Salmán Ali Agha and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza came out for the toss.

Speaking afterwards, Salman Ali Agha said the pitch did not resemble the usual Rawalpindi surface and expressed hope that his bowlers would be able to manage dew later in the evening.

Sikandar Raza said his side was “truly excited” for the series, adding that the wicket looked softer than usual.

Pakistan’s playing XI includes Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed.

Commenting on the pitch, analyst Bazid Khan said it lacked the typical shine seen in Rawalpindi tracks and suggested the ball might hold slightly on the surface.

He added that cold conditions and potential dew could help the ball come onto the bat more smoothly later in the match.