Rizwan backs Pak bowlers to bounce back after ODI loss
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan is confident his bowling group can find form as his side's three-match ODI series against the West Indies heads into a deciding game.
The West Indies proved too strong in the second ODI of the series in Trinidad, with Roston Chase and Justin Greaves combining for an unbeaten partnership of 77 to help the Caribbean side chase down the adjusted victory target of 181 in a rain-affected contest at Brian Lara Stadium.
Chase and Greaves took a particular liking to Pakistan's part-timers of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, with the pair each conceding 33 runs from their spell as the West Indies squared the series at 1-1 ahead of the final match at the same ground on Tuesday.
While Rizwan wouldn't confirm the duo will retain their place in Pakistan's side for the series decider, he backed them to perform well should they win selection for the eagerly-awaited contest.
'You could say our fifth bowler gave away too many runs (today), but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us,' Rizwan said post-match.
'Saim didn't have the best day today, but he performed well in the T20Is. That's just part of the game.'
The victory for the West Indies was their first over Pakistan in more than six years, with their most previous win against the Asian side prior to this match coming at the 2019 edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup when they cruised to a 7-wkt triumph in Nottingham.
The landscape is very different now for the West Indies, who missed qualification for the most recent 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 and are chasing a return to the major tournament in 2027 according to coach Daren Sammy and skipper Shai Hope.
Sammy said prior to the series against Pakistan that the matches were serving as preparation for the next 50-over World Cup and Hope confirmed the West Indies are trying to improve in all facets of the game.
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