Pak to take on WI in T20I series
Pakistan are all set to take on West Indies in the eighth bilateral T20I series between the two teams after they first faced each other in April 2011 in the T20 format.
The three T20Is, beginning on Thursday, 31 July (1 August, 5am Pakistan time) at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Florida is the first meeting between the two teams in T20Is since December 2021.
The second and third T20I are scheduled to take place on 2 and 3 August at the same venue with the first ball slated to be bowled at 8pm local time (3 and 4 August, 5am Pakistan time).
Pakistan will take the field in Lauderhill, a venue that has played host to 12 ODIs and 17 T20Is since May 2010, for the second time after beating Ireland by three wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Overall Pakistan have won 15 of the 21 T20Is played between the two teams with hosts winning three and as many ending in no result. Both the teams will be looking to make amends to their recent most T20I series results after visitors conceded 2-1 to Bangladesh and hosts 5-0 to Australia.
Pakistan arrived in Lauderhill on Monday, 28 July and took part in two intensive training sessions. Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20I squad.
Pakistan T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha: "We are really looking forward to playing at this wonderful venue and our time here so far has been exciting. I feel the three T20Is will also be entertaining and as a team we are eagerly looking forward to take the field.
"We have a fine blend of youth and experience in our squad and it is highly productive that we are going into yet another T20I series as the build-up towards the T20 World Cup picks up pace.
"The West Indies are a formidable T20I side despite the results not going their way recently and I feel we'll have to play our best possible game in order to outfox them in this series."
Pakistan T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.
Meanwhile, The West Indies squad is expected to feature one change from the side that played in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against Australia, which they lost 5-0.
Veteran all-rounder Andre Russell announced his retirement after playing two matches in the shorter format against Australia, with right-handed batter Keacy Carty set to replace him.
West Indies squad for Pakistan T20Is: Brandon King, Evan Lewis, Keacy Carty, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Jewel Andrew, Shai Hope (C), Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jediah Blades, Matthew Forde
The head-to-head record between the two teams heavily favours Pakistan.
Out of 21 T20I encounters, Pakistan have won 15 matches, while West Indies have secured just three victories. The remaining three matches ended without a result.
This marks Pakistan's third consecutive T20I series, following a 3-0 home series win over Bangladesh in May and a 2-1 series defeat against the same opposition in Bangladesh.
Series schedule:
31 July – First T20I; 2 Aug – Second T20I; 3 Aug – Third T20I; 8 Aug – First ODI; 10 Aug – Second ODI; 12 Aug – Third ODI.
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