Vaccinated fans allowed for remaining WI-PAK T20IS

GEORGETOWN: Vaccinated fans will be able to watch the last three T20 matches of the fourgame series between West Indies and Pakistan at the Guyana National Stadium, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced.

The matches will be played on Saturday, Sunday (Aug.1) and Tuesday (Aug.3).

“The Government of The Republic of Guyana and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), in partnership with Cricket West Indies (CWI) have come together to ensure fully vaccinated fans can be in atendance,” said a CWI statement.

The CWI also said that the spectators would also have to wear face masks besides being vaccinated. The fans will also have to socially distanced.

“Fully vaccinated fans are those who have received their second dose of COVID-19 vaccine two weeks before the date of match they will be atending. Spectators will also need to wear face masks to gain entry to the matches and then keep wearing masks throughout. Fans will also need to remain socially distanced at all times,” added the statement. The West Indies T20 World Cup team will be selected at the end of the series.

Meanwhile, what was supposed to be five-match T20I series will now effectively be a three-match series ater one match was cancelled due to a delay in the finish of the West Indies-australia series, and the other was washed out.

West Indies might be forced to make a change to the playing XI that took the field in the first T20I ater Lendl Simmons retired hurt. Andre Fletcher could be drated into the team at the top unless captain Kieron Pollard decides to promote Chris Gayle to the opening slot to accommodate another player lower down the order.

Pakistan bowled commendably against a strong West Indies bating line-up, and were in control for most of the innings before a late charge from Pollard took the hosts to a respectable total. Hasan Ali finished with 2/11 in his two overs while the spinners Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan and Usman Qadir gave away only 26 runs for two wickets in their three overs. With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup just around the corner, Pakistan might want to experiment with the bating line-up, with Sharjeel Khan returning at the top of the order.

The visitors didn’t get a chance to bat in the first T20I. It’s unlikely Pakistan will make any changes to the team and will want to give their players, especially the baters, a good run of games ahead of the mega event later this year.