Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team Timeline: Complete History, Stats & Records

Quick Answer: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Cricket Overview

The Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team timeline is one of cricket’s most instructive rivalries – overwhelmingly one-sided in numbers, yet repeatedly capable of producing results that stopped world cricket cold. Pakistan and Zimbabwe first met at the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup, with Pakistan winning by 53 runs on their way to lifting the trophy. Since then, across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, Pakistan have dominated over 82% of all completed matches. Yet Zimbabwe’s three Test wins, six ODI wins, and three T20I victories were not accidents – each came from deliberate preparation, home conditions, and peak performances against full-strength Pakistani sides.

Zimbabwe’s defining moments against Pakistan:

• 1998 Peshawar Test – Zimbabwe’s first overseas Test win against any Full Member nation
• 2013 Harare Test – Won by 24 runs; Pakistan needed fewer than 25 to win
• 2022 T20 World Cup, Perth – Zimbabwe won by 1 run; their only ICC tournament victory over Pakistan

Beyond the scorecard, the 2015 Zimbabwe tour of Pakistan – the first international series on Pakistani soil after the 2009 Lahore terrorist attack – carries historical significance that transcends any result.

Full Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Cricket Timeline

The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe cricket timeline begins in 1992 and spans three formats, two decades of Zimbabwe’s structural challenges, and some of the most unexpected results in international cricket. Understanding this timeline requires looking at each era separately – not just who won, but why.

Read More: England Cricket Team Vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline

Era-by-Era Chronology

Year	Event	Result	Significance
1992	Benson & Hedges World Cup ODI	Pakistan won by 53 runs	First match between the nations
1993/94	Zimbabwe toured Pakistan – Tests	Pakistan 2-0	First Test series; Waqar Younis took 27 wickets at 13.81
1994/95	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe – Tests	Pakistan 2-1	Zimbabwe won their first-ever Test vs Pakistan
1996/97	Zimbabwe toured Pakistan – Tests	Pakistan 1-0	Pakistan reasserted home dominance
1997/98	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe – Tests + ODIs	PAK 1-0 Tests; ZIM won ODI leg	Zimbabwe claimed first home ODI series win
1998/99	Zimbabwe toured Pakistan – Tests	Zimbabwe 1-0	Historic – Zimbabwe’s first away Test win vs any Full Member
2002/03	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe	Pakistan 2-0 Tests	Zimbabwe cricket entering rapid decline
2003	ICC World Cup group match	No result (rain)	Rain hurt Pakistan’s group-stage net run rate
2004	Zimbabwe withdrew from Test cricket	–	Zimbabwe suspended Test status; bilateral fixtures disrupted
2011	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe (1 Test)	Pakistan won	Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket after seven years
2013	Zimbabwe hosted Pakistan	Zimbabwe won only Test by 24 runs	Zimbabwe’s most recent Test victory over Pakistan
2015	Zimbabwe toured Pakistan	Pakistan won	First international tour of Pakistan since 2009 Lahore attack
2018	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe (5 ODIs)	Pakistan 5-0	Fakhar Zaman scored 210* – highest-ever score in PAK vs ZIM ODIs
2020	Zimbabwe toured Pakistan – ODIs	Pakistan 3-0	Pakistan clean sweep in all three matches
2021	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe – T20Is	Pakistan won series	Zimbabwe won their first-ever T20I against Pakistan
2022	ICC T20 World Cup (Perth)	Zimbabwe won by 1 run	Zimbabwe’s only ICC tournament win over Pakistan
2024	Pakistan toured Zimbabwe – ODIs + T20Is	PAK 3-0 (ODI), 2-1 (T20I)	Pakistan dominant in 50-over format
2025	T20I Tri-Series, Pakistan	Pakistan won both vs ZIM	Won by 5 wickets and 69 runs at Rawalpindi

Complete Head-to-Head Stats: All Formats

The overall Pakistan vs Zimbabwe head-to-head record shows Pakistan’s dominance clearly – but the fine print reveals where Zimbabwe have consistently found their wins.

Overall Format Split

Format	Matches	Pakistan Won	Zimbabwe Won	Tied/NR
Test	19	12	3	4 draws
ODI	65	56	6	1 tied, 2 NR
T20I	23	20	3	0
Overall	107	88	12	–

Critical insight: All six of Zimbabwe’s ODI wins came on home soil in Zimbabwe. They have never beaten Pakistan in an ODI at a neutral venue. Similarly, all three T20I wins came in Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s record in Zimbabwe is competitive – Zimbabwe can and do win at home – but they have zero wins over Pakistan outside their own country in limited-overs cricket.

Test Cricket History: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

How the Test Balance Shifted

The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Test cricket history splits cleanly into three phases.

Phase 1: 1993–2000 – Zimbabwe as a Competitive Test Nation

Zimbabwe entered Test cricket with genuine quality. Andy Flower was already one of the best wicketkeeper-batters in the world. Heath Streak could move the ball sharply at international pace. In 1998, playing in Peshawar, Zimbabwe became the first visiting team to beat Pakistan in a Test on Pakistani soil in that era. This was Zimbabwe’s first overseas Test win against any Full Member nation – earned against a full-strength Pakistan side in Karachi-region conditions that had historically suited Pakistan’s seamers. Waqar Younis took 27 wickets at an average of 13.81 in the 1993/94 series – the most wickets taken in a single bilateral Test series between these two nations.

Phase 2: 2004–2010 – The Withdrawal Years

Zimbabwe suspended their Test status in 2004 due to a combination of funding crises and a mass exodus of senior players. The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Test rivalry paused. Pakistan continued to maintain bilateral ODI ties where possible, remaining one of the few Full Member nations willing to engage with Zimbabwe during this period.

Phase 3: 2011–2013 – Return and Revenge

Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket in 2011. They lost the one-off Test to Pakistan that year. But in 2013, in Harare, they won the only Test of a scheduled series by 24 runs – Pakistan’s batsmen collapsed chasing a modest fourth-innings target. Younis Khan finished as the highest-scoring Pakistani batter in Tests against Zimbabwe with 511 runs at an average of 73.00, becoming the first Pakistani to reach 500 Test runs in this fixture.

ODI Records: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

Batting Records

Category	Player	Stat
Most runs	Mohammad Yousuf (PAK)	1,033 runs in 24 matches, avg 73.78
Highest innings	Fakhar Zaman (PAK)	210* (Bulawayo, July 2018)
Highest partnership	Fakhar Zaman & Imam-ul-Haq (PAK)	304 for 1st wicket (July 2018)
Most appearances	Shahid Afridi (PAK)	31 ODIs
Most sixes	Shahid Afridi (PAK)	47 sixes

Bowling Records

Category	Player	Stat
Most wickets (ZIM)	Heath Streak	35 wickets
Best figures	Yasir Shah (PAK)	6/26

Fakhar Zaman’s 210* in Bulawayo in 2018 remains one of the highest individual scores in ODI cricket history, and the highest ever scored by a Pakistani batter against Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s team total of 399 in that innings also stands as their highest against Zimbabwe in ODIs.

T20I History: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

The Short Format – Where the Gap Is Narrowing

The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe T20I record shows the same structural dominance as ODIs – but with one defining exception.

T20I Head-to-Head Split

Venue	Pakistan Wins	Zimbabwe Wins
In Pakistan	10	0
In Zimbabwe	8	3
Neutral	2	0

Zimbabwe have never won a T20I against Pakistan on Pakistani soil. Their three T20I wins all came at home in Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s record at neutral venues against Zimbabwe is a perfect 2-0.

T20I Batting Records

Category	Player	Stat
Most runs	Ahmad Shehzad (PAK)	265 runs in 6 matches
Highest innings	Ahmad Shehzad (PAK)	98* off 64 balls
Highest partnership	Hafeez & Shehzad (PAK)	143* for 2nd wicket

T20I Bowling Records

Category	Player	Stat
Most wickets	Mohammad Hafeez (PAK)	13 wickets in 7 matches
Best figures	Mohammad Hafeez (PAK)	4/10 in 2.2 overs
Best recent figures	Sufiyan Muqeem (PAK)	5/3 (Bulawayo, December 2024)

Sufiyan Muqeem‘s 5/3 in the December 2024 T20I stands as one of the most devastating individual T20I bowling performances in this fixture’s entire history.

ICC Tournament Record: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

The Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team have met three times in ICC tournaments – across two World Cup formats spanning 30 years.

Tournament	Year	Venue	Result
1992 Cricket World Cup	1992	Australia	Pakistan won by 53 runs
2003 Cricket World Cup	2003	South Africa	No result – rain
2022 ICC T20 World Cup	2022	Perth, Australia	Zimbabwe won by 1 run

The 2003 no-result matters more than it appears. Pakistan failed to progress from that group stage, and the abandoned match against Zimbabwe directly damaged Pakistan’s net run rate, contributing to their elimination. A team ranked 20 positions below them in the world indirectly ended Pakistan’s World Cup campaign without bowling a ball. The 2022 Perth win is Zimbabwe’s only ICC tournament victory over Pakistan across all three formats and both World Cup variations.

Venue-Based Performance Split

Understanding the Pakistan vs Zimbabwe rivalry requires looking at where matches were played – not just who won.

ODI Wins by Venue

Venue	Pakistan Wins	Zimbabwe Wins
In Pakistan	19	4
In Zimbabwe	23	2
Neutral	14	0

Key Observation

Zimbabwe’s entire win record against Pakistan in limited-overs cricket is built on home advantage. On a flat Harare or Bulawayo pitch, with conditions they know and a crowd behind them, Zimbabwe can and have beaten Pakistan. In neutral conditions – at World Cups, in third-country series – Zimbabwe’s win percentage against Pakistan drops to zero across all T20Is and ODIs. This is not a coincidence. It is the consistent pattern across 30 years of this fixture.

Most Memorable Matches

The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe cricket history is defined as much by a handful of unforgettable results as by the overall head-to-head numbers.

1998/99 Peshawar Test: Zimbabwe’s Most Historic Win

Played at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar. Zimbabwe defeated Pakistan on Pakistani soil – their first overseas Test win against any Full Member nation. What made this result extraordinary: the Zimbabwe side of 1998 was built for this specific type of cricket. Andy Flower behind the stumps was operating at his best. Heath Streak had developed into a genuinely threatening international seamer. This was not an upset built on dropped catches or poor pitch preparation. Zimbabwe played better cricket for five days than Pakistan did. The Cricket Cauldron’s detailed account of this match confirms it remains one of Zimbabwe’s greatest-ever results.

2013 Harare Test: Pakistan’s Closest-Run Defeat

Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by 24 runs, with Pakistan collapsing while chasing a small fourth-innings total. A team that had struggled to maintain Test status had just beaten one of the world’s top Test nations in front of a home crowd at Harare Sports Club.

This remains Zimbabwe’s most recent Test victory over Pakistan.

October 27, 2022 – Perth: 1 Run, Maximum Drama

The 2022 ICC T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Optus Stadium, Perth, is the single most referenced moment in the entire Pakistan vs Zimbabwe cricket timeline. Zimbabwe scored 130/8. Pakistan could not get there, falling 1 run short.

This was:

• Zimbabwe’s only ICC tournament win over Pakistan in any format
• Pakistan’s most painful T20 World Cup group-stage loss of that era
• The tightest match ever played between these two teams

The result ended Pakistan’s realistic campaign progression in the tournament.

July 2018, Bulawayo: Fakhar Zaman’s 210*

Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe in 2018 was a 5-0 ODI whitewash. But the defining moment came in the third ODI – Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 210, the highest individual score in any Pakistan vs Zimbabwe ODI. His 304-run opening partnership with Imam-ul-Haq is also the highest first-wicket partnership Pakistan have ever recorded in ODI cricket.

2015, Lahore: The Tour Beyond Cricket

Zimbabwe touring Pakistan in 2015 is not remembered for its scorecards – Pakistan won all the limited-overs matches. It is remembered because Zimbabwe came at all. No other Test nation would tour Pakistan at that time. Their presence re-opened Pakistan’s home international schedule and set in motion a recovery that took years to complete.

Key Players in Pakistan vs Zimbabwe History

The Pakistan vs Zimbabwe cricket timeline has been shaped by a distinct group of players on both sides.

Pakistan’s Key Performers

Mohammad Yousuf – The highest ODI run-scorer in this fixture with 1,033 runs at 73.78 in 24 matches. The benchmark for Pakistani batting consistency against Zimbabwe.

Shahid Afridi – Most appearances (31 ODIs), most sixes (47), and the longest span of any Pakistani in this fixture – from 1996 to 2015. Afridi played against Zimbabwe in three different decades.

Fakhar Zaman – Holder of the highest individual innings in any PAK vs ZIM match: 210* in Bulawayo in 2018.

Waqar Younis – The all-time wicket record holder for a single bilateral Test series between these teams: 27 wickets at 13.81 in the 1993/94 series.

Younis Khan – First Pakistani to score 500 Test runs against Zimbabwe; finished with 511 at an average of 73.00 in Tests.

Sufiyan Muqeem – The most recent standout, taking 5/3 in a T20I in December 2024 – one of the all-time great bowling performances in this fixture.

Zimbabwe’s Key Performers

Andy Flower – Zimbabwe’s greatest batter and the anchor of their competitive era from 1993 to 2004. Averaged over 50 in Test cricket and was the primary reason Zimbabwe were competitive in the 1990s.

Heath Streak – Took 35 ODI wickets against Pakistan – the highest for any Zimbabwean in this fixture. Formed Zimbabwe’s bowling backbone alongside his useful lower-order batting for over a decade.

Sikandar Raza – Zimbabwe’s current international anchor and their most consistent performer in the T20I era. More responsible than any other active Zimbabwean for keeping pressure on Pakistan in recent bilateral series.

Recent Results: Last 10 Matches

Date	Format	Venue	Winner	Margin
Nov 23, 2025	T20I	Rawalpindi	Pakistan	69 runs
Nov 18, 2025	T20I	Rawalpindi	Pakistan	5 wickets
Dec 5, 2024	T20I	Bulawayo	Zimbabwe	2 wickets
Dec 3, 2024	T20I	Bulawayo	Pakistan	10 wickets
Dec 1, 2024	T20I	Bulawayo	Pakistan	57 runs
Nov 28, 2024	ODI	Bulawayo	Pakistan	99 runs
Nov 26, 2024	ODI	Bulawayo	Pakistan	10 wickets
Nov 24, 2024	ODI	Bulawayo	Pakistan	Won
Oct 27, 2022	T20I (WC)	Perth	Zimbabwe	1 run
Apr 2021	T20I	Harare	Zimbabwe	19 runs

Pakistan’s 10-wicket ODI win on November 26, 2024 – Zimbabwe bowled out for 60 – was their most dominant result in Bulawayo in recent memory. The 2024 ODI series was a 3-0 clean sweep; the T20I series ended 2-1 after Zimbabwe took the third match by 2 wickets. (According to ESPNcricinfo match records and CricketAddictor’s 2025 Tri-Series preview.)

Why Pakistan Dominate – and Why Zimbabwe Keep Competing

The Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Zimbabwe National Cricket Team rivalry is ultimately a story about what cricket looks like when resources are wildly unequal but competitive spirit is not. Pakistan draw from a population of over 200 million, a fully professional domestic T20 league (PSL), and a continuous Test development pathway. Zimbabwe have approximately 400 registered senior cricketers in their entire national system. The 82% win rate reflects this gap in infrastructure – not in effort or tactical intelligence. Zimbabwe’s wins are never flukes. The three Test wins, six ODI wins, and three T20I victories all share a pattern: home conditions, a settled Zimbabwe XI, and a Pakistan side that underestimated the task. The 2022 Perth win breaks that pattern – neutral venue, open conditions – and is precisely why it deserves its place as Zimbabwe’s greatest modern result. The rivalry’s broader significance is diplomatic as much as sporting. Pakistan kept touring Zimbabwe during their darkest years. Zimbabwe returned that loyalty in 2015 by coming to Lahore when no other nation would. That exchange sits outside the statistics but inside the reason this fixture matters in ways that PAK vs IND or PAK vs AUS never could.

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