West Indies unchanged and to bat first as Pakistan drop Mohammad Abbas; two debutants named
West Indies have been named unchanged and will bat first as they aim for a series sweep. Pakistan have omitted Mohammad Abbas and brought in Awais Zafar and Ubaid Shah, who will make their Test debuts, with the visitors trailing the series 1-0.
Selections for the second Test were confirmed ahead of play, with the West Indies sticking with the same eleven that featured in the opening match. The decision to bat first was announced alongside the retained lineup. Pakistan's squad for the fixture includes two newcomers, while a regular seamer has been left out. The visitors enter the game level behind after losing the first Test.
The West Indies XI remains identical to the side that took the field in the series opener, a straight carry-over of personnel into this match. That continuity means the batting and bowling units named for the second Test will be the same as those who began the contest that produced the current 1-0 lead for the hosts. The unchanged selection underscores that the team management have worked with the same group for both fixtures.
Pakistan's selection panel has made a notable change by dropping Mohammad Abbas from the playing eleven. In his place the team has handed Test caps to Awais Zafar and Ubaid Shah, both listed as making their Test debuts for Pakistan. Those were the principal alterations to the visitors' lineup announced in the build-up to the match.
The inclusion of Awais Zafar and Ubaid Shah marks the start of their international Test careers, an addition to Pakistan's personnel for this contest. The team travels into the second Test with the aim of reversing the series deficit left by the opening loss. The status of the series remains 1-0 in favour of West Indies as play gets under way.
The result of this match will determine whether West Indies can complete a series sweep or if Pakistan will avoid that outcome by overturning the deficit. With the selections confirmed and the toss decision setting West Indies to bat first, both teams have their chosen XIs in place for the decisive second Test.
