Pakistan v West Indies, 1st T20I Preview: Fresh start for both the teams

World champions West Indies will begin their Middle East sojourn when they meet Pakistan in the 1st T20I at the Dubai Sports City Stadium, Dubai. 

Despite being of highly rated T20 sides, both teams share one similarity at the international level – inconsistency. There are a couple of reasons behind this logic. They have similar team compositions. Both the team has all-rounders who can change things around. The batting line up and the bowling attack also has similar characteristics while.

Both the teams won their respective T20 series which they played before this tour. West Indies got better of India 1-0 in the USA whereas Pakistan salvaged some pride by winning the only T20I against hosts England. Therefore, judging them on the basis of their form can be a tricky game.

To conclude, it is really tough to pick one team as favorite. Therefore the best option left in such circumstance is that to sit back and wait for both of the high-quality T20 sides take on each other expecting a full-on entertainer.

Pakistan:

Inconsistency has been a feature of Pakistan Cricket but the players look determined like never before to shrug off this tag. Much of the motivation comes from their recent graduation to the top of the test rankings.

The top order has found a new breath of life in the form of Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif. Their destructive batting in the only T20I against England is still fresh in the minds of the cricket fans. The batting order received a major boost with the return of Umar Akmal who is in blazing form. The spin bowling all-rounders – Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz will have a crucial role to play on the Dubai wicket which has been traditionally being slow in nature.

Both of them possess the ability to turn the match in their team’s favor, especially with the ball as we have seen in the PSL. Wahab Riaz will lead the pace attack and open the bowling with Sohail Tanvir and Hasan Ali.

Playing XI:

Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C), Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz

West Indies:

West Indies will be banking on the performances from their uncapped youngsters. Players like Alzarri Joseph, Nicholas Pooran, and Kesrick Williams should they get their T20 debuts, must showcase their worth. A lot of eyes would be there on them.

Andre Russell won’t be there this time but that shouldn’t be a problem in the presence of the likes of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, and Carlos Brathwaite. All three all-rounders will hold the key in West Indies’s success tomorrow.

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Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine will most likely spin combination for tomorrow. Both the bowlers faced a lean patch in the recent past but took 3/20 and 2/21 respectively in the warm-up match against Emirate Board XI. This happened to be a warning signal for the opposition.

Probable XI

Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite (C), Nicholas Pooran/Andre Fletcher(WK), Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Kesrick Williams

Last 5 T20I results:

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan: W L L L W
West Indies: NR W W W L

Match Details:

September 23, 2016
Start time 20:00 local (1600 GMT)
Venue: DSC, Dubai

Telecast on Ten Sports

Stats:

• This will be the first times West Indies will be playing at this venue
• Both teams have faced each other only 4 times against each other and have an even record with both teams winning on two occasions each
• Pakistan has won only one of the last five T20I they have played at this venue