***Official*** Pakistan in West Indies 2017

[Burner]

I'm surprised he got picked up; T20 has never really been his thing.

He has a few good innings in T&T. Proper t20 good even. I'll be surprised if he ever got any matches in the IPL though. That's why I think it's stupid from him as well. If he was a t20 superstar, then okay he can rake in the cash in t20 leagues but he's not.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Why did Blackwood get dropped?

 

[Niall]

Umar Akmal as captain can only lead to greatness

https://www.dawn.com/news/1329597

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Why did Blackwood get dropped?

Team composition perhaps. That's the only thing I see which may have kept him out.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I really like Blackwood. Got a hundred and a 95 in the last 6 months which for any WI batsman not called Darren Bravo should be a big deal.

 

[harsh.ag]

Darren Bravo has initiated a claim for damages against the WICB it seems. Talk about burning bridges. So that's it for him in the test side?!

I mean if what the WI chief executive is saying is sincere, it seems that the only thing stopping a Bravo comeback is his own ego. If that's the case, **** him really.

He's too good for WICB. Just the sad truth atm. Can't be easy for him to see players worse than him making so much more money. Plus it isn't like he gets so much support from his board like Pujara does.

 

[harsh.ag]

Wish he could play for another team.

 

[NUFAN]

Why did Blackwood get dropped?

I think the performances in the tour match by the two rookies were taken too seriously by the selectors. I'm a big Blackwood fan, fails too regularly but hopefully he is back next test.

 

[weldone]

I'm surprised he got picked up; T20 has never really been his thing.

He has a few good innings in T&T. Proper t20 good even. I'll be surprised if he ever got any matches in the IPL though. That's why I think it's stupid from him as well. If he was a t20 superstar, then okay he can rake in the cash in t20 leagues but he's not.

That's because he never really focused on his T20 game. Now he will. He's still relatively young. If Narine can become a serviceable T20 opener, just imagine what Darren Bravo can do if he really puts his mind and heart in it.

 

[Black_Warrior]

"It's interesting. I've been out there a few times since I've been back here, and it looks pretty dry - unusually so. Normally you would expect a little bit more in terms of the surface but it looks quite dry, it'll be interesting to see if it'll last all five days or if it deteriorates quickly. Not quite sure, so it's just a matter for us, especially, to make use of our first innings when we bat."
West Indies captain Jason Holder takes stock of the playing surface at the Kensington Oval

Source: Misbah-ul-Haq's chance to script Caribbean history | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo


That's interesting. Hope it doesn't crumble too early. Bishoo can run through this side like in 2011

 

[stumpski]

Chase looks a cricketer of real character to me - they need to hang onto him, especially as they're effectively playing with three batsmen at the moment.

 

[Burner]

Chase and Holder must be the one of the tallest partnership in cricket history.

 

[Raffski]

I know it's been said before but Holder really has to bat 6.

 

[Stapel]

So, by the end the day, WI happier than Pak. Quite useful for the series!

 

[quincywagstaff]

Hard to think of a more overqualified no 8 than Holder in this batting lineup. I know Steve Smith started there but at least there was a stronger batting lineup above him.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Switched off after yet another early collapse. But my word what a fightback that was in the last session. unlike Blackwood, and tbh even Darren Bravo, Chase has regularly done well at first class level, averaging in the 40s and we're seeing the young man continue in the same vain at test level and it's brilliant to see. The ton against India was impressive but this is perhaps more vital and we can only hope that he stays at the crease as long as possible tomorrow. He also became the first Barbadian batsman to score a test ton at the mecca since 1999!!. Powell has also looked decent since his return but he's got to start making more use of those starts now. Hopefully working with Law will get him over the bump he seems to come across everytime he's in the 30s and 40s.

Hetty, Singh and Hope are really up against it now as far as retaining their places. Hetty is only 20 so he will hopefully learn from this experience and build on it. Hope is brilliant at first class level and has done well in the ODI's but something is missing in the tests and he desperately needs to find something in the second innings. Singh meanwhile just looks a tad nervous at the crease and he too needs to show a little heart in the second dig.

Holder too has come in and done very well. People are saying he should play number six but I'm not sure tbh. We tried that before and it didn't work out too well from what I remember. Plus he barely plays for Barbados at first class level so how is he ever gonna improve as a batsman?

We'll see what tomorrow will bring but I think our boys need to be smart here. With Pakistan only having four bowlers it's clear they are getting tired as the day goes on and this is where we are making hay. We've got to learn from this as the same happened in the first test when Chase and Dowrich put on a hundred run partnership late on the first day at Bina.

 

[Black_Warrior]

WI's day completely.

Poor decision to play Shadab. This is where I expected someone like Mickey Arthur to play a role and resist these tendencies that Pakistan has. They are impatient, they are not used to long term thinking and don't really appreciate the importance of first class cricket. Shadab has barely played a season of FC cricket, he has not bowled the number of overs a spinner needs to find their mojo in Test cricket.

There is a reason why Yasir came to Test Cricket and started taking wickets straight away..because he had season after season of FC cricket behind him. Shadab does not and in a 4 man attack, his selection is hurting Pak.

You have a 4 man attack

1 of them is a debutant
1 of them is playing his second test

I expect Pakistan to do these things..but what's the point of having a foreign coach if he can't challenge these ridiculous notions.

 

[Black_Warrior]

You have this playing XI

Brathwaite
Opener
Bravo
Blackwood
Chase
Holder
Dowrich
Bishoo
Gabriel
Cummins
Joseph

And that's a pretty decent Test side.

 

[Gnske]

Who needs hackfrauds like Blackwood when you have real men with Roston Chase's gumption.

 

[mr_mister]

is there even anyone lining up to replace Hope, Het and Singh who honestly all look not up to this level of cricket