Pakistan Start Campaign Against Easy Windies Outing

Johannesburg: Bangladesh, who have not even qualified for this tournament, put the current West Indies team in proper perspective when they clinched both the Test and one-day series in the Caribbean this year.

Pakistan could not have asked for a better beginning to their bid to become only the second team after India to win three ICC-conducted tournaments the World Cup, Twenty20 World Championship and Champions Trophy.

Pakistan, winners of the 1992 World Cup and 2009 Twenty20 Worlds, will have tougher assignments ahead as they clash with arch-rivals India and defending champions Australia in the next two matches.

Many feel that a depleted West Indies side is not the best advertisement for the tournament, especially when the 50-over format is under pressure from the growing popularity of the Twenty20 cricket.

"The West Indies have always been my favourite team and I'd love to compete against a full-strength side," says Younus.

Star performers Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivanaraine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo all are missing from the squad, currently led by Floyd Reifer.

The focus will be on Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif, returning to one-day cricket after serving a one-year ban for a failed dope test.

Reifer said in a recent interview that his team were keen to put in an impressive peformance. The West Indies were winners in 2004 and runners-up in last tournament in 2006 in India.

Team news

Pakistan: They announcing their playing eleven only on the morning of the match, it is yet to be seen whether they will disturb a settled combination to accommodate Asif against the West Indies.

Squad (likely): Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi (capt), Umer Akmal, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal.

West Indies: Skipper Reifer said "I want the people in the Caribbean to know that this is a West Indies team that is dedicated to the West Indies cricket. This is not a second-string team."

Squad (likely): Floyd Reifer (capt), Darren Sammy, David Bernard, Tino Best, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton (wk).

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have played ODIs against only Sri Lanka and Australia this year, losing eight of the 13 games.
• Mohammad Yousuf is the second-highest scorer after Saeed Anwar for Pakistan in Champions Trophy history, scoring 284 runs at 47.33, but averaging only 31.81 in ODIs played in South Africa.
• Darren Sammy is the only player in the current West Indies team who has played in a Champions Trophy game before - he didn't bat but picked up one wicket from six overs.

Match fact
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 (day/night)
Start time: 14:30 local, 12:30 GMT, 17:30 Pak, 07:30 WI

Head 2 Head