West Indies to lock horns with Pakistan today

…“We expect competitive cricket from Pakistan,” says Simmons

As time draws closer for the T20 World Cup, the West Indies cricket team will be looking to bag a few victories to boost their morale. They recently came off a 4-1 series win over the Australians and will be looking to do the same when they duke it out with Pakistan today at 10:00h at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
In an interview, Windies Head Coach Phil Simmons indicated that the team have been trying to get better every game, owing to the fact that they have an excellent record in the shorter format as compared to the longer format of the game. He went on to state that when something is being built, there is a plateau but the West Indies must continue to push on. Simmons noted that while the West Indies 2-1 loss to Australia in the 50-over version of the game was sad, it is his belief that the T20I squad is clicking.

Hassan Ali of Pakistan bowls past Chris Gayle of West Indies during the ICC Cricket World Cup Group Match between West Indies and Pakistan at Trent Bridge on May 31, 2019 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

“As you saw in the T20I series the squad is clicking and the players returning have had a bit of rest. It’s always going to be a huge motivation for the players with the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Chris Gayle who have all had rest. With them having that rest, it will now be a boost as they return to the team any way you look at it,” Simmons added.
Simmons also said that while there was a huge rivalry between the two teams, it always brought out the best results. Simmons was adamant that while the rivalry was there, the friendliness was there as well and both coaches were looking forward to playing against each other.
“We have been looking forward to play against Pakistan and we are expecting a tough but yet competitive series,” Simmons relayed.

Pakistan’s head coach Misbah-ul-Haq takes part in the team’s training session the day before the second cricket Test match between New Zealand and Pakistan at Hagley Park Oval in Christchurch on January 2, 2021. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP) (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan Head Coach Misbah Ul Haq added: “West Indies team is a good team especially the way they played against Australia. They are the defending champions; they have a lot of experienced players who have played different leagues throughout the world. They have the ability and we are aware of that and we know we have to play top-quality cricket. Knowing they won the last World Cup in Asia, I think we need to be right up there at our best to play against West Indies.”
West Indies won the one-off T20I match between the two sides in 2011, Pakistan have held the upper hand since. Overall, out of 14 T20I matches, Pakistan have maintained a stranglehold with 11 wins and a mere three defeats. Of these, seven matches have been staged in the West Indies, with Pakistan winning five and losing two.
In the 2018 T20I series that was staged at the National Stadium Karachi, Pakistan won the three-match series, 3-0.
The last time the two teams played a T20I series on Caribbean soil was in 2017 with the visitors winning the four-match series 3-1.

West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons

In the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Team Rankings, Pakistan are fourth place with 261 points while the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies are placed seventh with 235 points.
Among the batters, Pakistan Captain Babar Azam is currently ranked number two while his opening partner, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is ranked seventh. West Indies opener Evin Lewis is at number eight.
Fabian Allen, the West Indian left-arm spinner, is ranked number 10 among bowlers while Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is at the number 13 spot in the rankings for T20I bowlers.