West Indies delay squad announcement as key players withdraw from tour

West Indies Cricket Board delayed on Wednesday the announcement of its squad for its tour to Pakistan, as their key players have stepped back from the tour.

According to reports, all-rounder Jason Holder withdrew his name from the series. As many as five players are expected to debut for the visiting side in the t20I series against Pakistan scheduled from April 1 till 3 in Karachi.

The Windies team is expected to arrive in Karachi on Saturday evening. Chris Gayle, Andre Fletcher, Chadwick Walton and Samuel Badree would be part of the squad.

Pakistan have already announced its 15-member squad for the three t20Is on Monday. The trio of young Pakistan Super League performers Asif Ali, Hussain Talat and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been rewarded for their outstanding performances during the tournament, by given a place in the team .

The last time Karachi hosted an international match was in 2009, during the ill-fated Pakistan-Sri Lanka tour that resulted in eight deaths. Seven visiting players were also injured.