Sunday, December 12, 2021

West Indies tour to Pakistan amid COVID-19 scare continues

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan         W.W.W.L.W.
West Indies     L.L.W.L.L.

West Indies will come into this T20I series hurting from how their title defence went at the T20 World Cup a month ago. They'll have more than just hurt to deal with, given the positive Covid-19 tests for Sheldon Cottrell, Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, which have ruled the trio out of all three T20Is.

Main thing - Cricket coming to Pakistan

In all this, the larger picture is that there is international cricket happening in Pakistan for the first time since New Zealand pulled out, and then England followed suit, just about two months back. West Indies have already arrived, and the first T20I looks set to go ahead despite the positive Covid-19 tests. If any team had half a mind to pull out, surely a slew of positive tests provides a readymade reason, but that West Indies are still in Karachi and preparing to play, means cricket will happen, barring the exceptionally unforeseen.

Players to look out

Akeal Hosein has only grown since then. He's the complete package for T20s, able to bowl restrictively through different innings phases, handy with the bat lower down the order, and an athletic live-wire in the field. Hosein is likely to be a sure starter in the XI, and with greater responsibility in a depleted squad. If he can step up to it, West Indies could have themselves another great T20 prospect.

This is what I hate the most

No question on credibility of our Honorable and respected security personnel doing their job for the mother country, but they exclusive pictures we are seeing when it comes to searches related to Pakistan, and we are seeing these sort of pictures, again I am not degrading my country's security men, but those who're responsible of promoting such pictures and videos, otherwise foreign cricket boards' so incorporate such exercises but they never PROMOTE such exercises, my disagreement is on promotion, otherwise there are loads of countries in the world who have worst security situations but are staging their cricket on their home soil just because their cricket board media cell doesn't promote such things, otherwise country's having more brittle situation are staging home series' at home and here we are have to confirm we have a firm security situation at home.

West Indies news amid COVID-19 positive cases

West Indies have got plenty of exciting new talent to call on, despite missing Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer and Fabian Allen. There's the trio of Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Dominic Drakes - all fast-bowling allrounders. Each can hit the speed gun as well as the white ball to considerable distances, and all three could be in action in the first T20I.

When it comes to Pakistan news

Pakistan rotated their players in the Bangladesh T20Is, rightly figuring that some needed a bit of a rest after the T20 World Cup and with a Test series against Bangladesh to follow. They're back at full strength now, apart from leaving out Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch at the National Stadium is expected to be full of runs, with the weather forecast to be pleasant and clear. The match is starting at 6.00pm local time, which reduces any effect dew might have.

About T20Is in Karachi

Pakistan have won all four T20Is they've played at this venue, although the first game was back in 2008 and the other three came in 2018 - and were against West Indies.


 

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