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One of the most riveting and whimsical rivalries in the circus of international cricket is West Indies vs Pakistan. Over the years, these two nations have engaged fans and have participated in electrifying matches. Both nations possess a stellar cricket legacy, and have produced some of the most phenomenal players in history. Thus their matches are always the epitome of entertainment. From memorable limited overs classics to nail biting test matches, Pakistan and West Indies have it all.
First Against Each other: The Feud That Spawned
In terms of international competition, West Indies enlisted Pakistan’s presence in the 1950s. Having achieved test status in 1952, Pakistan was the new nation in the game while West Indies were one of the strongest nations. During the inception, West Indies spiliated Pakistan with their composition which included Stars like Rohan Kanhai, Sir Garfield Sobers and Wes Hall.
Pakistan, on the other hand, was gradually establishing its own cricketing legacy, with Imtiaz Ahmed, Hanif Mohammad, and Fazal Mahmood being the players who laid the groundwork for the future of cricket in the country. The First-ever matches that took place between the two sides saw the West Indies being victorious, however, Pakistan showed that they are a team that would not easily back down.
Pakistan Rockets and West Indies Rule overbetween 1970s – 1980s
The 1970’s and 80’s were the years when both of the teams started climbing the ladder of success, but in different ways. As far as the West Indies are concerned, under Clive Lloyd, they were in their golden era. Sri, who along with Michal Holding and Andy Roberts, Centre of surrogate and Lance won, the team was full of muscles, fast ballers and has the best all rounders our world ever produced. They were a force that ruled international cricket. During these years, the West Indies were also the best cricket team for Test cricket and nine day matches.
In the 1970s, Imran Khan walked on the cricket field for Pakistan; making him one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, and Wasim Akram formed an intimidating squad that was hard to beat. Not only were they talented, they brought an unpredictability to the game as well which allowed them to become one of the top teams in the world.
One of the major turning points in the rivalry was when Pakistan made headlines across the world by beating the West Indies in the 1983 Cricket World Cup. While the West Indies have been considered the best post for years, this match was significant in Pakistan’s growing strength in one day internationals.
1990s: Individual Brilliance Era
In the 1990s the battle between Pakistan and the West Indies grew fierce. Pakistan was an established force in the cricket industry, While the West Indies were still strong, they were losing their key players from the 70s and 80s.
Pakistan’s cricketing galaxy in the 90s included stars such as Saeed Anwar, one of the best openers, and Wasim Akram, sultan of swing. On the other hand, West Indies had Courtney Walsh and Lara, while not being as dominating as before. The Pak-cricketing team relied on Akram to bolster their position.
Pakistan was also victorious in some of the test matches. In a recent ODI format, pakistani players stepped up their game and defeated West Indies. The rivalry between the two teams escalated when Akram and Lorna showcased outstanding performances bringing in a large audience.
Akram’s team lead them to victory securing them a crucial match at the world cup in 1999, with the aggressive performance from the bowlers, the West Indies seemed to come up short.
At the start of the 2000s, with the start of the new millennia, a major shift took place within the cricketing field, leading to both teams’. The West Indies roaster suffered quite a hit, however, Pakistan’s position in ODIs remained unscathed.
During the 2000s, the West Indies was struggling to bring to life the excellence they had during ’70s and ’80s. Players like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Dwayne Bravo came in but didn’t bring the previously existing dominance. Nonetheless, they were still a side that could put on a good fight and beat top teams if lucky enough.
Pakistan, on the other hand was in up rise with Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf performing expertly match after match. The unpredictability of the Pakistan team emerged: each series they would give a completely different performance. The production of world class fast bowlers was on the rise in Pakistan as well like Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul who were leaving their footprints on the international scene.
But one of the most iconic moments for both of them was during ICC world cup in 2007 where Pakistan played against the West Indies who were hosting the tournament, this still remains one of the best rivalries both teams had. The clash between the two sides had a lot of razzmatazz with Pakistan winning the thriller.
The Current Scenario: New Trends and Possibilities
Pakistan and West Indies Cricket teams have had their some highs and some lows in the last few years, this has especially been the case for the West Indies in maintaining consistency while also producing each year a couple of world class players particularly in limited format games as we saw when Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russel where at their peak. Indeed, these players along with others have helped retain some of the lost exciting nature of the previously dominant West Indies side.
Pakistan, however, is still amongst the strongest teams in the world cricket. To prove the above statement,Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2017 win is perhaps the best example as the nation proved their hands on their supremacy in the grand tournaments. Currently, the young guns such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi alongside Mohammad Rizwan are the spearheading the leadership of the Pakistani side for multitude of years to come.
The matches yet again have not disappointed in previous years, the 2019 Cricket World Cup match between the two teams saw Pakistan managed to scrape a win against the West Indies despite the best efforts from the West Indies players, the series of bilateral matches saw the tides turn in favor of West Indies as they were able to take the win in a few. The World Of cricket continues to be captivated by the fierce competition of these two teams with their own distinct playing styles and philosophies in hand.
Conclusion
The Pakistan vs West Indies cricket rivalry is one of the most enduring and thrilling in the sport’s history. Both teams have evolved over time, with changing performances and players, which keeps fans eagerly anticipating their next clash. The rivalry has produced memorable moments, blending Pakistan’s unpredictability with West Indies’ dominance in the 70s and 80s. This competition continues to captivate audiences with its excitement and legendary status in cricket.
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