Betway Test series between WI & Pakistan begins today

The first Test in the Betway series between the West Indies and Pakistan bowls off today, Thursday August 12, from 11:00h Eastern Caribbean time at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica; and West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite has said the team has a positive mindset.
Both teams would be looking to make a winning start to their ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 campaign after the West Indies finished 8th and Pakistan finished 6th in the last cycle.

Both teams come into the series in contrasting red-ball form. While Pakistan have won all their matches in the last four Tests, West Indies have registered two losses and two draws in their last four games.
On the eve of the first Test, captain Kraigg Brathwaite has said his team is in a positive frame of mind to take on the Pakistanis. Despite playing one Best v Best match and Head Coach Phil Simmons noting the players have lacked proper preparation, Brathwaite is confident.
Brathwaite has also given his assessment of the practice surface, describing it as quite good for cricket.
Spinners Rahkeem Cornwall and Veerasammy Permaul have each claimed five-wicket hauls on the Sabina Park surface, and Brathwaite has said there is something in it for the pacers as well.
“As time went on, the ball spun, but not a lot. It was a good cricket pitch, it had something for everyone,” Brathwaite told media operatives.
As a Test opener, Brathwaite has also said Test cricket is all about mental grind, and his team is in a positive mindset to do battle.
West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons has raised concerns about the lack of match practice for the Test match players ahead of the series, as the Caribbean men have played only white-ball cricket since March 2021. In their last series against South Africa, the batsmen looked all at sea against the Proteas bowlers.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will hope they can carry forward their Test form in the Caribbean. The three games washed out in the T20I series could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Test players in the squad, who would be well-rested ahead the red-ball series.

With their players in great touch, Pakistan will be eager to open their World Test Championship tally with a win.
West Indies and Pakistan last squared off in a Test series in 2017, when Pakistan emerged victorious by a 2-1 margin away from home.
Phil Simmons has said before this match: “We’ve always had tough battles with any Pakistan team that comes to the Caribbean. They’ve played very well in their last two Test series, and are coming in on a high. We didn’t play quite as well in our last series, so it’s going to be tough. I think even though we’re at home, we’re a little bit of an underdog, but we’re going to put everything into it to try and make sure we come out on top.”
West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican.
Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Yasir Shah and Zahid Mahmood.