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West Indies
Pakistan
West Indies and Pakistan will begin their two-match Test series with the first match at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Both teams will look to make a positive start as they sit near the bottom of the World Test Championship table. West Indies are placed eighth, while Pakistan are ninth, making this series important for both sides.
West Indies will enter the match with 1 win, 2 losses and 2 draws from their last 5 Tests. Pakistan will come in after 1 win and 4 losses in their last 5 matches. Babar Azam will return as Pakistan captain and will aim to lead from the front after scoring well in the practice match.
Pakistan have won 3 of the last 5 Tests against West Indies, while West Indies have won two. With the last two Test series between these teams ending 1-1, another closely fought contest will be expected.
Sajid Khan has taken 44 wickets in his last 7 Test matches and with the Trinidad pitch expected to assist spin as the match progresses, he will have a strong chance of making multiple breakthroughs.
The betting tip is...
Sajid Khan - Over 2.5 wickets
60 %
40 %
West IndiesPakistanWest Indies made a few changes to their squad before the Test series against Pakistan. Joshua Bishop received his maiden Test call-up, while Kirk McKenzie earned his first Test recall since 2024.
Alzarri Joseph was unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. Bishop entered the squad after an excellent domestic record, taking 119 wickets in 25 first-class matches at an average of 23.90.
He was also the highest wicket-taker across the last three West Indies Championship seasons with 91 wickets. McKenzie replaced John Campbell, who missed the series after suffering a left hamstring injury during the ODI series against New Zealand.
McKenzie had scored 323 runs in six innings in the West Indies Championship at an average of 64.60. The rest of the squad remained unchanged, with Jomel Warrican continuing as the vice-captain.
Hope, Greaves and Shamar are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Kirk McKenzie, Shai Hope (wk), Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Jomel Warrican, Joshua Bishop, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales
Pakistan made a major leadership change before the series as Babar Azam returned as the Test captain, replacing Shan Masood, who had led the side since December 2023.
Masood retained his place in the squad despite the captaincy change. Pakistan also made several changes after their 2-0 Test series defeat to Bangladesh in May. Azam, Rizwan and Masood are the experienced batters in the side.
Senior players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali and Noman Ali were left out of the squad. Mohammad Ali and Aamir Jamal returned to the 16-player squad after earning recalls.
Ubaid Shah, Ali Usman and Mohammad Awais Zafar received their maiden Test call-ups. Babar also boosted Pakistan's confidence with a strong batting performance in the drawn warm-up match ahead of the series.
Imam, Babar and Sajid are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Imam ul Haq, Azan Awais, Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Aamir Jamal, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas
Pakistan will start as slight favourites because of their stronger bowling attack, but West Indies will be difficult to beat in home conditions. The match is likely to stay competitive, with both teams relying heavily on their bowlers. Pakistan's experienced attack should create regular chances, especially if the pitch offers turn as the game progresses.
Sajid Khan has taken 44 wickets in his last 7 Test matches and has been Pakistan's most consistent wicket-taking spinner.
Along with Mohammad Abbas, who has claimed 20 wickets in his last 4 Tests, Pakistan have the bowling depth to keep West Indies under pressure throughout the match. Pakistan are expected to have the edge if their bowlers perform to their recent standards.
