West Indies vs Pakistan: 1st ODI - 5 talking points of the match

Shahid Afridi made a stunning comeback against West Indies

Pakistan brushed aside West Indies in the first ODI of a five-match series courtesy a stellar performance from the comeback man Shahid Afridi.

West Indies got off to a good start as they chose to field after winning the toss playing at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The surface was fresh and conditions were overcast, so it was an easy decision to take for Dwayne Bravo. Jason Holder’s spell dispelled any remaining doubts as he ran through Pakistan’s top order.

Misbah-ul-Haq promoted himself to number four as promised and plugged one end, but wickets continued to fall at the other end till Shahid Afridi arrived.

The two players, who have had their share of differences, played on in their contrasting styles to steady the ship. Misbah-ul-Haq finished with a half-century that came off 121 balls, whereas Afridi stroked 76 runs off just 55 balls to take Pakistan to a competitive score of 224 runs.

West Indies had the tall task of facing Pakistan’s potent pace battery, but they fell apart without much fight. Johnson Charles was dismissed on the very first ball that he faced and West Indies exaggerated their own troubles as Chris Gayle became victim to a disastrous run-out. Lendl Simmons and Marlon Samuels tried to steady the ship, but in vain as Shahid Afridi started weaving his magic.

Here is a look at five talking points that were generated from the game:

5. Pakistan’s batting woes

Youngsters like Ahmed Shehzad need to grab their chances in this series

Pakistan might have won the match convincingly, but they have more than their share of worries as far as their batting is concerned. Nasir Jamshed and Md. Hafeez who will have the responsibility of scoring a bulk of Pakistan’s runs in the rest of this series could not get double-figures. In fact, only two batsmen crossed the twenty run mark.

Before Misbah-ul-Haq and Afridi rescued the side, the team was reeling at 47/5. The likes of Ahmed Shehzad and Asad Shafiq who have been given an opportunity to find a permanent place in this side that is desperately in need for quality batsmen who can hold the innings together, need to take their chances in the rest of this series.