Unpredictable Sides Clash for a World Cup Berth
After having a poor outing in Australia and New Zealand, Pakistan are all set for the Caribbean ODI challenge. A tour that consists of four T20s, three ODI’s and three tests is a litmus test for a young Pakistan side.
The ODI leg of the series that starts on April 07, 2017, will be a chance for both teams to earn a direct qualification for the World Cup 2019. West Indies is ranked below Pakistan at 9th place in the ODI rankings. Numerically, Pakistan is five points ahead of West Indies in the ranking table.
Pakistan has a psychological advantage over West Indies after they whitewashed them in 2016 at United Arab Emirates, UAE. Having said that things are slightly different this time, Pakistan ODI Team will be lead by a new captain in Sarfraz Ahmed. His recent record as captain has been impressive.
Sarfraz Ahmed was appointed ODI captain after Azhar Ali resigned as captain following a string of defeats away from home. Sarfraz has had a perfect T20 International record as captain to date.
In test matches, West Indies have performed poorly over the last five years, however, they drew a match against India from a dire situation and won a dead rubber against Pakistan in 2016. On the other hand, Pakistan’s test side has lost six straight tests in the past six months.
Pakistan needs to regroup and forget the embarrassing performances in Australia and New Zealand. Misbah ul Haq, the most successful test captain of Pakistan, will most probably play the last series of his international career.
A win will surely be a fitting farewell to the King.
Edited by Mohammad Sohaib
