Ireland captain Paul Stirling won the toss and chose to bowl first in the opening ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. The decision was influenced by the chasing team’s success in recent matches and the possibility of rain later in the day. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, are aiming to break a four-match losing streak.
Zimbabwe’s XI features Johnathan Campbell, making his ODI debut and joining the rare list of father-son duos for the team, with his father, Alistair Campbell, being a former captain. Sikandar Raza returns to the side after a successful ILT20 campaign with Dubai Capitals, while Craig Ervine is back to lead the team after missing the Test match due to personal reasons.
Ireland made a notable change by including left-arm swing bowler Joshua Little to strengthen their bowling attack. Stirling emphasized the importance of adapting quickly to morning conditions, adding that the team had moved on from their recent Test victory. Zimbabwe captain Ervine mentioned they would have also chosen to bowl, expecting early movement but no significant challenges from the pitch.
The teams met at the same venue in December 2023, when Ireland secured a 2-0 series win with successful chases in both completed matches.
Playing XIs:
Ireland: Stirling (c), Balbirnie, Tector, Tucker (wk), Campher, Dockrell, McBrine, Adair, Hume, Humphreys, Little.
Zimbabwe: Marumani (wk), Curran, Ervine (c), Raza, Bennett, Madhevere, Campbell, Masakadza, Nyamhuri, Ngarava, Muzarabani.
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