Pakistan face fifth bowler dilemma
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged a dilemma over the fifth bowler and said they would take a late decision on their team combination for Tuesday's series decider following their defeat in the second one-day international on Sunday.
Pakistan, who won the opening ODI by five wickets, posted a competitive 171-7 in 37 overs in a rain-truncated match but West Indies prevailed by five wickets to draw level in the three-match series.
Pakistan's part-time duo of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha conceded a combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs as West Indies cruised home.
"You could say our fifth bowler gave away too many runs but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us," Rizwan said after the match.
"Saim didn't have the best day today, but he performed well in the T20Is. That's just part of the game."
Rizwan said they could not read the conditions and several rain delays did not help their cause.
"Honestly, the weather forecast has been completely different from expectations, and it's hard to read.
"We're keeping our options open and will finalise the XI after assessing the conditions."
Pakistan had won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1.
Slip in rankings
The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the latest One Day International (ODI) rankings on Monday, revealing a shift in the positions of several teams, including a drop for Pakistan.
Pakistan's ODI ranking slipped one spot, moving from fourth to fifth place, currently holding 3,465 points.
This decline came as Sri Lanka surged ahead, overtaking Pakistan to claim the fourth position with 4,009 points.
The West Indies also saw an improvement, climbing one spot to ninth place. This advancement pushed Bangladesh down to the tenth position after they dropped one rank.
India continued to dominate the ODI rankings at the top, amassing 4,471 points. New Zealand hold steady in second place with 4,160 points, while Australia is positioned third with 3,473 points.
South Africa sit in sixth place with 2,775 points, and Afghanistan holds the seventh spot with 2,279 points.
For the unversed, the West Indies secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the rain-affected second ODI here at Tarouba on Sunday.
The win, powered by crucial innings from Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford along with important contributions from captain Shai Hope, leveled the series 1-1.
The match was reduced to 35 overs due to rain interruptions. Chasing a target of 181, West Indies got an early scare as Hasan Ali dismissed opener Brandon King for just one run in the second over.
Hasan struck again shortly after to remove Evin Lewis, who scored seven, leaving the hosts struggling at 12-2 inside 3.1 overs.
The West Indies middle order came under pressure after Keacy Carty fell cheaply for 16, handing Abrar Ahmed his first wicket.
Sherfane Rutherford then launched an aggressive assault, putting Pakistan's bowlers under severe pressure.
Abrar conceded 20 runs in Rutherford's over as the fourth-wicket partnership flourished.
Mohammad Nawaz broke the partnership by dismissing Shai Hope, who made 32 off 35 balls, including two boundaries and a six.
Rutherford was nearing his fifty but was also dismissed by Nawaz after scoring 45 off 33 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and three sixes.
With the match slipping away, Roston Chase and Justin Greaves formed a crucial 73-run partnership.
Chase remained unbeaten on 49 from 47 balls while Greaves contributed 26 runs off 31 deliveries, guiding West Indies to victory in 33.2 overs.
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Pakistan face fifth bowler dilemma
Mohammad Nawaz was Pakistan's best bowler on show. Photo: AFP Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged a dilemma over the fifth bowler and said they would take a late decision on their team combination for Tuesday's series decider following their defeat in the second one-day international on Sunday. Pakistan, who won the opening ODI by five wickets, posted a competitive 171-7 in 37 overs in a rain-truncated match but West Indies prevailed by five wickets to draw level in the three-match series. Pakistan's part-time duo of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha conceded a combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs as West Indies cruised home. "You could say our fifth bowler gave away too many runs but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us," Rizwan said after the match. "Saim didn't have the best day today, but he performed well in the T20Is. That's just part of the game." Rizwan said they could not read the conditions and several rain delays did not help their cause. "Honestly, the weather forecast has been completely different from expectations, and it's hard to read. "We're keeping our options open and will finalise the XI after assessing the conditions." Pakistan had won the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1. Slip in rankings The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the latest One Day International (ODI) rankings on Monday, revealing a shift in the positions of several teams, including a drop for Pakistan. Pakistan's ODI ranking slipped one spot, moving from fourth to fifth place, currently holding 3,465 points. This decline came as Sri Lanka surged ahead, overtaking Pakistan to claim the fourth position with 4,009 points. The West Indies also saw an improvement, climbing one spot to ninth place. This advancement pushed Bangladesh down to the tenth position after they dropped one rank. India continued to dominate the ODI rankings at the top, amassing 4,471 points. New Zealand hold steady in second place with 4,160 points, while Australia is positioned third with 3,473 points. South Africa sit in sixth place with 2,775 points, and Afghanistan holds the seventh spot with 2,279 points. For the unversed, the West Indies secured a thrilling five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the rain-affected second ODI here at Tarouba on Sunday. The win, powered by crucial innings from Roston Chase and Sherfane Rutherford along with important contributions from captain Shai Hope, leveled the series 1-1. The match was reduced to 35 overs due to rain interruptions. Chasing a target of 181, West Indies got an early scare as Hasan Ali dismissed opener Brandon King for just one run in the second over. Hasan struck again shortly after to remove Evin Lewis, who scored seven, leaving the hosts struggling at 12-2 inside 3.1 overs. The West Indies middle order came under pressure after Keacy Carty fell cheaply for 16, handing Abrar Ahmed his first wicket. Sherfane Rutherford then launched an aggressive assault, putting Pakistan's bowlers under severe pressure. Abrar conceded 20 runs in Rutherford's over as the fourth-wicket partnership flourished. Mohammad Nawaz broke the partnership by dismissing Shai Hope, who made 32 off 35 balls, including two boundaries and a six. Rutherford was nearing his fifty but was also dismissed by Nawaz after scoring 45 off 33 deliveries, featuring four boundaries and three sixes. With the match slipping away, Roston Chase and Justin Greaves formed a crucial 73-run partnership. Chase remained unbeaten on 49 from 47 balls while Greaves contributed 26 runs off 31 deliveries, guiding West Indies to victory in 33.2 overs.
