West Indies vs Pakistan, 1st T20I Match Prediction, Betting Odds, Picks

• West Indies are coming off a fantastic 4-1 series win over Australia.
• Pakistan have been quite good in T20Is as well and have recorded three series T20I wins in 2021.
• West Indies’ power hitters could be the difference between the two sides.

West Indies vs Pakistan Odds

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West Indies vs Pakistan Prediction and Pick

Pakistan have an overwhelming head-to-head record in T20Is against West Indies.

They have won 11 games out of the 14 that these two sides have played in the history of T20I cricket. West Indies’ three wins have come one each in 2007, 2011 and 2014.

It was in 2018 that these two teams last squared off in T20Is and Pakistan won the series 3-0. However, the West Indies of 2018 and the West Indies of 2021 are two different teams. The one in 2021 is a T20 beast and a powerhouse.

As such, the Kieron Pollard-led side will be the favorites heading into this series despite their below-par head-to-head record against Pakistan.

Pick West Indies to win (-135).

Predicted XI

West Indies: Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Fabian Allen, Hayden Walsh, Sheldon Cottrell, Obed McCoy/Akeal Hosain

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain/Haris Rauf

How to Watch West Indies vs Pakistan

Can West Indies continue to showcase their power in T20 cricket?

Both West Indies and Pakistan head into this series on the back of good form and results in T20I cricket in 2021. Both teams have eight wins and five losses from 13 T20Is this year. West Indies recorded wins over Sri Lanka (2-1) and Australia (4-1) but went down against South Africa (2-3). Meanwhile, Pakistan beat South Africa twice (2-1 at home and 3-1 away) and Zimbabwe (2-1) but lost to England (1-2) in their most recent series.

However, on paper and on power, West Indies are ahead. They have the power in their batting and no target is beyond their reach. Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Fabien Allen form a scary and formidable T20 batting line-up. Moreover, most players throughout the line-up have delivered at some point in this ongoing home season and have won at least one game on their own. Meanwhile, the bowling has come together nicely as well.

Pakistan’s form has been good as well. However, they have relied more on their top-order to do the bulk of their scoring. Their top three has contributed nearly 70% of the runs in 2021 and Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan account for 58% of the total runs scored by Pakistan in T20Is in 2021. Their middle-order and their inconsistency has been a cause of concern. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s bowling attack has been in solid shape and seem to have most bases covered.

Team News

Pakistan named the same squad for their tour of England and the Caribbean. There are no injury concerns and they will be at full-strength. On the other hand, Kieron Pollard will be back for the West Indies. He missed the entire T20I series against Australia due to injury but he featured in the ODI series. Obed McCoy and Shimron Hetmyer, who were rested from the last two T20Is as they were carrying niggles, are likely to be back in the squad as well.

Key Players

Evin Lewis: Evin Lewis may not have got going in the ODI series against Australia but his form in T20Is has been top-notch. The left-handed opener has batted really well in T20Is against South Africa and Pakistan. He has amassed 288 runs at an average of 36.00 while striking at 178.88 in eight games in the ongoing home season. He’s played a couple of brutal knocks as well and his last two knocks in T20Is read 31 off 14 and 79 off 34. Lewis will be the one to watch out for.

Mohammad Rizwan: Mohammad Rizwan has been in unbelievable form in T20 cricket in 2021. In T20Is this year, the Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman has amassed 706 runs at a mind-boggling average of 100.85 and is striking at 140.91 as well. He has recorded seven half-centuries and one hundred in 13 innings this year. In fact, Rizwan has just three scores of under 30. Besides this, he smashed 500 runs at an average of 45.45 in the PSL 2021. The 29-year-old stumper will be key at the top of the order for Pakistan.