NEWS ALERT

NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Saturday, May 14, 2011

1st Test: Windies elect to bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1931 PST,  Thursday, May 12, 2011
PROVIDENCE, Guyana: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and decided to bat in the first Test against Pakistan on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium here.Both sides have included a Test newcomer in their final elevens  leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for the West Indies and Mohammad Salman for the tourists.It is an extra special occasion for Bishoo as he becomes the 289th player from the Caribbean to be handed the maroon cap in Tests in front of his home crowd.Salman is the 206th Test player for Pakistan, and becomes the fourth (wk/batsman that the visitors have tried in the last year to fill that pivotal role due to the inconsistency of Kamran Akmal.The Pakistanis are seeking to become the latest international side to create history on Caribbean soil, as they seek their maiden Test series victory here.In six previous visits, starting in 1958, Pakistan have lost four series, and drawn two.The visitors also share the unenviable record of being one of the two Test-playing nations -- along with Sri Lanka -- not to have recorded a Test series victory in the Caribbean.Pakistan have won just four of the 21 Tests they have played in the Caribbean, but there is huge optimism that Misbah-ul-Haq's side can put the matter to rest.The Pakistanis are brimming with confidence after winning the preceding one-day international series 3-2, and aware that West Indies have not won a Test  let alone a Test series -- in just over two years.Team West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendan Nash, Carlton Baugh Jr (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Devendra BishooPakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Salman (wk), Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed AjmalUmpires: Billy Bowden (NZ), Tony Hill (NZ), TV umpire: Asoka De Silva (SL), Reserve umpire: Norman Malcolm (WI) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL)