Pakistan crumbled against the West Indies’ pace attack on Tuesday, losing the first Test by 90 runs on the fourth day in Trinidad. Chasing a target of 211 on a deteriorating surface, the tourists were never in contention and were bowled out for 120 in 40.2 overs shortly after tea.
Attention now shifts to the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, where Pakistan and the West Indies will meet in the second and final Test of the series this Sunday.
This contest may no longer be the marquee rivalry it was during the 1980s, but it remains one of Test cricket’s most compelling match-ups—now defined less by dominance than by two proud cricketing nations striving to reclaim their place in the longest format.
The statistics underline just how closely contested the rivalry has become. Pakistan now hold a narrow overall advantage, winning 22 of the 57 Tests between the two sides, while the West Indies have claimed 20 victories, with 15 matches ending in draws.
From Caribbean Domination to a Changing Order
For decades, touring the Caribbean was regarded as one of cricket’s toughest assignments. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the West Indies fielded arguably the greatest pace attack the game has ever seen, with legends such as Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose overwhelming batting line-ups across the world.
Pakistan experienced that dominance firsthand. The West Indies won six of the first ten Test series between the two sides, including commanding victories both at home and away. Pakistan managed just one series victory before the turn of the century.
But the rivalry shifted dramatically after 2000.
Remarkably, the West Indies have not won a single Test series against Pakistan in the last 26 years. Pakistan have claimed four series victories during that period, while the remaining four have ended in draws, including the 1-1 result in Pakistan last year. Pakistan’s memorable 2-1 triumph in the Caribbean in 2017 remains their only away Test series victory over the West Indies.
The West Indies’ last home Test series victory over Pakistan came in 2000, while their last away series win against Pakistan dates back to 1993.
The decline of West Indies Test cricket has been well documented. Financial constraints, recurring disputes between players and Cricket West Indies, and the migration of elite talent towards lucrative T20 franchise leagues have steadily weakened the team’s red-ball depth. Unlike previous generations, many Caribbean cricketers now prioritise global franchise commitments over lengthy Test careers.
Maintaining a consistent pipeline of world-class Test players has therefore become increasingly difficult, leaving the West Indies unable to sustain the dominance that once defined them.
Pakistan Battling a Crisis of Its Own
If the West Indies are rebuilding after decades of decline, Pakistan arrive confronting problems that have emerged far more recently.
Pakistan finished bottom of the previous World Test Championship cycle and have begun the new campaign under renewed leadership after Babar Azam replaced Shan Masood as Test captain.
Pakistan have now lost 13 of their last 17 Tests and have not won an away Test since their 2-0 series victory in Sri Lanka in 2023. Over the past three years, the most worrying trend has been the erosion of Pakistan’s traditional strength—fast bowling.
Once renowned for producing generations of elite fast bowlers, Pakistan’s pace attack has struggled for both speed and penetration in recent years. Senior bowlers have either lost rhythm or fitness, prompting selectors to recall Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali and Aamer Jamal, while handing an opportunity to promising youngster Ubaid Shah.
Pakistan’s repeated Test failures extend beyond isolated defeats, and the PCB has responded with structural reforms rather than cosmetic changes. Alongside Babar’s return, the board has introduced format-specific central contracts, encouraging players to specialise instead of spreading themselves across all formats.
Team Changes
The changes to Pakistan’s pace attack produced encouraging results, with the fast bowlers taking all 20 West Indies wickets in the first Test. However, after reducing the hosts to 93 for 7 in the second innings, Pakistan allowed the last three wickets to add another 84 runs.
Dismissing the lower order cheaply has become a recurring weakness for Pakistan in recent years, and the team management may consider adding extra pace to the XI to address that issue.
If conditions remain similar in Port of Spain, Pakistan could consider bringing in the quicker Ubaid Shah for spinner Ali Usman. All-rounder Aamer Jamal, who did not contribute with the bat as expected, could make way for Saud Shakeel.
Shan Masood scored a century in the first Test but sustained an injury and did not bat at No. 3 in the second innings. Should he remain unavailable, Abdullah Shafique could replace him. Shafique has recent experience of Caribbean conditions after representing Lahore Qalandars in the Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana.
Who Starts as Favourites?
On paper, the hosts head into the second Test as favourites. Having defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 earlier this month before overcoming Pakistan in Trinidad, the West Indies are now within touching distance of their first home Test series victory over Pakistan in 26 years.
Their pace attack—led by Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Justin Greaves—remains well equipped to exploit conditions in Port of Spain, while captain Roston Chase has assembled a side that increasingly appears to be playing with greater clarity and cohesion.
Head coach Darren Sammy believes progress is beginning to emerge.
“We could see some light coming through. The team knows what we’re looking to achieve, and each player understands the role they’re playing.”
Pakistan, however, remain one of international cricket’s most unpredictable sides. They will hope that experienced campaigners Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan, alongside youngsters such as Azan Awais and Ubaid Shah, can revive the team’s red-ball fortunes.
If Pakistan’s fast bowlers maintain their discipline and intensity, and the batting line-up responds better in a chase of around 250, the visitors possess enough quality to defeat the West Indies once again on Caribbean soil.
Recent history also suggests little separates these teams. Four of their last seven Test series have ended level, while several encounters—including the West Indies’ thrilling one-wicket victory in 2021 and Pakistan’s dramatic 2017 series triumph—have gone down to the final session.
