Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first in the crucial third and final ODI against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Tuesday. With both teams making one change each to their lineups, the match is set to determine the winner of the series, with Naseem Shah replacing Shaheen Afridi for Pakistan.
In a must-win ODI series decider, Pakistan chose to field after winning the toss against the West Indies in Tarouba. The decision to bowl first came as both teams made strategic changes to their lineups for this crucial encounter.
Pakistan made one change, bringing in young pacer Naseem Shah in place of Shaheen Afridi, while the West Indies replaced Jediah Blades with Romario Shepherd in their squad.
The Pakistan team will feature Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (C/WK), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Hasan Ali, and Abrar Ahmed. Meanwhile, the West Indies’ lineup will include Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (C/WK), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, and Jayden Seales.
Historically, Pakistan and the West Indies have met 139 times in the 50-over format, with the West Indies holding a slight edge with 72 victories compared to Pakistan’s 64. The remaining three encounters ended in ties. However, despite their dominant overall record, the West Indies will be aiming to end a 34-year drought against Pakistan, with their last victory over the Green Shirts dating back to 1991.
While the West Indies have had mixed results in recent bilateral series, Pakistan will look to carry momentum from their recent T20I series win over the Caribbean side. On the other hand, Pakistan is eager to finish their Caribbean tour on a positive note, following a white-wash defeat in their previous 50-over series against New Zealand.
Recent Form:
- West Indies: Win, Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss (Most recent first)
- Pakistan: Loss, Win, Loss, Loss, Loss
Both teams are under pressure to clinch the series, as the match is set to be a defining moment in their respective ODI campaigns.
