KARACHI: High-flying Pakistan looks forward to taking the first blood in the first of three T20 Internationals against a COVID-hit West Indies team at the National Stadium in Karachi today (Monday).
Today’s fixture starts at 6 pm.
West Indies, who are already missing several prominent players, including skipper Kieron Pollard, dealt an extra setback when left-arm bowler Sheldon Cottrell, and all-rounders Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
The visitors will now have to find substitutes from their vast touring team against an in-form Pakistan playing in familiar circumstances.
Firm favorites Pakistan provided a T20 World Cup semi-final-like performance with a 3-0 thumping of Bangladesh on their home grounds last month.
“We want to maintain the momentum and the confidence that we have gained from the World Cup and the trip of Bangladesh,” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said in a pre-match media briefing on Sunday.
“There has always been talking that they are missing some key players but all those that are here are of international class so we will not make them easy.”
Pakistan has beaten the West Indies in 12 of their 18 T20I encounters, suffering three losses.
Babar has developed an unbreakable opening partnership with Mohammad Rizwan and a formidable batting line-up and a bowling attack led by the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi has seen the squad win eight of their past nine T20Is.
Rizwan is the first batsman ever to reach 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year, amassing 1,123 in 26 matches, while Babar has scored 853 in the same amount of games.
The West Indies have had contrasting fortunes, failing to qualify for the World Cup semi-final after winning the competition in 2012 and 2016.
Squads
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir
West Indies: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Dominic Drakes, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Rovman Powell.
