Trinidad, August 2, 2026: West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the second and final Test of the two-match series at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday, as the visitors made four changes to their playing XI in a bid to level the series.
Pakistan entered the series decider under pressure after suffering a 90-run defeat in the opening Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, where they failed to chase a modest target of 211 and were bowled out for 120. Captain Babar Azam fought a lone battle with an unbeaten 58 off 107 deliveries, while Mohammad Abbas contributed 23 runs. Despite Abbas claiming eight wickets in the match, Pakistan slipped to their fourth consecutive Test defeat since recording their first Test victory since October 2025.
The visitors were forced into one change after former captain Shan Masood was ruled out with a fractured left index finger sustained during the first Test. He has been replaced by Abdullah Shafique.
Pakistan also handed middle-order batter Awais Zafar his maiden Test cap after his impressive performance in the recent four-day warm-up match against the West Indies XI, where he scored 128 off 190 balls with eight fours and eight sixes. He replaced all-rounder Aamer Jamal.
The team management also reshuffled the bowling attack, with fast bowler Ubaid Shah making his Test debut in place of experienced pacer Mohammad Abbas, while off-spinner Sajid Khan replaced Khurram Shehzad.
West Indies, meanwhile, entered the match with confidence after taking a 1-0 lead in the series and will be aiming to complete a clean sweep to strengthen their position in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27.
Pakistan and the West Indies have now met 57 times in Test cricket. Pakistan have won 22 matches, while the Caribbean side has claimed 20 victories, with 15 Tests ending in draws.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Awais Zafar, Ali Usman, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Ali and Ubaid Shah.
West Indies: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase (captain), Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales.
