Pressure mounts on Pakistan ahead of T20 series against Zimbabwe

Visitors clinched Super Over win in third ODI in Rawalpindi

Pakistan's Faheem Ashraf bowls as coach Misbah-ul-Haq and teammate Haris Rauf watch during a practice session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium ahead of their first Twenty20 against Zimbabwe. AFP

Pakistan's Imad Wasim, second right, and Mohammad Hafeez train ahead of the first Twenty20 against Zimbabwe. AFP

Pakistan captain Babar Azam trains at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. AFP

Zimbabwe's Sean Williams during training at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. AFP

Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani, left, during training. AFP

Zimbabwe train for the first T20 in Rawalpindi. AFP

Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza and Brendan Taylor with Pakistani players after winning the third ODI against Pakistan via Super Over. AP

Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani picked up five wickets in the third ODI. AFP

Pakistan find themselves in the unenviable position of having a lot to lose and very little to gain in the T20 series against Zimbabwe, which begins on Saturday in Rawalpindi.

The hosts ended the ODI series on a dispiriting note, losing the final game of the three-match series in the Super Over.

Babar Azam's team were aiming for another comfortable outing following commanding wins in the first two ODIs but were undone by Sean Williams' century and a five-wicket haul by pacer Blessing Muzarabani in the third game in Rawalpindi.

“This win is huge for us,” Williams had said after the result. “A lot of people do panic under pressure, but I feel we deserved to win. We're tired of competing and getting beaten. That's no longer acceptable. It's been way too long and the whole mental approach towards our game has completely changed.”

The teams now shift their focus to the three-match T20 series. Pakistan are currently ranked fourth in ICC rankings with 261 points and even if they win all three matches, they will only gain one more point.

However, if Pakistan lose the series 2-1, they will slip to fifth position according to ICC's rankings predictor.

Pakistan captain Azam will also be looking to regain his No1 ranking in T20 batting, which he lost to England's Dawid Malan.

Malan is on top with 877 points and Azam is second on 869.