The third Twenty20 International between West Indies vs Pakistan at Providence Stadium in Guyana was called off after eight balls due to heavy rain.
Follow Us
The third Twenty20 International between West Indies and Pakistan in Guyana was called off after just eight balls due to rain on Sunday. The toss was delayed slightly as a light drizzle delayed proceedings. But, the rain cleared enough for the match to begin. West Indies chose to bat and they had one forced change, with Evin Lewis being replaced by Andre Russell. Pakistan also made one change with Haris Rauf replacing Shaheen Afridi.
Andre Fletcher, who was dismissed by Mohammad Hafeez in the previous game, started more positively with a big six as nine runs came off the first over. Fletcher showed his intentions in grand style with another big six over long-off. But, as soon as he hit the shot, the rain came. For 25 minutes, it poured at Providence and there were puddles of water on the outfield. The rain reduced to a drizzle but there was plenty of water on the outfield and in the covers.
However, both teams had to wait for a long time. The drainage system in Providence was superb and most of the water was drained off. But, the groundsmen were racing against time as overs started getting cut. After one hour, the pitch cover was removed and hopes arose of a match being played. However, when the umpires took the inspection, they were not satisfied with the quality of the outfield. Following the inspection, the match was called off.
The West Indies vs Pakistan series has been impacted both by rain and coronavirus. The blowback to the Australia ODIs saw one Twenty20 International being culled from the ongoing series, making it a four-match series. The first match in Barbados was called off due to rain. In that match, the contest was reduced to nine overs after an earlier rain delay.
The second match saw Pakistan ride on a superb knock from skipper Babar Azam and some great bowling from Mohammad Hafeez. Nicholas Pooran smashed a 28-ball fifty but it was not enough as Pakistan won by seven runs. With this latest result, the final match on Tuesday will be key for West Indies as they look to level the series. But, the weather on Tuesday in Guyana is also iffy, with chances of rain.
West Indies have had a jam-packed calendar at home ever since June. They played five Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa which they lost 2-3. Windies then played five Twenty20 Internationals against Australia and they thrashed them 4-1. In the ongoing series against Pakistan, West Indies lost the second match by seven runs. Two matches have been rained off.
After the end of the four Twenty20 Internationals, Pakistan will play two Tests against West Indies at Sabina Park. In the previous tour in 2017, West Indies needed to bat out seven balls to save the Test match and deny Pakistan their first series win in the Caribbean. But, Shannon Gabriel, the No.11 batsman, swung wildly and was bowled by Yasir Shah as Pakistan secured their first win in the West Indies. It was also the final international match in the careers of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan.
