MULTAN, Pakistan, CMC – West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran is confident his men can overcome the challenge of the extreme heat in Pakistan which the regional side will face as they take on a formidable home side in an important One-Day International (ODI) series.
Coming directly from chilly Amsterdam where they won the ODI series against the Netherlands 3-0, the Caribbean men will be playing today, Friday and Sunday, at the Multan International Cricket Stadium, in temperatures forecast to top 45 degrees Celsius.
Despite concerns about the weather for both sides, Pooran told journalists at yesterday’s virtual press conference ahead of the first match that the men in maroon had managed well during their training session earlier in the day and he expected that would continue.
“The guys are coping well. The medical team is doing everything possible for us to be protected,” he said, adding that the weather in the Caribbean was “quite similar” and that would work to the squad’s benefit.
“I don’t think the heat will be too much of a problem, in all honesty, after what I saw this afternoon. But I’m hoping for the best and I’m hoping things will work out in our favour.”
A win in this ODI series, which was originally scheduled for last December but was delayed due to COVID, is not just for bragging rights.
The tour forms part of the ICC ODI Super League, and the Caribbean team will have a chance to earn points as they try to secure automatic qualification to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Pooran did not want to make any predictions for the upcoming matches, stressing that a game is won on the day, by whichever team “does more right things for a longer period of time”.
However, he said the West Indies, ninth in the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings, were prepared to take on the number five-ranked team after a clean sweep of the Netherlands last Saturday.
“I don’t want to jinx anything but I think we’re heading in a really good direction. The guys are in a really good head space,” the skipper said.
“The team has responded well in challenging situations and that’s something I wanna see us embrace here as well. Obviously, it’s going to be challenging some world-class bowlers, some world-class batsmen [playing for Pakistan] but I want us to embrace the challenge and hope for the best. If we can take our catches, get some runs, you never know what could happen. The game can turn in a couple balls.
“We have the confidence and the ability to bat 50 overs but it’s just now the consistency,” he added.
Pooran said improved fielding could also make the difference between a win and a loss for the West Indies. He stressed that dropped catches, as were seen in the Netherlands series, had to be avoided.
“If we can take the majority of our catches then that’s one box we obviously would be ticking. It could change the game for us so we definitely looking to capitalize on taking our catches and fielding better as a team,” he said.
The West Indies squad arrived here Monday, with the exception of Keemo Paul who was a late addition and was scheduled to arrive late yesterday.
Today’s match bowls off at 4 p.m. local time (7 a.m. Eastern Caribbean/6 a.m. Jamaica).
FULL SQUAD: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.
