Hope says batting against spin key to beating Pakistan

Shai Hope says the West Indies’ chances of ending their 34-year ODI series drought against Pakistan will depend on how well they handle spin bowling.

The regional side has not won a bilateral One Day International (ODI) series against the Pakistanis since 1991, when they prevailed 2-0. But with a three-match series set to bowl off on Friday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, the West Indies captain believes their fortunes rest heavily on how they handle the subcontinent side’s spin-heavy attack.

Speaking after his team’s 13-run loss in the third and final T20 International at the Broward County Stadium on Sunday—which handed Pakistan a 2-1 series win—Hope highlighted the spin threat.

“You know they’re going to bowl a lot of spin at us and the way we negate those spinners in the middle overs is going to be very crucial to us as batters,” Hope said.

“Same thing with the ball—we have to keep finding ways to keep making inroads in the same middle overs. So, start with the power play, try to put them under pressure from early, and then just try to keep taking wickets throughout the innings and limit the bleeding in the middle,” he added. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who took seven wickets and was named Player of the Series, will feature in the upcoming series.

Pakistan’s ODI squad also includes left-arm wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, off spinner Saim Ayub and leg spinner Abrar Ahmed.

Hope stressed that the West Indies’ ability to quickly read and adapt to conditions will be vital.

“The first thing is adaptation,” he said. “Every single place that we played in the Caribbean or here in the US, conditions are so different. So, the first thing we need to do is assess, see what’s the best plans to formulate for that particular surface, the wind conditions—all these things we have to take into account.”

(CMC/BT)