A Look Ahead of the Pakistan vs West Indies Test Series 2025
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
Pakistan will host the West Indies in a Test series double-header under the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). The first match takes place on January 17 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, and the second between January 25 and 29 at the same venue. The hosts are fresh from a disappointing 0-2 defeat in the hands of South Africa, while their visitors managed a one-all draw against Bangladesh.
West Indies have not played a test Series match on Pakistani soil for 18 years, although the two sides met in 2016 in the United Arab Emirates, the then Pakistan’s home venue. Pakistan currently lie seventh, while West Indies are last at ninth. Pre-series favorites Australia and South Africa have already confirmed their berths in the WTC finals, meaning the upcoming series is an opportunity for both sides to improve their positions on the log.
Final Squads Announced
The official squads for the upcoming Pakistan vs West Indies Test Series are out. As expected, captain Shan Masood will lead the hosts, deputized by Saud Shakeel. There will be no places for key pacers Naseem Shah and Mohammad Abbas.
Kraigg Brathwaite will lead West Indies, assisted by Joshua Da Silva. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie makes a timely comeback, while batter Amir Jangoo earns his first cap for the West Indies.
Full Squads
Pakistan: Shan Masood (C), Saud Shakeel (VC), Babar Azam, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ali, Kashi Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Noman Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Sajid Khan, Rohail Nazir, Salman Agha.
West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Joshua Da Silva (VC), Keacy Carty, Amir Jangoo, Anderson Phillip, Alick Athanaze, Jayden Seales, Gudakesh Motie, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Mikyle Louis, Tevin Imlach, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Sinclair.
Pakistan vs West Indies Head-to-Head Record
Pakistan go into the Test Series match against the Caribbeans as bookmakers’ favorites, enjoying a superior head-to-head, 21 wins, 18 losses, and 15 draws. Both sides have met 17 times since the turn of the century, Pakistan winning 11, losing only once, and drawing once.
Pakistan have won nine times at home against the West Indies, losing four times, and drawing eight times in this Test format.
Key Men for Pakistan
Babar Azam leads the charts with an unmatched score of 1,590 runs (averaging 58.88) in 16 Test matches at home.
Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel managed over 500 Test runs each in 2024, averaging 44.91 and 41.84, respectively.
The spin-bowling duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan is also expected to be instrumental for the hosts after taking 20 and 19 wickets respectively in their last two Tests played at home.
Key Men for West Indies
Since the beginning of 2022, Kemar Roach has taken 51 wickets in the Tests, averaging 27.94, while Jayden Seales stands at 22.58 over the same period, including a decent return of 56 scalps.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite will be a man Pakistan won’t want to see after scoring 586 Test runs against them in the series while returning Gudakesh Motie’s average of 27.35 should also worry the Asians.
Chasing Milestones
Shan Masood is 200 runs shy of a 2,500 runs haul in Test matches.
Sajid Khan needs only six wickets to complete 50 wickets in the Test format.
Mohammad Rizwan needs 125 home Test runs to hit the 1,000 mark.
Brathwaite targets 149 more runs to hit 6,000 runs in Test matches alone.
Kemar Roach’s 84 scalps away from home means he needs only 14 to make it 100 in the Tests.
