Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been rested while all-rounder Romario Shepherd has returned to the West Indies‘ ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series at home against Pakistan. Alzarri, who had also been rested for the T20Is against Pakistan, will continue to have his workload managed with important series ahead of them.
Romario Shepherd last played ODI Cricket in December 2024 and missed the ODI series against England and Ireland this year. West Indies were swept by England in their most recent ODI series 3-0 in England. West Indies are currently ranked 10th in the standings and are eyeing crucial points in their quest to secure direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Needless to say, this series is a crucial one for West Indies to gain points.
Daren Sammy’s Views On Upcoming Pakistan Challenge.
Speaking to reporters, head coach Daren Sammy said, ” Pakistan presents a different test and challenge as we continue our push for automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The upcoming matches against teams like Pakistan, who are ranked higher, provide crucial opportunities to earn valuable ranking points to improve our standings ahead of the World Cup.”
Jediah Blades Earns A Call Up In ODIs.
In Alzarri Joseph’s absence, rookie left-arm seamer Jediah Blades has been picked up in the squad. Blades who is 23 years of age, has played just one ODI and four T20Is so far. He is capable of swinging the new ball. The rest of the side has a familiar look.
West Indies had recently lost the T20I series to Pakistan by 2-1. Their ODI record at home though is encouraging. They have won their last three series so far. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad will host all three matches against Pakistan on August 8, 10 and 12.
West Indies ODI Squad:
The West Indies ODI squad vs Pakistan is as follows:
West Indies ODI Squad: Shai Hope (C), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd.
West Indies vs Pakistan: An Interesting Series On The Cards?
An interesting battle is in prospect when these two teams meet at the Brian Lara Academy on August 8th onwards. West Indies have announced their squad and it looks a decent squad with youngsters and experienced involved. All eyes will be on Shai Hope as he excels in this format and how he leads the team. There is Brandon King as well and will be curious to see whether Evin Lewis gets a game and how Romario Shepherd and Roston Chase go in this series.
Pakistan will be led by Mohammad Rizwan and he will have Babar Azam for company as the duo return after quite a while since Pakistan has been playing T20Is lately. Shaheen Afridi is there and so is Haris Rauf. So, Pakistan with a mixture of youth and experience will give West Indies fight and since they are higher in the standings than the hosts, they will start this series as slight favourites.
West Indies lost to England 3-0 the last time they played ODIs while Pakistan haven’t played ODI cricket since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 hosted by them. In that tournament, Pakistan failed to win a match and finished bottom of the points table. A lot of water has fallen down the bridge since that tournament.
So, a cracking series awaits us all in Tarouba where all the 3 matches will be played. The first game is on Friday August 8th and it is a Day-Night game with the match scheduled to start at 11:30 PM IST, 11 PM PST. The remaining two games are Day games and is slated to start at 7:30 PM IST, 7 PM PST on August 10th and 12th. A cracking series is expected between both the sides.
Get set for a cracking series between two teams who are at the bottom half of the points table, but determined to climb upwards in the table.
Also Read: WI vs PAK: Sahibzada Farhan: The Lightning Spark For Pakistan