West Indies mustn’t cut any corners or leave anything to chance v Pakistan

The usual byline that met fans and greeted cricketing pundits for almost a decade whenever the West Indies met Pakistan was that two teams nearly as capricious and damage-causing were contesting each other. 

But throughout the past half a decade, much has changed in the way the two have played. Thus, been acknowledged by the cricket crazy spectator. 

The West Indies have managed to cut a grim picture given their ODI fortunes, while Pakistan have experienced a period of laudable ascendency. 

Pakistan’s cricket, a nearly meteoric force in its current conception, has witnessed a period of prolific performances with the way it approached the T20 World Cup. 

It’s gone on to hammer a significantly powerful ODI adversary in Australia not too long ago, where 2022 is concerned. 

But things haven’t been as pleasing as how West Indies would’ve liked. 

How so? 

While West Indies’ last ODI series triumph came against Sri Lanka at home (2021), their victories, too few to note, suggest shambolic outings in the limited overs format. 

Beaten by Ireland whilst playing at home for the first time this year in ODI cricket, a moment aptly described a dark day for Caribbean cricket. However, what must worry West Indies- and thus also become a reason to hit back form - is their dubious sub-continental form. 

In 2021, the Windies, sporting a new look side in a Covid-ridden period, lost all ODI’s they played in Bangladesh. Perhaps some soul searching thereupon would’ve helped Brathwaite’s side trounce Bangladesh later in Tests. 

But that wasn’t before losing all ODI’s against Sri Lanka a year back whilst playing in Karunaratne and Hasaranga-territory. 

This would be a one-day series that featured a backbreaking, morale-crushing 161 run loss at Hambantota. 

But with the coming of the new year, i.e., 2022, the Pollard-led side that reached India would’ve wanted to start things anew and afresh, primarily where the woeful white-ball form was concerned. 

Not that a lot changed as West Indies, barring a solitary T20I, where they came mighty close to upsetting a Rohit-led India thanks to Powell and Pooran, went on to lose both the twenty over and 50-a-side contests. 

With no Bumrah in the ODI’s and Kohli not in usual menacing form, what cut a particularly concerning view was that the visitors failed to touch 200 in any of the three games they played. 

Barring Jason Holder’s 57 off 71, that there was no other batter who came forward to show any resistance was an indication of poor form and application, unwanted ingredients West Indies must avoid as they prepare for their Pakistan challenge. 

In that respect, the only breather of relief has been the very recent 3-nil ODI series win registered by Pooran’s side in the Netherlands. 

But even in those contests, the West Indies, that dearly missed Roach and Gabriel and Shepherd, who had to sit out owing to visa issues, seemed lacklustre with the ball. 

Therefore, the one who didn’t and will be expected to mount the bowling charge against Pakistan is Akeal Hosein - fresh from 8 wickets from 3 games, including a career-best of 4 for 39.  

Hosein, the most intelligent of West Indies spinners, will also seek support from Hayden Walsh, who truly has to produce his A-game in a long time coming. An economy of under five, including a fifer from 17 bowling innings, bears a certain promise and excitement to what is essentially a growing ODI career (17 ODI’s). Moreover, Walsh’s been among the wickets of late, taking four from the three games versus the Dutch. 

The sub-continental wickets, usually of assistance to spinners, should, therefore, excite the spin duo and coax them to go hard against Pakistan that is no mug with spin- given they’ve got Shadab Khan, 62 wickets from 48 games. 

And it is here where, one suspects, rests the pinnacle of West Indian problems. 

Can the batting come good against a side that’s as promising with the bat as it is dismissive of its opponents with the ball? 

Haris Rauf, who seemed in fine knick in the T20I’s West Indies played against Pakistan last year (towards year-end), is a mighty effective customer with the ball. 

He only recently touched the 153 kmph barrier in PSL’s latest edition. Along with Hasan Ali, Rauf will come hard at batters who’ve hardly had any experience of playing Pakistan in the limited overs format. 

Think Bonner. Think captain Pooran himself. Forget not the likes of Brooks and Mayers. 

That’s essentially the crème of Caribbean batting. 

Then there’s Shaheen Afridi himself - a bowler as hard to get on top of as is a stiff uphill climb for a first-time mountain climber. 

His inswinging yorkers and the innate ability to move the white ball will test an order that is often susceptible to early vulnerabilities. A quick wicket or two can easily trigger a batting collapse. 

Here’s a separate case in point. 

While Australia learnt the perils of taking Pakistan lightly in ODI’s held earlier, finding daunting totals like 348 being chased down without much ado, like experiencing shocks like that 9-wicket defeat (with over 12 overs to spare), the challenge confronting Pooran’s side will be to see if the batting comes good, really good! 

There’s little reason to doubt it can. 

There’s Hope, fresh from his 119 against Pieter Seelaar’s men. His Netherlands performance saw his 2022 ODI tally touch 300 runs from 9 games. 

There’s Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks, who have scored maiden ODI tons. 

Even though it came in a T20 contest, Brooks would do well to remember his 49 off 31 deliveries, a knock that featured four sixes.  

The usually solid but still new-to-ODI’s number three will ideally like to get his eye in and play the one who lends an inning its backbone. Ditto for Hope. Should the two bloom together- it’ll be tough going for Pakistan.  

But there are also some blaring concerns the West Indies face, one that can’t be conveniently shoved under the carpet. 

Can Pooran, who last toured to Pakistan in 2021 and produced that marvellous T20I knock of 64 (off 37), including six sixes, find his lost groove? 

His 24 runs from 3 innings vs the Dutch painted a portrait of such abominable pain that even the biggest Pooran optimist would’ve found it hard to ignore the letdown. 

Make no mistake, and if there’s a time to lead from the front, then it’s now. 

Pooran’s concerns won’t be limited to the fact that his side is a batting lineup that can often flirt with precariousness and that in stars like Babar Azam, Mohd. Rizwan and Imam ul Haq, his West Indies, face three match winners who can win games single-handedly. 

Babar Azam, 536 runs vs Windies at an average of 89, which is his second best in ODI’s against any team, will pose a stark challenge to Windies bowlers. Moreover, that he’s scored a fourth of his one-day hundreds against West Indians (4 off 16) will further play on Pooran’s mind and perhaps tax his bowling resources.

That is where names like Alzarri Joseph - 45 ODI’s, 73 wickets - become so important. 

He has to lead. No more does he have the comfort of being supported by Roach and Gabriel. 

The Antiguan must put all that useful multi-format experience into play whilst ensuring he can inspire Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, both of whom are newborns to ODI cricket. 

Essentially speaking, the West Indies lineup facing this dominant Pakistan side hardly has any faces from the lineup that last squared against the same opponent in 2017, barring Hope and Joseph, which is testimony to the fact that the youngsters have a chance to forge something memorable. 

Which is why there’s so much more to this series than it just being a fifth-ranked side (Pak) on ICC rankings taking on a ninth-placed unit.