Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago: Pakistan captain Mohammed Rizwan challenged his part-time bowlers to provide a much improved effort against the West Indies in the third and final ODI decider after the team's five-wicket defeat in Tarouba.
The West Indies were too powerful in the second ODI of the series in Trinidad, with Roston Chase and Justin Greaves putting up an unbroken 77-run partnership to help the Caribbean team chase down the revised victory target of 181 in a rain-affected match at Brian Lara Stadium.
Chase and Greaves were especially impressed by Pakistan's part-timers Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, with both giving 33 runs in their stint as the West Indies tied the series by 11 points ahead of the final match at the same ground on Tuesday.
While Rizwan did not confirm whether the combination will keep their position in Pakistan's squad for the series finale, he predicted that they would play well if chosen for the highly anticipated encounter.
You could argue that our fifth bowler gave up too many runs (today), but in recent years, Salman Agha and Saim Ayub have both bowled well for us, Rizwan said after the game, as quoted by the ICC.
Saim did not have the greatest day today, but he batted well in the T20Is. That is simply part of the game.
Honestly, the weather prediction has been nothing like as expected and is difficult to understand. We are keeping our choices open and will finalise the XI (for the series decider) after studying the circumstances, he said.
The West Indies' victory was their first against Pakistan in more than six years, with their most recent triumph over the Asian side prior to this encounter coming at the 2019 edition of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, where they cruised to a seven-wicket victory in Nottingham.
According to coach Daren Sammy and captain Shai Hope, the situation is quite different for the West Indies, who missed qualification for the most recent 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 and are seeking a return to the major tournament in 2027.
Sammy remarked before the series against Pakistan that the games were serving as preparation for the next 50-over World Cup, and Hope confirmed that the West Indies are working to develop in all areas of the game.
We always talk about collaborations, and we want to improve in all aspects, so I am pleased with today's triumph, Hope said.
It was wonderful to watch our boys adjust in the middle overs, and credit goes to Chase and Greaves for finishing the task, as well as Sherfane (Rutherford), who gave us impetus.
