West Indies vs Pakistan – 3rd T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is West Indies vs Pakistan taking place? Sunday, August 1st, 2021 – 16:00 (UK)
Where is West Indies vs Pakistan taking place? Guyana National Stadium, Providence
What is the expected weather for West Indies vs Pakistan? 29-30c and cloudy with a chance of light showers
What channel is West Indies vs Pakistan on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport in the UK
Where can I stream West Indies vs Pakistan? BT Sport subscribers will be able to stream the match live via the BT Sport website and app
LAST MEETING
Pakistan beat West Indies by 7 runs.
THE TEAM NEWS
WEST INDIES
- West Indies will have been frustrated at failing to chase down 158 for victory in the second T20i, falling seven runs short on 150/4 despite Nicolas Pooran remaining at the crease on 62 not out.
- Pooran’s violent knock came from just 33 balls including four 4s and six 6s, however his knock was in vain as numerous other West Indian batters struggled to time the ball as the game wore on.
- The Windies were also dealt a blow by opener Evin Lewis being forced to retire hurt on 35 with stomach cramps, now the second player who has retired hurt for the hosts in this series following Lendl Simmons in the previous T20i, with Lewis now a doubt for this next contest.
PAKISTAN
- After losing the toss and batting first, Pakistan largely thanks to the spin-bowling of both Mohammad Hafeez and Shadab Khan successfully defended a total of 157/8 to win by seven runs and go ahead in the four-match series, Hafeez recording incredible figures of one wicket for the loss of just six runs in his four over spell.
- Once again, it was the dynamic duo of wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam who supplied the majority of runs for the tourists, hitting 46 and 51 respectively with Rizwan now holding the record for most T20i runs in a calendar year, having accumulated 752 runs and averaging 94.
- Young batter Azam Khan did not feature in the second T20i after being hit on the head during training and he will miss out once again here, giving Sohaib Maqsood another chance in the middle order.
THE PREDICTION
Pakistan’s spin-bowlers took full advantage of a turning track in Guyana to keep the shackles on West Indies and ultimately close out an entertaining second T20i. Once again it was Rizwan and Babar who stood up with the bat for the tourists and whilst both are excellent players in outstanding form with the willow, Pakistan cannot rely on them to come up clutch in every single match and their middle order hitting must be a cause for concern. West Indies have been dealt some terrible luck so far in this series through injuries in-play and may well be thinking that the last game would have gone their way had Evin Lewis not retired hurt. A reaction is expected from them and they are rarely kept quiet for long, such is the quality they possess within their T20i side, so back them to level the series with victory here.
