In what has been a summer full of ups and downs, West Indies will now take on Pakistan in the first T20I at Bridgetown, on Wednesday, 28 July. West Indies played back-to-back T20I series, of which they won one and lost the other.
They conceded a series to South Africa, but bounced back to hammer a depleted Australia 4-1. They will be bolstered by the presence of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard, who missed the last few T20Is against Australia.
Consistency has been an issue with Gayle, who is likely to bat at No. 3. Across five T20Is against Australia, Gayle managed just one fifty. But the West Indies team management will stick with him.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will be coming off on the back of a 1-2 defeat in England. The opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam has been consistent for some time. They often set up the foundation with a solid start, but the middle order fails to carry forward the momentum.
Mohammad Hafeez has not been done enough in the past few months to retain his place. These are still early days for Sohaib Maqsood, but the sooner he adapts, the better it will be for Pakistan.
Betway Fantasy Tips
- Hasan Ali is available. He is a skilful bowler who make quick runs in death overs. Along with Shadab Khan, he will be a safe bet to have.
- Among wicketkeepers, Mohammad Rizwan should be preferred over Nicholas Pooran, who has struggled to get going in recent times.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi and Andre Russell should be automatic picks for Fantasy XIs.
Probable XIs
West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard (c), Dwayne Bravo, Hayden Walsh, Obed McCoy, Fidel Edwards.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Sohaib Maqsood, Sharjeel Khan, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Prediction
Pakistan to trump over West Indies.