Momentum on their side, in-form Pakistan eye ODI series win

Riding high on momentum, Pakistan would be eyeing an unassailable lead over the visiting West Indies when the two teams face off in the second of the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in Sharjah on Sunday (October 2).

After a massive 111-run victory in the series opener at the same venue, Pakistan now have a cent per cent record against West Indies on this tour, having swept the Twenty20 International (T20I) series too. A win on Sunday, however, carries extra incentive for the hosts; if Pakistan seal the series, the ninth-ranked team on the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings will topple their opponents, placed eighth, and strengthen their case for a direct automatic qualification for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. West Indies, given their struggles on the spin-friendly conditions of UAE, will have to play out of their skin to keep their chances alive for another night.

Blanked 3-0 in the preceding T20Is, a change of format hasn't brought the desired results either for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 champions.

The visitors' batsmen have struggled to adapt to the conditions and put sufficient runs on the board. At the same time, the Pakistan batsmen have flourished. Young Babar Azam's rich haul has kept the recalled Umar Akmal on the bench, and is a good sign for the the team that is trying to find stability in their line-up. After finishing as the highest run-getter in the T20Is, Azam carried his form forward and notched up a fine century, his maiden in the 50-overs format, to beautifully set up Pakistan's big win on Friday.

Chasing 287 in a contest reduced to 49 overs a side due to floodlights failure, West Indies collapsed for 175 inside 39 overs, with a four-wicket haul from Mohammad Nawaz, the left-arm spinner, dismantling their middle order and Hasan Ali bagging another three.

Their hero, however, has been Imad Wasim who bagged the Player of the Series award in the T20Is. With able support from the pacers, who got early breakthroughs throughout, Wasim hasn't allowed the West Indians to settle and rebuild. And on conditions conducive to spin, it is the failure of Sunil Narine that's hurt the visitors the most.

When: Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd ODI on Sunday October 2, at 3:00 PM Local, 4:30 PM IST

Where: Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah

What to expect: Since the venue for the second ODI remains unchanged, it promises to be another track full of runs and enough assistance for the slower bowlers. Weather-wise, clear skies are predicted for the match day with a high of 38 degree Celsius.

Team News

Pakistan: The stakes are high and the hosts are unlikely to tamper their playing XI, unless a last-minute injury-forced pull out.

West Indies: Struggling to put runs on the board, West Indies' top order might be see a couple of changes. Johnson Charles, for one, has looked off colour throughout the limited-over series and the visitors might be tempted to offer Evin Lewis another chance. Kraigg Brathwaite, who made his ODI debut in the series opener, could retain his spot.

What they said:

"In this situation, we need to turn things around and we really need to look at ways we can improve. Obviously one big area is the batting. We did see off the new ball [in the ODI]. It's just a matter of rotating the strike a bit better than we did today. I think once we do that we should go into the next match in better stead," Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, on their shortcomings.

Did you know?

-Kieron Pollard will become the second player after Rohit Sharma to feature in 100 ODIs without ever playing a Test.

-Wahab Riaz needs four wickets to reach 100 wickets in ODIs and 200 wickets in List A cricket.

-A win in the second ODI would give Pakistan their eight consecutive bilateral series win against West Indies. The last time West Indies won one was way back in 1991.

Squads:

Pakistan: Azhar Ali (Captain), Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Khan, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah

West Indies: Jason Holder (Captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels