PAK v WI, 2nd T20I Preview: Windies look to bounce back following setback

After having lost the first Pakistan vs West Indies T20 international, Carlos Brathwaite and his band of merry men will be looking for their shot at redemption in the second encounter. Although it seems somewhat strange, the second match will take place at the same venue in Dubai, it will most certainly be welcome for Pakistan as they aim to maintain the momentum and go on to complete a clean-sweep in the series. However, in spite of all this, in a nutshell, the expectations for entertainment will certainly be sky high.

Pitch Conditions-

Many have suggested that the wicket for the second match will be somewhat similar to the first one. This means that the wicket is expected to be slow and dry without much hint of dew courtesy of the heat and the humidity. The temperature is expected to touch almost 40 degrees, meaning that the dryness is expected to hold up. Due to this, there isn’t expected to be any changes in the XI as compared to the first match.

Team Analysis-

Pakistan:

When Pakistan took to the field in the first match, they had a scrappy record, unlike their opponents. However, that had little say in the matter as Sarfraz Khan and his men picked up somewhat of an easy win. Imad Wasim was in his element with a five-wicket haul while Babar Azam also impressed with some impressive batting as well as a half-century.

While Mohammad Amir is missing from the team, it seems clear that the makeshift replacements will have to fill in the void. Imad Wasim will hog a substantial amount of the spotlight for his five-wicket haul in the first match while Babar Azam will be hoping to impress in the upcoming encounter as well. Umar Akmal, Pakistan’s highest run-getter in T20Is will also have a small amount of the spotlight on him.

West Indies:

Although the West Indies are the World T20 holders at the moment, Carlos Brathwaite’s men looked anything but world champions in the first T20I at Dubai. They have simply blown away on a turning track. Apart from Dwayne bravo who scored a brisk 55 and Jerome Taylor’s 21, none of the batsmen managed to take their score beyond double figures.

However, with a lot on the line in the second T20I, the Windies will be looking to quickly regroup and make amends for their well-documented issues in the first match. Brathwaite will be hoping that the likes of Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels, and Nicholas Pooran will impress in the upcoming match.

Probable XI-

Pakistan:

Sarfraz Ahmed (C & wk), Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali

West Indies:

Carlos Brathwaite (C), Andre Fletcher (wk), Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Jerome Taylor

StAttack

1. Umar Akmal is the highest run-getter for Pakistan in T20 internationals. He requires 11 runs to complete 1700 T20I runs.

2. Sohail Tanvir requires one wicket to complete 50 T20I wickets.

3. Should Marlon Samuels be picked for the second T20 international against the Windies, he will become only the second player to play 50 T20Is for the West Indies.