The Gaddafi Stadium of Lahore will once again set the stage for around 27,000 Pakistan fans to watch their team playing, as the countdown to high-stakes series against Zimbabwe nears.
Pakistan is taking on Zimbabwe in the first T20 International on Friday.
Zimbabwe is the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan after terrorists attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in 2009, killing eight people and injuring six players.
The series would be closely watched not only what happens inside the stadium, but also what happens or what not happens outside.
Zimbabwe are scheduled to play two T20 and three ODIs in Lahore, starting from today.
The Pakistan team is being led by Shahid Afridi and home fans would be hoping for a turnaround about their somewhat below par performance against Bangladesh in the same format and in the ODI series. Pakistan, however, won the Test series one nil.
In the Pakistan squad, Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Sami were the last to have played an international cricket series on home soil.
Pakistan skipper Afridi said his side would not underestimate Zimbabwe, especially in the T20 format where teams have a very little chance to stage a comeback unlike in Tests and ODIs.
