Following a the consecutive bilateral series in T20 and ODI formats against Pakistan, West Indies will keen to somehow it lost pride in Test series, beginning at Kingston on Friday.
The first Test of three-match series will start at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica at 08.00 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST).
Pakistan will bowl first in first Test while 27-year-old fast bowler Muhammad Abbas will make his Test debut, becoming 226th Test player for Pakistan.
#PakvsWI Test Series begins tonight at 8 pm (Pakistan Time)@TheRealPCB pic.twitter.com/EaT7ElMFbV
— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) April 21, 2017
Though Pakistan clinched top position in ICC Test rankings in August last year but then a drawn series against England followed by two back-to-back series defeats against New Zealand and Australia deprived the Asian Side of first position.
Currently ranked at 5th number, Pakistan lost its last five consecutive Test matches; however, equipped with strong middle order and top-class spinners like Yasir Shah and Shadab Khan, the visitors are favorites against 8th ranked West Indies.
It will be last International assignment for Captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan as they both have already announced their retirement from International Cricket after West Indies series.
The veteran batsman Younis Khan requires just 23 runs to become the first Pakistan player to score 10,000 Test runs while Misbah-ul-Haq is likely to empower his record of becoming Pakistan’s most successful Test Captain.
Pakistan first Test Team:
Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Muhammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz and Muhammad Abbas (debutant)
