Pakistan to face West Indies in first T20 today in Dubai

Pakistan, on the other hand, will be looking to beat the current champions in the 20-overs format of the game.

However, West Indies’ World T20 winning captain Darren Sammy is not part of the team as the board has made a decision to hand over reigns to Carlos Brathwaite. Led by their newly-appointed skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan thrashed the hosts by nine wickets to end their two-month-long tour on a high.

However, middle-order batsmen Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq are all set to make a return to the ODI side against the Caribbean side after displaying some really impressive performances during the recently-concluded National T20 Cup. In-form openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif are bankable prospects at the top.

Sammy was left out for the series, Simmons was unfit, Gayle was not available for selection while Russell opted out citing personal reasons after being picked. They added 52 in five overs in their first outing for West Indies. A series win in the United Arab Emirates should give the team and their new leader a lot of confidence. The teams will stay in Dubai for the second T20I as well which takes place the following day (September 24).

IN SPITE of a less than flawless build-up to their series against Pakistan in Dubai, the West Indies players appear to be motivated and geared up for what they expect will be a hard-fought three-match T20 contest.

The second match will follow at the same venue on Saturday with the third in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Despite lacking enough firepower, Pakistan will have to come out all guns blazing and give themselves a good chance against the explosive West Indies unit. His utility to the squad has also been a spot of bother for Pakistan with Hafeez seemingly reluctant to undergo a bowling test to modify his bowling action that saw him being banned from bowling in worldwide cricket for a period of one year.

West Indies: Carlos Brathwaite (c), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher (wk), Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.