West Indies hunt points in final ODI

WEST Indies One Day International (ODI) captain Nicholas Pooran said despite Pakistan clinching the series on Friday in the second ODI with a 120-run victory there is still a lot at stake in the third and final match at 7 am (TT time), on Sunday.

The match will be played at the Multan International Cricket Stadium in Pakistan.

The series between West Indies and Pakistan is part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Super League. Each win is worth ten points which helps teams qualify for the 2023 ICC 50-over World Cup.

Pooran, asked if players who did not feature in the first two matches will play on Sunday, said, “We will try our best. As you said obviously we lost the series, but it is not done and dusted for us.”

Valuable points are up for grabs in the final ODI, said Pooran. “For us, we obviously need to try to win that game to get ten points, that is very crucial for us. We would love to see what the other guys can offer as well.”

Pooran is only five matches into his role as ODI captain and now has a record of three wins and two losses.

He said it is a challenge he is embracing.

“Obviously it is a really challenging job as well, it is not easy. I am enjoying the experience so far. We obviously won in The Netherlands, (but) we have not won a game here in Pakistan yet…we are trying to build a family here with the guys. We are trying to obviously learn from each other (and) get better. Only time will tell. The beginning of the story is never really easy, it is always challenging.”

Pooran commended the effort of the bowlers.

“I was very impressed especially with Alzarri (Joseph) and Akeal (Hosein)…we appreciate their effort so far, but I was very impressed with young Anderson Phillip the way he went about his spell in those conditions…the way Hayden (Walsh Jnr) came back in the back overs from the 40th over and execute his skills.”

Pooran, who said the hot conditions have been tough, said it will be an “all hands on deck” approach for Sunday’s match in an effort to leave Pakistan with a victory. The temperature has reached 45 Degrees Celsius before matches bowl off.