Pak's WI tour may be reduced to T20Is

Pakistan and West Indies will play three T20Is and the same number of ODIs later this month. Photo: AFP/File

Due to the West Indies Cricket Board's rigid stance, there is an increasing likelihood that the Pakistan tour will be limited to just three T20 matches.

According to details, the Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to play three T20 Internationals against West Indies in the USA this August. Initially, the tour was also supposed to include three One Day Internationals (ODIs) in the Caribbean. Given the upcoming Asia Cup this year and the T20 World Cup next year, the PCB had requested the West Indies Cricket Board to convert the ODI matches into T20s.

However, despite ongoing discussions, the host board went ahead and began selling tickets for both T20 and ODI matches. Further talks during the ongoing ICC meetings in Singapore failed to convince the West Indies board, which insisted on sticking to its original plan, saying, "We will not backtrack from what has already been announced."

Due to this obstinacy, there's now a strong possibility that the ODI series will be scrapped, and the tour will be limited to just three T20 Internationals. An official announcement is expected soon.

Sources revealed that the announcement of the Pakistan squad for the tour had been delayed due to this uncertainty. Once the situation is clarified, the squad will be announced. Most players from the recent Bangladesh tour are expected to be retained.

It should be noted that the Pakistan-West Indies T20 matches are scheduled for August 1st, 3rd, and 4th. The host board had earlier announced ODI matches on August 8th, 10th, and 12th, but it will now have to issue a revised schedule.

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