Follow UsNicholas Pooran’s stint as the permanent captain of West Indies got off to the best possible start with a clean sweep of the Netherlands. The task for him gets harder now as West Indies take on Pakistan in first of the three One-Day Internationals (ODI) at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan and West Indies do not indulge in ODI cricket very often. In fact, they have faced each other just five times in the last six years, with the last one coming in the 2019 World Cup, which the Windies won comfortably.
This will also be the first time Pakistan will be hosting West Indies for an ODI series since 2006.
Ground details and Team combination
There have been just seven ODI matches hosted by the Multan Cricket Stadium, the last of which was back in 2008. West Indies have played just one match here – back in 2006 – which they won by seven wickets.
Multan has hosted just seven ODI matches, with the last one being played in 2008.
However, in the last six matches of Pakistan’s domestic one-day competition, the average first innings score has been 257, while batting second, it drops to 243. Hence, winning the toss and batting first could be the way to go, but in the last six matches, the team batting first and the team chasing have won three matches apiece.
In the last six matches in the competition, the spinners have picked up 29 wickets, compared to fast bowlers’ 40 scalps. The spinners have done so at an average of 35.5 to go with an economy rate of 4.7 and balls per wicket ratio of 45.1. The corresponding numbers for the fast bowlers are 36, 5.8 and 37.2 respectively.
Hence, picking more spinners could be the way to go, which both teams have in abundance.
Suggested team
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy and Vice-captaincy suggestion
Small Leagues – Babar Azam (c), Akeal Hosein (vc)
Grand Leagues – Imam-ul-Haq (c), Shai Hope (vc)
Stats that matter
Babar Azam has been in stupendous form in ODIs since 2021. In his nine ODI innings in this time frame, the Pakistan captain has hit four tons and two fifties, amassing 681 runs at 85.13 along with a staggering strike-rate of 85.13. As a result of his magnificent showing, Babar sits at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batters.
Akeal Hosein finished with eight wickets in the ODI series against the Netherlands and has been a huge asset for West Indies since 2021. He has picked up 30 wickets at 22.4 from 17 matches in this period, conceding at 4.4 runs per over and striking once every 30.7 deliveries. Moreover, he could be handy at the death, where he strikes once every 12 deliveries.
Hosein could have it difficult against Babar, who has a strike-rate of 212 against left-arm orthodox spinners and averages 74 in overs 11 to 25 (In ODIs in last five years), where spinners like Hosein operate.
The match-up between Shai Hope and Shadab Khan could be an interesting one. Shadab has dismissed Hope on both occasions they have come up against each other. Hope has scored 31 off 33 deliveries against the Pakistan leg-spinner.
Grand League Punts
Imam-ul-Haq is coming into this series at the back of a superb ODI series against Australia in which he scored two centuries and an unbeaten 89 in three innings. Overall, he has hit 487 runs at 60.88 in ODIs since 2021, which includes four fifties and a couple of centuries.
While Shai Hope is often known to anchor the innings at the top, he has churned out impressive numbers in the last year and a half or so. In ODIs since 2021, Hope has scored 610 runs from 14 innings, which includes three fifties and two centuries in 14 innings.
Probable XI:
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood
West Indies: Shai Hope (wk), Kyle Mayers, Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell, Nicholas Pooran (c), Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales, Hayden Walsh