Pakistan win toss, opt to bat

Lahore - Pakistan captain Azhar Ali won the toss and opted to bat in the first of three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.

Pakistan, who won the preceding two-match Twenty20 series 2-0, brought in to the side leg-spinner Yasir Shah and allrounder Hammad Azam.

Azam played the last of his eight one-day internationals in Bangladesh three years ago.

Zimbabwe brought back Craig Ervine, who failed to fully recover from a bout of flu which forced him to miss both the Twenty20 matches.

Zimbabwe is the first major team to tour Pakistan since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009 suspended all international cricket in the country.

Massive security continued to be deployed at the stadium and teams, with a sell-out 27 000 crowd expected to watch the match.

The next two matches will be played on Friday and Sunday - also in Lahore.

Teams:

Pakistan

Azhar Ali (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Hammad Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Anwar Ali

Zimbabwe

Elton Chigumbura (captain), Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine, Hamilton Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Sean Williams

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Russell Tiffin (ZIM)

TV umpire: Ahmed Shahab

Match referee: Azhar Khan (PAK)