Buoyant Pakistan all set for 3-0 whitewash against world champions

KARACHI: Less than six months ago, Pakistan’s Twenty20 fortunes touched a nadir as they crashed out of the World T20 championship in India at the first hurdle.

In stark contrast, the West Indies were at the top of their game in the 20-over format as they conquered England in a thrilling final to win the World T20 title.

The tables seem to have turned as a resurging Pakistan thrashed the world champions in back-to-back T20 Internationals in Dubai last week and will now go all out for a 3-0 whitewash when the two teams meet in Abu Dhabi in the third and final game of the series on Tuesday (today).

While Pakistan have been buoyed up by their new-found confidence, the current West Indies team is missing a number of players who were part of their World T20 campaign in March-April in India, including the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy, which has left it with a less experienced side.

The hosts inflicted a nine-wicket defeat in the first match and followed it up with a 16-run win in the second, using its spinners to good use to rattle West Indies in both matches in Dubai.

Imad Wasim, the left-arm spinner, was particularly impressive, picking up six wickets in the two matches at an average of 5.33 and an economy of 4.00. Pacers Sohail Tanvir and Hasan Ali too have picked up wickets to support the spin assault from Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz.

But the third contest will be held at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and it will be interesting to see what kind of track is prepared at the venue. The temperature in the region, as expected, has been on the higher side, with the mercury rising up to 41°C, making it hard for the visiting players to get accustomed to the conditions quickly.

For Pakistan, Sarfraz Ahmed, the captain, and Shoaib Malik, who became only the third cricketer from the country to score more than 1500 T20I runs, took care of the batting responsibilities during a crucial fourth-wicket partnership in the second encounter, while Babar Azam and Khalid Latif have racked up runs in both matches to ensure the host goes in to this match high on confidence.

Dwayne Bravo has been the only West Indies batsman to score a half-century in the series so far, but it will take more notable contributions from the Caribbean batsmen to avenge the first two losses and build up momentum for the rest of its time in the United Arab Emirates.

West Indies’ middle order, which includes Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite, is arguably the best in the world. Bravo resurrected West Indies’ innings in the first T20 with a 54-ball 55. But for them to be at their destructive best, West Indies’ top order has to set a base from where the middle order can attack effectively.

With the series gone, West Indies may hand Rovman Powell a debut, bringing him in for Nicholas Pooran, who has scores of 5 and 4 in his first two T20Is. West Indies may also rejig their misfiring top order.

Abu Dhabi, with its larger dimensions, will provide a different challenge to the batsmen. Pakistan’s batsmen scampered through for plenty of twos in the smaller Dubai outfield, which could continue. West Indies’ six-hitting ability and adaptability will be tested. The nature of the pitch is unlikely to be too dissimilar from the first two T20Is.

The T20I series will be followed by three One-day Internationals, the first of which will be played in Sharjah on September 30.