West Indies and Pakistan will kickstart the 1st match of the three T20I series on 31st July at Florida.
Match Preview:
West Indies and Pakistan are ready to start their three-match T20I series in Florida from 31st July. Both sides are coming off a series loss West Indies lost a home series 5-0 to Australia, while Pakistan lost an away series to Bangladesh by a margin of 2-1.
Talking about West Indies, in a pre-match conference, Shai Hope highlighted the team’s batting issues. The side started well in the recently concluded series against Australia but could not finish strongly. The bowlers did a great job, according to the captain, but the batting was something they failed to execute well as a team.
Ahead of the Pakistan series, the team has made three changes in the squad: Shamar Joseph, Alick Athanaze, and Johnson Charles have been picked in place of Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, and Shimron Hetmyer.
According to ESPNcricinfo, King and Hetmyer were in good form against Australia but picked up side strains in the final T20I in Basseterre. Alzarri, meanwhile, has been rested, a Cricket West Indies release said.
If anything, West Indies will look to make a strong comeback in this upcoming series, which holds significant importance in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026. The concerning fact is that West Indies have won only one of their last 12 T20Is since December 2024.
West Indies, once known as a powerhouse in the cricketing world especially in T20s are now struggling to find their footing in cricket and this format as well. This series could be a golden opportunity for the side to restart their journey toward greatness.
Talking about Pakistan, their situation in the format isn’t ideal either. They lost a series to Bangladesh 2-1, although they did win against some opponents a few months ago at home.
In recent years, Pakistan has played below-par cricket, losing games to the likes of Zimbabwe, Ireland, and even the USA. Two of these defeats came in ICC tournaments.
Under the new coach Mike Hesson and captain Agha Salman, the team has emphasized a new aggressive and intent-driven approach. They have kept youngsters like Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz in the side while leaving out traditional openers like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali have made comebacks to the side at the expense of Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, and Abbas Afridi. Salman and Ahmed were part of Pakistan’s top-end series against Australia, while Abbas Afridi has been dropped.
It is an ideal chance for the coach and team to kickstart their preparations for the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup against a struggling West Indies side.
Pakistan haven’t lost a series against West Indies since 2000, and the men in green will surely want to keep that record intact.
Predicted Playing 11s
West Indies
Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope (C & WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Jediah Blades
Pakistan
Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Salman Agha (C), Hasan Nawan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
Head-to-head record:
Pakistan and West Indies have played 21 games as of now, the former has won 15 games while the latter succeeded in just 3 and the 3 games ended with no result.
Pitch and weather report:
The pitch in Florida has been an unknown territory for most teams. There hasn’t been much cricket played on this surface. Pakistan has only played one T20 here, while the West Indies have appeared in more games at this venue. The average score here is around 160, and spinners tend to play a greater role as the match progresses. Batting first has resulted in more wins if we compare the results of the last 10 or so games at this ground.
Prediction:
West Indies is likely to win the 1st game of the series.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: Disney+ platform
Pakistan: Tapmad
India: Fancode
USA: ESPN+.
Other: crichd1
