Cricket: Pakistan put West Indies into bat in first T20

BRIDGETOWN: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and put the West Indies in to bat in the first T20 international of a four-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday.

Thrashed 3-0 by their opponents at the start of what proved a disastrous tour of the United Arab Emirates last September, the West Indies are again relying on their most experienced T20 specialists to exact revenge.

Although without the services of opener Chris Gayle and injured all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, they still have potent weapons in batsmen Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons along with explosive all-rounders Kieron Pollard and captain Carlos Brathwaite.

Rovman Powell, an exciting young all-round talent from Jamaica, makes his T20 international debut.

Pakistan also include a debutant all-rounder in their line-up with 19-year-old Shadab Khan getting the opportunity in a team showing a number of changes since that last assignment against the West Indies.

Veteran Kamran Akmal plays his first match in the format since the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh and will be at the top of the order in an eleven that also includes experienced batsman and spinner Mohammad Hafeez.

West Indies - Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Evin Lewis, Chadwick Walton (wicketkeeper), Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Kesrick Williams.

Pakistan - Sarfraz Ahmed (captain/wicketkeeper), Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali.

Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite (WIS), Joel Wilson (WIS)

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)