West Indies delay squad announcement for Pakistan series

LAHORE: West Indies Cricket Board on Wednesday delayed the announcement of its squad for its tour to Pakistan due to unavailability of its key players.

According to reports, all-rounder Jason Holder withdrew his name from the series. As many as five players are expected to debut for the visiting side in the t20I series against Pakistan scheduled from April 1-3 in Karachi.

The Windies team is expected to arrive in Karachi on Saturday evening. Andre Fletcher, Chadwick Walton and Samuel Badree will be part of the squad.

Pakistan announced its 15-member squad for the three t20Is on Monday.

The trio of young PSL performers Asif Ali, Hussain Talat and Shaheen Shah Afridi were rewarded for their outstanding performances during the Pakistan Super League.

Imad Wasim and Ruman Raees were not considered for the squad owing to injuries sustained during PSL, Chief Selector Inzamam ul Haq had remarked.

Usman Khan Shinwari also made a comeback in the team after recovering from an injury.

Tickets for the three-match T20 series between Pakistan and West Indies are available for purchase in Karachi.

The last time Karachi hosted an international match was in 2009, during the ill-fated Pakistan-Sri Lanka tour, which resulted in eight deaths. Seven visiting players were also injured.

International cricket, however, has returned to Pakistan with the successful conclusion of the PSL in the city on Sunday.