Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar has warned that Pakistan will be in trouble if Zimbabwe score more than 200 runs in the first innings of the ongoing opening Test in Harare.

The home side’s captain Brendan Taylor won the toss and decided to bat first on Thursday.  

“If somehow, Zimbabwe manage more than 200 runs [in the first innings] then Pakistan will be in deep trouble. This seems like a difficult pitch and a difficult series. Pakistan will have to play really well to win this Test match,” said Akhtar while speaking on PTV Sports.

“If Pakistan had batted first, then then could have finished the match inside three days by dismissing Zimbabwe twice. Pakistan will have to bat last on this pitch and you never know what might happen due to uneven bounce and swing movement,” he added.

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Zimbabwe gave Test caps to three players: Roy Kaia (spinner), Milton Shumba (left-arm spinner) and pacer Richard Ngarava.

Pakistan entered the Test with two spinners and three seamers, handing a Test debut to off-spinner Sajid Khan, the leading wicket-taker in the home first-class tournament last year.

The second and final Test will also be played in Harare from May 7. Both Tests are being played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.