Zimbabwe coach Rajput opts out of Pakistan tour

Zimbabwe head coach Lalchand RajputProthom Alo file photo

Zimbabwe bowling coach Douglas Hondo will lead the side during their six-match limited overs tour of Pakistan after head coach Lalchand Rajput opted not to travel with the squad.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said in a statement they had been contacted by the embassy of India in Harare, requesting that Rajput be exempted from the tour "in accordance with the travel guidelines stipulated by the Government of India for its citizens".

ZC also confirmed that Rajput had received a visa from the embassy of Pakistan, refuting various reports that suggested he had been denied.

Zimbabwe will play three ODIs in Rawalpindi, starting on 30 October, before travelling to Lahore for the three Twenty20 internationals.

Nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan have gone to war three times since gaining independence in 1947, with tensions having flared in recent years.