Pak restrict Zimbabwe to 244 in fourth ODI

Keith Dabengwa (45 off 33 balls) distorted Malik’s (3-55) figures when he took 19 off the last over that included two sixes before he was the last man out.

Former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu (51) top scored and featured in 85-run third-wicket stand with Sean Williams (48) before both offered tame return catches to off-spinner Malik.

Stand-in captain and opener Hamilton Masakadza’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired when Zimbabwe slipped to 12-2as left-arm paceman Kamran Hussain trapped Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda leg before wicket in his opening spell.

Taibu and Williams repaired the damage with a 100-ball partnership, but both fell in Malik’s successive overs, thwarting Zimbabwe’s attempt to put up a challenging total.

Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi, who gave away 21 runs in his first two overs that included a straight six from Williams, returned to clean bowl Chamu Chaibhabha (30) as Zimbabwe lower middle-order batsmen were tied down by Pakistan spinners.

Left-arm spinner Fawad Alam – one of the four players to come into the Pakistan side – had Elton Chigumbura (24) stumped in a disciplined 10-over spell of 1-45.

Pakistan took advantage of having already claimed the series as it named opening batsman Khalid Latif and paceman Sohail Khan for their debuts, replacing Salman Butt and Yasir Arafat respectively.

Khan struggled in his seven overs (1-38) but got a consolation wicket when he yorked Ray Price.

Experienced batsman Younis Khan was rested and replaced by Alam, while regular wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal made way for Sarfraz Ahmed.

Zimbabwe captain Prospoer Utseya missed a second game after aggravating an ankle injury during the second match at Hyderabad last week.

The visitors faced another blow when their key bowler in the last match Tawanda Mupariwa sprained his ankle during his four-wicket haul. He was replaced by medium fast bowler Chris Mpofu.