Who would want to watch a format that promises neither the exuberance of T20Is nor the timeless suave of Tests? And especially when it’s between two teams that seem to have agreed on ceasing to thrill the fans a while ago? Pakistan and West Indies, like the rest of the formats, have been bagging unwanted records in ODIs too. This, in addition to the fact that both sides weren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of any ODI games, is perhaps why the build-up to the ODI leg didn’t garner much attention.
Pakistan’s form in ODIs has been brutally miserable this year, winning only one of their eight one-day games. This horror run also included three of their 2025 Champions Trophy games, where they found themselves out in the first week of the tournament they were not only hosting but also defending. If that wasn’t enough, they managed a 3-0 defeat against New Zealand to follow it up. While the side hasn’t been making immense gains in any of the other formats either, they were in optimal form in ODIs a few months ago, which saw them winning three consecutive away series against Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. For now, given the ODI World Cup is nowhere near, Pakistan do not have any urgency pushing them, but having one format where they don’t look utterly bewildered while playing would be very welcome.
West Indies haven’t had any different storyline from Pakistan in the format either. In six games they played this year, they only won one game, which was against Ireland. But unlike Pakistan, they have plenty at stake. They missed out on making it to the 2023 World Cup in India, which meant they were also out of the 2025 Champions Trophy. And if their form were to stay steady as it is, they might see another ICC event eluding their grasp.
Team Overview:
Big names return to the side for Pakistan, which makes up quite really the only excitement ahead of this series. Shaheen Shah Afridi, who made his return to the shortest format, will have Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Naseem Shah join him, and all four of them are certain starters for the first ODI. However, much about the other spots remains unanswered. Pakistan wouldn’t want to repeat the same mistake of opening with Babar, as they did in the Champions Trophy despite Fakhar Zaman being out injured.
This could bring Abdullah Shafique into play as an opener alongside Saim Ayub. With Rizwan at four, Salman Ali Agha and Hasan Nawaz can form the late middle-order at No. 5 and No. 6. Besides Naseem and Shaheen, Pakistan have Hasan Ali as the only other specialist pace option. Either Hussain Talat or Faheem Ashraf could join Mohammad Nawaz as the all-rounders as well as provide an extra fast bowler.
For West Indies, Brandon King and Evin Lewis return to the side after recovering from their respective injuries. However, Shimron Hetmyer will be unavailable with a side strain he picked up during the series against Australia. Sherfane Rutherford could fill in at his spot. West Indies’ No. 3 batter, Keacy Carty, is in red-hot form with three centuries in six games this year and will definitely be a batter to look out for. Romario Shepherd’s return to the side for the first time since last year will also strengthen the middle-order, which has been the side’s weak spot for some time.
With Alzarri Joseph rested for the series and Matthew Forde injured on the eve of the first game, West Indies will have some selection headaches for their bowling attack.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Having won 71 of 137 games, three of which ended in a tie, the hosts have an edge over Pakistan, who have only won 63 games against them.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Tarouba has only hosted one ODI game, between India and West Indies in 2023. So, the conditions remain largely unknown for both sides. The weather forecast, which predicts rain in the beginning hours of the game, makes it even more challenging to anticipate how the surface will play. In List A games played here, the deck has shown to not be a very high-scoring ground, with teams crossing 250 as a rarity.
Prediction:
Pakistan, despite their form across formats, remain the favourite to win the match, if weather permits.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: ESPN
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, A Sports
India: Fancode
UK: TNT Sports 1
USA: ESPN+
