This was exactly the kind of rehearsal Pakistan wanted before West Indies vs Pakistan, and exactly the kind of warning the West Indies Select XI did not need. At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, Pakistan piled up 455 for four, watched the opposition reply with 279, and then went back out to bat again as if to underline the point all over again.
The headline number from the second innings was Awais Zafar’s unbeaten 128, a calm, commanding knock that anchored Pakistan’s 219 for four in 60.1 overs. In a four-day warm-up match that ended in a draw, Pakistan did not just get time in the middle. They got the sort of batting workout that can settle nerves, sharpen timing and remind everyone that this is a side arriving with runs already in the bank.
Pakistan’s batting did the talking
The first two days told the story. Pakistan’s batters built that first-innings 455 for four, a total that immediately put the West Indies Select XI under pressure. The reply of 279 was respectable enough on paper, but Pakistan still held a lead of 176 and refused to enforce the follow-on. That decision mattered. It meant more batting practice, more time at the crease and one more chance to stretch the opposition before Saturday’s first Test at the same venue.
That is the real value of this result. Pakistan’s only four-day preparation game before the Test series was not a gentle stretch of the legs. It was a proper test of concentration, patience and volume. And they came through it with dominance in the opening half of the contest and another solid effort in the second.
Who stood out
Awais Zafar was the central figure in the second innings, unbeaten on 128 after retiring and then returning to finish the job in style. Abdullah Faisal supported him with 48, while Jomel Warrican’s 2-36 was one of the more notable figures for the West Indies Select XI, even if it came in a losing cause.
There were also useful contributions from Pakistan’s earlier batting effort, with 92, 51 and 47 helping build that imposing first-innings total. On the bowling side, Mohammad Ali took 5-37 and Ali Usman claimed 2 wickets, both of them part of the effort that kept Pakistan in control of the match.
So the scoreline says draw, but the feel of the game says something else entirely. Pakistan have had the full four-day batting rehearsal they needed. The West Indies Select XI have had a long look at what is coming. For West Indies vs Pakistan, that is already a significant advantage for the visitors.
