Venue: ICC Academy Ground, Dubai
Toss: West Indies won the toss and elected to bat
Players per side: 15 (11 batting, 11 fielding)
Result: Pakistan won by seven wickets
Defending ICC T20 World Cup champions West Indies got to their first action of the campaign underway today as they faced Pakistan. The men in green got the better of our Men in Maroon as both teams will be happy that they managed to get some time in the middle on a good surface at the ICC Academy. The West Indies gave an opportunity to all of the front-line batters in the team to get a hit except Evin Lewis as they posted 130-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Shimron Hetmyer 28 (24 balls, 3×4) top-scored, while captain Kieron Pollard hit 23 off 10 balls which included five boundaries in the final over off Haris Rauf.
For Pakistan, spinners Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan conceded just 13 runs off their five combined overs. Then, skipper Babar Azam stroked a composed 50(41) at the top of the order, but it was Fakhar Zaman who produced the fireworks, slamming 46 from 24 balls including a maximum to wrap up the win in the 16th over. Experienced fast bowler Ravi Rampaul (3-0-19-1) putting on the West Indies shirt for the first time since November 2015 and leg spinner Hayden Walsh Jnr (3.3-0-41-2) were the West Indies wicket-takers in Pakistan’s reply.
West Indies’ next warm-up fixture is on Wednesday against Afghanistan (10 am ECT/9 am Jamaica time).
West Indies T20 World Cup Match Schedule
October 23: v England in Dubai (6 pm UAE time, 10 am Eastern Caribbean/9 am Jamaica)
October 26: v South Africa in Dubai (2 pm UAE time, 6 am Eastern Caribbean/5 am Jamaica)
October 29: v B2 in Sharjah (2 pm UAE time, 8 am Eastern Caribbean/7 am Jamaica)
November 4: v A1, in Abu Dhabi (6 pm UAE time, 10 am Eastern Caribbean/9 am Jamaica)
November 6: v Australia in Abu Dhabi (2 pm UAE time, 6 am Eastern Caribbean/5 am Jamaica)
SEMI-FINALS
November 10: Group 1 winner v Group 1 second in Abu Dhabi (6 pm UAE time, 10 am Eastern Caribbean/9 am Jamaica)
November 11: Group B winner v Group A second in Dubai (6 pm UAE time, 10 am Eastern Caribbean/9 am Jamaica)
FINAL
November 14: Final in Dubai (6 pm UAE time, 10 am Eastern Caribbean/9 am Jamaica)