Pakistan vs West Indies, T20I Series: Combined XI

Carlos Brathwaite

One of the most sought after all-rounders in world cricket who took the world by the storm with his innings in the WT20 final in Kolkata in 2016, Carlos Brathwaite had the additional responsibility of leading the side against the formidable Pakistani attack. He had a marvelous series personally with both bat and ball by providing contribution lower down the order and chipping in with wickets when required.

With an impressive average of 86, he was the standout batsman for his side. He picked up 5 wickets with an economy of 6.6 through the series.

Brathwaite made a statement by leading the team by example. He ensured that the West Indian team is in good hands with his performance this series.

Sarfaraz Ahmed

Out of the two teams, the more impressive of the two wicketkeepers was Sarfaraz Ahmed. He also had the additional duty of captaincy which he performed exceptionally well.

Whenever the Pakistani team was under the pump, he made few bold moves by backing his young bowler Shadab and Hasan Ali. The faith shown by the captain paid rich dividends as they emerged as the finds of the tour.

Taking over from their iconic captain Misbah-ul-Haq would have been massive shoes to fill in. But, the youngster soaked in the pressure and was rewarded with a 3-1 away victory to show for.

Wahab Riaz

Wahab Riaz, who gained recognition in the biggest stage of cricket, i.e. World Cup of 2011 and 2015, with fiery spells against India and Watson respectively, has been an integral part of the Pakistan pace bowling lineup for quite some time now. With his 150+ deliveries up front and in the death accompanied by vital cameos down the order, Riaz has manifested into a key player in the Pakistani ranks.

In this series, he picked up a wicket in every outing. However, the highlight for Riaz this series arrived in the second innings when he surprised one and all with a 10 ball-24 way down the order, which resulted in the shift of balance in Pakistan’s favor. His innings made the difference between a 130-run and a 100-run target.

This knock proved to be to be detrimental as the West Indies fell short of the target in the nail biter and Pakistan went on to lead the series by 2-0.