TWO of the most unpredictable teams in World cricket – West Indies and Pakistan – will commence the three-match One Day International (ODI) series today at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

However, West Indies captain Jason Holder says he has no issues with his team being branded the underdogs going into the series, but he believes they can prove a few people wrong.
“Pakistan have been hard on us. They have beaten us in the last series we played in the UAE and they started this tour well. So we probably are the underdogs right now … it’s not a bad tag to have.
“The expectations are pretty much on Pakistan to beat us and that is an incentive for our guys. We must go and must show that we can beat Pakistan.
“They are just a step ahead of us in the ICC rankings and I don’t think they are impossible to beat,” Holder told media operatives at a press conference yesterday.
Further Holder said he expected a different approach from his side in the 50-overs format, as batsmen would have the benefit of time on their side to explore the Pakistan attack, especially leg-spinner Shadab Khan.

The 18-year-old (Khan) made his international debut in last week’s Twenty20 series and could hardly have been more impressive, capturing 10 wickets against the world champions to be named player-of-the-series.
His main attacking weapon is the googly – a delivery that spins from the off side towards leg – baffling batsmen expecting the ball to turn the other way.
“He obviously had some success so far in this series. He is something new. Everybody is now getting accustomed to seeing him but what I can say is that this one-day format you have a bit more time than the T20. Having said that we have our game play against him,” Holder reckoned.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding carrying the favourites’ tag, the Pakistanis will also be wary of the conditions as well as the opposition.
Captain Sarfraz Ahmed said, “It is important that we continue the momentum and sustain the same kind of focus.”
Both teams have faded away in terms of performance, but the West Indies are under pressure to reverse a run of poor form that could see them face the indignity of having to qualify for the next World Cup in 2019.

The top eight teams in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings at the end of September 2017 automatically advance to the event in England.
Pakistan are currently No. 8 in the ICC’s ODI rankings, holding the final automatic qualification spot for the 2019 World Cup; West Indies are ninth, with five ranking points separating the sides.
Failure to beat Pakistan would leave West Indies – who will be absent from this year’s Champions Trophy – struggling to catch them ahead of September’s cut-off and facing the prospect of having to come through the ICC Qualifier.
Today’s match will be followed by another on Sunday and the final match of the series next Tuesday; all matches bowl off at 09:30hrs.
West Indies ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt.), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton.
Pakistan ODI squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Fakhar Zaman, Asif Zakir, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt. & wkp.), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Fahim Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Asghar.