Important series between West Indies and Pakistan kicked-off yesterday with T20 game at Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. New look West Indies team won this game and Pakistan failed to open the account with a win. Pakistan lost to the completely reformed West Indian team. It was great game of T20 which lost in hype of IPL.
It's just one match, which will fade into obscurity by the end of the next, but West Indies began their latest New Era impressively, beating Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 match between the teams. Lendl Simmons made 65 to help West Indies set a competitive total before Devendra Bishoo's four wickets brought them victory. It was Ottis Gibson's desperation for renewal after a disastrous World Cup campaign that five fresh players were included in the squad. Chris Gayle, the former captain, who vented his frustration with Gibson and the WICB by joining Royal Challengers Bangalore and issuing a withering assessment of both in a radio interview. The off-field wrangling dominated the build-up to the match and is likely to rumble on for some time to come but West Indies fans could at least enjoy a moment of win.
Such drama is familiar to Pakistan but of late they have been alarmingly stable. Their last game was a passionate spectacle against India in the World Cup semi-final in Mohali, so they could be forgiven for looking a little underwhelmed by St Lucia. Very few spectators showed up but those who did were on the ground, treated to an entertaining opening from Simmons. Filling the big hole left by Gayle's absence he scored 65 from 44 balls and shared a 99-run stand for the second wicket with a fluent Darren Bravo, who made 42.The pair struck 15 boundaries between them, which proved crucial as West Indies collapsed in familiar fashion after they were separated.
Darren Sammy ensured Pakistan's chase got off on the wrong foot as he had Mohammad Hafeez caught at fine leg for 3 before Ahmed Shehzad spooned Ravi Rampaul to mid-on for 12. Asad Shafiq tried to revive the Pakistan innings with Umar Akmal before Bishoo picked up two wickets in his first over. Shafiq was nicely caught for 25 by Danza Hyatt at midwicket, before Misbah-ul-Haq was dismissed for a golden duck while treading on his stumps a ball later. Mixing his pace and flight nicely Bishoo got his third wicket when Shahid Afridi played a cut to point on 12 to leave Pakistan in sorts of trouble
Having reached a run-a-ball 41, Umar was victim to his own misunderstanding. The previous delivery he had alerted the umpires to a no-ball caused by West Indies not having the required three men in the ring but, thinking the following ball was a free-hit, swung Rampaul to Marlon Samuels on the square-leg boundary. Umar lingered but the umpires this time knew better.What should have been a doddle from there for West Indies became tense, as Rampaul's no-ball-ridden penultimate over cost 15, but Andre Russell held his nerve in the final over to seal victory.
The lacklustre showing from Pakistan's batsmen was in sharp contrast to Simmons and Bravo. Happy to use their feet, both were proficient against the pace and spin and used the small boundaries to good effect. West Indies passed 100 in the 13th over and looked set to post a really significant total but a trademark collapse punctured the optimism. Bravo holed out to long-on off Abdur Rehman before Simmons was run out by Samuels two overs later. Samuels, on his comeback after serving a two-year ban for alleged involvement with illegal bookmakers, endured a torrid time as he laboured to 4 from 11 balls before running past a Saeed Ajmal doosra. Sammy followed quickly for 1 and it needed a last-over boundary to take the total past 150. Pakistan looked to have the edge but Bishoo ensured otherwise.
It was indeed a great performance by new look West Indian team which proved selectors decision correct atleast in this match.
Pakistan have to play 5 ODIs and 2 Test Matches on this tour. ODIs will star from April 23, 2011.
Detailed Fixtures are as under:
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
| Mon Apr 18 | 10:00 local 19:30 IST | Uni. of WI Vice Chancellor's XI vs Pakistan | Mindoo Phillip Park, St Lucia |
| Thu Apr 21 | 09:30 local 19:00 IST | T20I - West Indies v Pakistan | Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia |
| Sat Apr 23
| 09:30 local
| 1st ODI - West Indies v Pakistan
| Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia
|
| Mon Apr 25
| 09:30 local | 2nd ODI - West Indies v Pakistan
| Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia |
| Thu Apr 28
| 09:30 local 19:00 IST
| 3rd ODI - West Indies v Pakistan
| Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
|
| Mon May 2
| 09:30 local 19:00 IST
| 4th ODI - West Indies v Pakistan
| Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados
|
| Thu May 5
| 09:30 local 19:00 IST
| 5th ODI - West Indies v Pakistan
| Providence Stadium, Guyana
|
| Sun May 8 - Mon May 9
| 10:00 local 19:30 IST
| TBC v Pakistanis
| Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana
|
| Thu May 12 - Mon May 16
| 10:00 local 19:30 IST
| 1st Test - West Indies v Pakistan
| Providence Stadium, Guyana
|
| Fri May 20 - Tue May 24 | 10:00 local 19:30 IST | 2nd Test - West Indies v Pakistan | Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts |
ODI Squads:
Shahid Afridi(Captain), Abdur Rehman,Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Junaid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Salman(Wicket- Keeper), Sadaf Hussain, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal, Usman Salahuddin, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema.
Darren Sammy(Captain), Carlton Baugh, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Devnedra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Anthony Martin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas.
