Pakistan and the Windies are playing a four-match bilateral Twenty20 International series with the intent of enhancing their preparations for the 2021 T20 World Cup. The opening match of the series at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown was abandoned due to persistent rain. The remaining three matches will be held at the Providence stadium, Guyana on July 31, August 1, and 3. The Windies are full of confidence after winning their recent home series against Australia 4-1. However, we can expect a thrilling battle between these two sides. The preview of the PAK vs. WI 2021 series are discussed in this article.
Personal Milestones that can be Achieved during the PAK vs. WI 2021 Series
Several personal milestones may be achieved during the PAK vs. WI 2021 series. The following are some of the approaching milestones.
# Chris Gayle can reach his 2,000 T20 international runs. He needs 175 more runs to achieve the milestone.
# Andre Fletcher may be on his way to 1,000 T20I runs, as he only needs 81 runs to achieve the milestone.
# Windies all-rounder Kieron Pollard needs only 3 wickets to complete his 300 wickets in Twenty20 cricket.
# Pakistani spinner Imad Waism is only 7 wickets shy to take 200 twenty20 wickets.
# Pakistan skipper Babar Azam needs 282 runs to complete his 7,000 runs in twenty20 cricket.
# Kieron Pollard only needs 2 runs to reach his 4,000 international runs.
# Top order batsman Lendl Simmons requires 256 runs to score his 4,000 international runs.
# Shimron Hetmyer will reach his 3,000 international runs if he scores 193 runs in the remaining matches of the series.
# Hasan Ali is only 3 wickets away to reach his 200 international wickets milestone.
# Pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will reach his 150 international wickets milestone if he takes 8 more wickets in the series.
# Kieron Pollard needs 8 more wickets to complete 100 international wickets.
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Pakistan Squad for PAK vs. WI 2021 Series
There are a few talented cricketers on the Pakistani side who have the potential to be match-winners on any given day.
With Babar Azam at the helm, Pakistan are anticipated to do well in the series. The desire for success may be a helpful tool for this youth-oriented team. Pakistan does have a chance to surprise the Windies if they take the right strategy during the series.
Pakistan's bowling attack is quite formidable, and the Windies batsmen may struggle against them. This is a battle between Pakistani bowlers vs. the Windies batters. The three important players in the Pakistan team are Captain Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Hasan Ali.
Probable Playing XI (Pakistan)
Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir
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The Windies Squad for PAK vs. WI 2021 Series
The Caribbean team is full of confidence after winning the series against Australia and they have a home-ground advantage in this series. So, they have a slight edge over Pakistan.
Aside from a few veteran players, this West Indies team has some real talent. They can destroy any team in the world on any given day. In addition, the West Indies Cricket Board recalled Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and DJ Bravo to bolster their Twenty20 squad ahead of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
The Windies team has several good bowlers, but it lacks the versatility, which needed to win a major event. They have Jason Holder, Bravo, and Oshane Thomas in the bowling troops. However, Sunil Narine's exclusion from the national setup was a huge decision, and they may struggle in the series.
The Windies are known for producing big hitters and we should anticipate some swashbuckling performances from their destructive batters.
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Probable Playing XI
Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein
Toss Prediction and Weather Forecast
Rain is expected throughout the week, thus the remaining matches of the series may be washed out. The best option would be to bat first after winning the toss at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
Verdict
Pakistan are among the top five ranked teams in the ICC rankings, while the Windies are now ranked eighth. Every match in this contest is crucial in determining the teams' weaknesses and strengths. Therefore, Pakistan and the Windies are both taking this PAK vs. WI 2021 series very seriously, and predicting who will win the series is difficult.