WI vs PAK first T20I Preview | Battered units look for redemption in build-up to T20 World Cup
no image
58
West Indies will meet Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series at Lauderhill in Florida. Both sides come into the series on the back of losses to Australia and Bangladesh, respectively, and will look to set the house right ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next year.
The West Indies come into the series after a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Australia in the five-game duel at home. The side was unable to defend even one game, with the Aussies chasing down targets successfully in each of the five games.
The hosts could not match the firepower of the Aussies with the bat as captain Shai Hope finished as their top run-getter, second overall, with 185 runs at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 149.19. Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer were second and third, respectively, for the hosts with 160 and 129 runs. Medium pacer Jason Holder was their best bowler on display with seven wickets in five games, while left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and pacer Alzarri Joseph had five wickets each.
Meanwhile, Pakistan arrive in the Americas after being subjected to a 2-1 loss in a three-match series in Bangladesh. It was a shoddy batting display from the Men in Green as they managed to go past the 150-run mark just once and were bowled out for modest totals in the other two games.
Opener Sahibzada Farhan, who top-scored for Pakistan in their win in the third T20I, was also their top run-getter in the series with 63 runs from his only outing. However, pacer Salman Mirza stood out for Pakistan with an impressive outing in his debut series that fetched him seven wickets at an average of 8.57 and a strike rate of 9.85.
With the T20 World Cup around the corner early next year, both sides will look to redeem themselves from the hurting series losses and build momentum towards the marquee event.
Pakistan have dominated this fixture with 15 wins in 21 T20Is while the West Indies have only three victories, with the other three ending without a result. It has been more than eight years since the Windies last won against Pakistan, with the last triumph coming in April 2017.
The surface at Lauderhill in Florida is expected to churn out a high-scoring encounter with three of the last five matches witnessing scores of 175-plus by at least one team. T20Is return to Florida for the first time in more than a year after the 2024 T20 World Cup, when Pakistan beat Ireland by three wickets in a group game in June.
It will be a humid and clear evening at Lauderhill, Florida, with temperatures expected to be around 27 degrees. The fans are expected to enjoy uninterrupted action with chances of rain placed at just 2%.
West Indies may be tempted to play Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie together, with Matthew Forde making way for the latter. Keacy Carty, who struggled with an eight-ball one-run knock against Australia in the fifth T20I, is expected to be replaced by Evin Lewis.
Meanwhile, opener Sahibzada Farhan is expected to retain his place at the top of the order for Pakistan after his Player of the Match-winning half-century in the third and final T20I against Bangladesh. With Farhan and Saim Ayub most-likely to open the batting, it remains to be seen whether Fakhar Zaman will replace Mohammad Haris in the lineup. On the bowling front, Shaheen Shah Afridi and the fit-again Haris Rauf are expected to helm Pakistan’s pace attack.
Shai Hope (c & wk), Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jediah Blades
Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Salman Mirza
The WI vs PAK first T20I match will be digitally streamed on the FanCode app and website in India from 5:30 AM IST on Friday.
Comments
Leave a comment0 Comments