In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket, the final episode of the saga, Roger Seymour looks at the Third Test of the 1988 Cable and Wireless Pakistan/West Indies Test Series. The first act, ‘Still in the game’ was published on 3rd December, and the second instalment, ‘The tide turns’, on 10th December.
At the end of the last day of the Second Test match, Tuesday, 19th April, 1988, Pakistan’s Captain Imran Khan thanked Lennox “Willie” Williams (the masseur who had been assisting his team since the commencement of the Guyana leg of the tour just prior to the First Test) and confirmed that he had been paid for his services. Williams returned to Guyana.
Friday, 22nd April 1988, First day of the Third Test match, Kensington Oval, Barbados. Pakistan made two changes to the team which played in the First and Second Tests; Batsman Ijaz Ahmed and allrounder Ijaz Faqih were replaced by batsman Ameer Malik and left arm fast bowler Salim Jaffer, respectively, while the West Indies retained the same XI from the Second Test. Skipper Viv Richards won the toss, and eyeing the green-top wicket, invited the visitors to take first strike.