Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

Pakistan v West Indies: 5 key talking points. PAK vs WI 5 key talking points from their 2019 Cricket World Cup match

Cricket nuts in Australia, like myself, had a conundrum. How do we manage our time effectively so we can watch as many full matches as possible, while still getting an acceptable amount of sleep?

So, thank you Pakistan. You made watching a full game possible, even though it was an abomination. If this was a day/night match, the floodlights wouldn’t have even been turned on. There was plenty of talk of this powerful West Indies side scoring 350, 400 and even 500, but Pakistan ensured they didn’t even come close.

West Indies’ dark horse status just gathered some significant momentum. Their batting is considered one of the most dangerous in the tournament, but it was their bowlers bouncing out Pakistan’s batsmen with alarming ease. After all, Andre Russell’s first involvement in the game was a wicket, and finished with 2/4 of three overs, beginning the short ball onslaught.

A game that finishes in 35.2 overs isn’t memorable for the right reasons. But, there are always talking points. Below are five.

Also read: 3 good changes to see after the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

1. The template has been set against Pakistan

The West Indies weren’t the only ones having a good time. All other teams watching on just had their tactics set for them on screen.

It was mentioned various times on commentary that they can’t remember so many short balls in a single ODI before. But, everyone could see why. 68 of the 130 balls the Windies bowled were short-of-a-length, picking up seven wickets along the way.

In any competition, where winning is up for grabs, you prey on the opposition weakness like no tomorrow. Pakistan’s technique against the short ball, for an experienced international side, was nothing short of an embarrassment. Now, England, who conceded 300+ three times out of four games in their recent series vs Pakistan, have the template set for them. Jofra Archer to bowl a few short balls, anyone?

2. Pakistan have another poor start to a tournament

Pakistan fans can hold some hope in the fact that they also had a terrible start in the 2017 Champions Trophy. India thrashed them with ease, even forcing leading media expert Jarrod Kimber to rant on an appalling performance.

Here, they have had another very poor start. Worryingly, this is their 11th straight ODI loss, in addition to their Warm-up defeat to Afghanistan. But, they have showed before they can bounce back and surprise everyone. Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has called for a quick bounce back (and surely play better against bounce, too). However, if Pakistan do bounce back soon, do they have it in them to maintain consistency and discipline across a total of nine round robin matches?

3. West Indies are here to make a mark

Forget making up the numbers. West Indies are here to win.

They have certainly come a long way since the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, where they were quite underwhelming. The pace they possess in their squad can have us watching a few batsmen ducking and weaving for cover. This is before discussing their powerful batting lineup, where youngster Nicholas Pooran played a beautiful little knock that surely means the end of Darren Bravo when Evin Lewis returns.

4. Is the make up of the Windies attack correct?

You wouldn’t think there are any issues with an attack that bundles out the opposition for 105, would you?

However, Michael Holding expressed his concerns before play that West Indies have left out two capable bowlers – Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. At least one of the two would have been expected to play, which surprised Holding.

The question here is whether the attack that took the field last night will regularly threaten the better lineups. Yes, there will be the short ball factor, but teams will be aware of it. Also, there are a number of teams that play the short ball better than Pakistan. A lot of what happened yesterday was down to simply awful batting by Pakistan, even though we shouldn’t take credit away from West Indies. But, it remains to be seen if this attack, especially with Andre Russell still struggling with a knee issue, has the depth to trouble some of the more in-form teams.

5. How do you stop Chris Gayle?

A concern, though, is a back injury to Chris Gayle. But, the ‘Universe Boss’ will sure to be back with a venom. He was dominant once again, continuing his amazing 2019 in ODIs where he currently averages 94.80 in six matches. Also, he went past the great AB de Villiers in terms of most sixes at World Cups. Gayle has now hit 40, three more than de Villiers.

He swatted the Pakistani quicks to all parts, hitting six fours and three sixes en route to 50 off 34 balls. Age is just a number to Gayle, but 50+ scores are a regularity. Bowl in his arc, and he will take you apart.

However, did Pakistan miss a trick? You couldn’t have blamed skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed for muddled thinking, but opening with Mohammad Hafeez would have been a viable move. Gayle often takes a while to get set against off-spin bowling, and this is an area where other teams could look to keep Gayle quiet. And, crucially, this can put pressure on his batting partner, who has to deal in boundaries given Chris Gayle’s lack of running between the wickets.

So, a game were I posed the question “who on earth do you pick?” saw the predictably unpredictable Pakistan play out their shortest ever innings in a World Cup match. Records tumbled, but for the wrong reasons, as Pakistan’s terrible run of 11 ODI losses in a row (their worst run ever) continued.

The West Indies, though, are in a good place. Australia is next for the Windies, and what a game that promises to be. For Pakistan, England is next, and there are no prizes for guessing there will be two short balls above the shoulder every over. Even Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali might look to bowl short, too.

Thanks for reading!