(MENAFN- Arab Times) Shoaib Malik hit his first century in six years to help Pakistan outbat Zimbabwe in the first day-night international by 41 runs in Lahore on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Malik, playing his first one-dayer after two years, notched up a 76-ball 112 with 12 fours and two sixes to steer Pakistan to 375-3 - their highest against Zimbabwe - before restricting the tourists to 334-5 in 50 overs at Gaddafi Stadium.
Zimbabwe tried their valiant best with skipper Elton Chigumbura hitting a rapid 95-ball 117 but the mounting asking rate proved too much in the end.
Chigumbura hit 10 boundaries and four sixes in his maiden one-day hundred as Zimbabwe also improved on their previous highest total against Pakistan, beating 295-9 in Bulawayo in 2002.
Chigumbura added 124 for the third wicket with Hamilton Masakadza (73) and another 74 for the fourth with Sean Williams (36).
Chigumbura was bowled in the 45th over by paceman Wahab Riaz who was the best Pakistan bowler with 3-47.
Chigumbura's previous best was 90 he made against South Africa at Bulawayo last year.
Pakistan captain Azhar Ali attributed the win to team effort.
"We got a good start and everyone chipped in with Malik build on that for our big total which won us the match," said Ali. "It was a good team effort."
Chigumbura praised his team's fight but blamed poor bowling for the loss.
"We did well in the chase but didn't go hard in the last seven overs," said Chigumbura. "It was satisfying to score a hundred but we must improve our bowling in the next matches."
Earlier, Malik scored his first century since his three-figure knock against India at Centurion in September 2009.
Malik built on a confident 170-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez (86) and Ali (79) as Pakistan improved on their previous best total against Zimbabwe of 349 at Jamaica in 2007.
Malik's hundred - his first in 31 innings and since September 2009 - came off 70 balls as Pakistan added 112 in the last 10 overs.
Malik, 33, was dismissed off the last delivery, caught in the covers off Tinashe Panyangara.
Malik had been part of a 201-run stand with Haris Sohail (89 not out), a new record for the third wicket against Zimbabwe beating the 145 runs which Javed Miandad and Amir Sohail put on at Hobart in 1992.
Sohail's knock came off 66 balls with six boundaries and two sixes.
Zimbabwe are the first major team to tour Pakistan since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009 led to the suspension all international cricket in the country.
Massive security continued to be deployed at the stadium and for the teams, with 24,000 people watching the match.
Ali and Hafeez gave Pakistan early momentum as they batted solidly during their 26 over stand.
Utseya then dismissed both the openers off successive deliveries with Ali caught off a miscued sweep while Hafeez missed a straighter delivery and was bowled.
Ali hit nine fours and two sixes while Hafeez knocked eight boundaries and four sixes.
The next two matches will be played on Friday and Sunday - also in Lahore.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping to host more test-playing nations after Zimbabwe became the first major international team to play in the country for six years.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said Tuesday that current and former officials from the cricket boards of England, India and Sri Lanka have supported his work to host Zimbabwe's current tour, which features two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals.
"The cricketing world has appreciated our efforts," Khan told reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium during Pakistan's first one-day international.
Khan said former England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke, the former chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, N. Srinivasan, and Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee chairman Sidath Wettimuny were among those to have telephoned him.
Thousands of security personnel have been deployed to protect the Zimbabwe delegation in the eastern city of Lahore, after an attack on the Sri Lanka team bus here in 2009 team killed six police officials and a van driver.
Hundreds of armed security personnel shield the team buses as the team travels from its hotel to the stadium.
Packed crowds of 27,000 fans at the Gaddafi Stadium have faced a series of security checkpoints to take their seats.
"The response is great and beyond expectations, the crowds have been magnificent," Khan said. "People have overcome the security hassles but no one complained " and Zimbabwe cricketers have been appreciative that they got the best welcome."
Fans also tried to convey positive message and displayed banners such as "we are peaceful nation, we are not terrorist" at the stadium.
While Zimbabwe agreed to play all the matches in Lahore, Khan said he hoped to host international games in other major cities like Karachi, Faisalabad and Multan in future.
"We want to build on that gradually as we have more venues under consideration " so that we can have proper series that include test matches," Khan said.
Khan said he will show a documentary on Zimbabwe's tour of Pakistan at the ICC Board meeting in Barbados next month to encourage other teams to tour the country.
Wilson Manase, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket, also put the case for teams to return to Pakistan.
"For the nations who remain skeptical, they should have sent some delegations to come and be part of this event and watch what is happening in Pakistan. That would have given them confidence," Manase was quoted as telling the espncricinfo.com website.
Scoreboard
LAHORE, Pakistan, May 27, (AFP): Complete scoreboard in the first one-day international between Pakistan and Zimbabwe played at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday:
PAKISTAN
Mohammad Hafeez b Utseya"""..86
Azhar Ali c Panyangara b Utseya"..79
Shoaib Malik c Masakdza b Panyangara""""""""""""112
Haris Sohail not out""""""""..89
Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1, w3)"""""".9
Total: (for three wkts; 50 overs) 375
Did not bat: Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwer Ali, Hammad Azam, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Sami
Fall of wickets: 1-170 (Ali), 2-174 (Hafeez), 3-375 (Malik)
Bowling: Panyangara 10-0-75-1 (1nb), Vitori 10-1-77-0, Mpofu 10-0-70-0 (3w), Williams 5-0-42-0, Utseya 10-0-63-2, Raza 5-0-43-0
ZIMBABWE
Sibanda c and b Riaz"""""".23
Sikander Raza c Hafeez b Anwer"..36
Masakadza c Azam b Malik"""73
Chigumbura b Riaz""""""..117
Williams c Ahmed b Riaz"""".36
Mutumbami not out""""""".21
Utseya not out""""""""""21
Extras: (lb2, w5)"""""""""""7
Total: (for five wkts; 50 overs) 334
Did not bat: C. Ervine, C. Mpofu, T. Panyangara, B. Vitori
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Raza), 2-65 (Sibanda), 3-189 (Masakadza), 4-263 (Williams), 5-293 (Chigumbura)
Bowling: Sami 7-0-63-0, Anwer 10-0-81-1 (1w), Riaz 10-0-47-3 (2w), Azam 5-0-29-0 (1w), Shah 6-0-35-0, Hafeez 8-0-44-0 (1w), Malik 4-0-33-1
Result: Pakistan won by 41 runs
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)
TV umpire: Ahmed Shahab
Match referee: Azhar Khan (PAK)
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