittall	Mat	23	OB	ODI
G J Whittall	Mat	24	RHB	ODI
C B Wishart	Msh	22	RHB opener	ODI
Joined the tour party for the			J A Rennie	ODI
one-day internationals.

District representation:

Mat - Matabeleland (5)

Msh - Mashonaland (10)

Y Msh - Young

Mashonaland (0)

CD - Country Districts (0)

Average age of team at time of first Test match

(17 October 1996) :

24 yrs 6 months

Key to type:

RHB Right-handed bat

RM Right arm medium-paced bowler

RFM Right-arm fast medium

OB Off break

WK Wicket-keeper

Test Appearances made before the tour

Campbell 18, A Flower 18, G W Flower 18, Houghton 16, G Whittall 14, Dekker 11, P A Strang 9, BC Strang 6, Olonga 4, Wishart 4, A Whittall 2, Brent 0, Matambanadzo 0, Mbangwa 0, GJ Rennie 0 (JA Rennie 3)

Tour Officials

Babu Meman	Manager
David Houghton	Coach
Amato Machikicho	Physiotherapist

Selectors

John Traicos (convenor),

Selection

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

Harare Q Lahore

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 Rennie Henry 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	PAKISTAN First Test	DRAWN
c	FAISALABAD	PAKISTAN Second 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

§ ODI Series

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 Sheikhupura Paul 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

Lahore Q ? Q Harare

The last tour match, the 3rd ODI, took place on 3 November 1996.

Time away from Zimbabwe

x days

(7 October to ? November 1996)