Top-order issues have led to downfall - Brathwaite

West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite has pointed out that top-order issues have been the major worry for them in the two matches against Pakistan in Dubai. West Indies were reduced to 17 for 4 in the first T20, before being bowled out for 115, and were tottering at 19 for 3 while chasing 161 in the second T20. They lost both matches and now the teams move to Abu Dhabi for the third T20 on Tuesday.

"The one glaring thing I can see [that went wrong in the first two matches] is the batting, especially top-order batting," Brathwaite said on Monday. "We haven't been making the most of the first six overs with only two fielders out. And then it became harder and harder…in the first game we had five wickets down. And then chasing 160 and [being] only 20-odd after the first six, it's going to be a lot more difficult especially with such huge boundaries. So our top-order batting and the misuse of the first six overs was our downfall in the first two games."

Their top three batsmen - Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher - fell for low scores, leaving much of the work for the middle and lower order. While openers Charles and Lewis managed scores of 7 and 10, and 1 and 3 respectivly, No. 3 Fletcher scored 2 and 29. Among all batsmen who have batted in the two T20s, only one - Dwayne Bravo - has scored over 30. Brathwaite said it was the collective effort he was concerned about, and not the performance of any single player, when asked about Andre Fletcher's form.

West Indies Test Squad to face Pakistan in UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The Selection Panel of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced the 15-man squad for the upcoming Test Series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

The series will consist of three Test matches. The opening match will be a day/night fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, from Thursday, October 13 to Monday, October 17.

This will be the first time both teams play a Test match under lights using the pink ball.

The other matches at: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Friday, October 21 to Tuesday, October 25) and Sharjah Cricket Stadium (Sunday, October 30 to Thursday, November 3).

FULL SQUAD
Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice captain), Devendra Bishoo
Jermaine Blackwood,, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo
Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich
Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Leon Johnson
Alzarri Joseph, Marlon Samuels, Jomel Warrican

Windies new players arrive ahead of ODI series

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) − West Indies one-day players arriving here over the weekend trained with the full unit for the first time yesterday, as they fine-tuned their preparation for the start of the three-match series in Sharjah next Friday.The contingent of left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo and Jonathan Carter, along with fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, off-spinner Ashley Nurse and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, arrived here Friday to link up with the other members of the ODI squad who are contesting the ongoing Twenty20 series.

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West Indies again fail

Before this match, Pakistan had won 24 out of 27 T20Is defending 150-plus. On Saturday, they posted 160, which was 22 more than the average first-innings score at this venue. That meant West Indies had to achieve the highest successful chase to take the series into a decider. On paper, it was advantage Pakistan, but cricket is played out on the field, sometimes on greasy ones because of heavy dew that negates any advantage teams batting first conjure.

Did it affect them? It didn't look like, as yet another timid batting show that lacked application and self-belief resulted in West Indies falling 17 short of the target. It meant Sarfraz Ahmed extended his unbeaten run as T20I captain to three matches.

On these outfields, it isn't unusual to see teams trying to overachieve while batting first in their quest to negate the dew factor. Perhaps the experience of having played their home matches here since 2009 helped Pakistan set a clear mandate. If Shoaib Malik provided the fire through swift foot work and muscular hits in his 28-ball 37, top-scorer Sarfaz proved to be the ice in a 69-run stand off just 46 balls to drive the innings.

Imad Wasim 5 for 14 dismantles West Indies

The surface in Dubai was cracked, but there seemed to be more cracks in the batting line-up of the World T20 champions. Imad Wasim exploited all those cracks and rolled West Indies over for 115. In the process, the left-arm spinner became only the second Pakistan bowler, after Umar Gul, to take a five-for in T20Is. Pakistan then merrily cruised to the target with 34 balls to spare to hint at a white-ball revival, having secured their second successive nine-wicket win.

The portents were clear from the first over, after Pakistan chose to field. Taking the new ball, Wasim had opener Evin Lewis top-edge a catch to deep midwicket in the first over. In his next over, he accounted for Andre Fletcher and Marlon Samuels to leave West Indies at 16 for 3. A raft of balls fizzed through and thudded into the pad, drawing appeals from an ever-present slip and captain Sarfraz Ahmed. Looking at the scorecard, it may have appeared that Wasim was bowling magic balls. Truth be told, he didn't turn them much. Instead, he relied on accuracy and drift to run through West Indies.

Fletcher attempted a low-percentage slog against the drift and was bowled. Samuels' technique of camping back in the crease was exposed again when he was trapped plumb in front by a full slider. Wasim alternated between a good length and a full length and kept attacking the stumps. West Indies didn't quite know how to counter that