Dubai: Usually before the start of a Test match, the discussion among fans hovers around who could be the winner. Unfortunately, for the third and final Test match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium between Pakistan and West Indies commencing on Sunday, the question before everyone is whether the match will last the entire five days or end up in three days.
So poor is the reputation of this West Indies team that has already lost the Test series 2-0 after having been trounced in the Twenty20 and One Day International series too by Pakistan. With the morale of the West Indies team at its lowest, they are only likely to go through the motions than offer anything spectacular for the fans. To ensure that at least some people come out to watch the match, the organisers have kept the ticket rates as low as Dh20.
For Pakistan, a victory in the third and final Test will give them the unique honour of having won all nine matches of a tour in cricket history.
Whatever be the situation, it is a Test match, though being played by a demotivated West Indies team without even a head coach to guide them. Both teams have some good players and if they blossom, they are a treat to watch.
Free entry for students
Mazhar Khan, general manager of Sharjah Cricket Club, has opened the gates free for students to give them a chance to watch this match. “We have made it free for students and all they have to do is to enter through West Stand of the stadium by producing their identity cards. This is a splendid opportunity for school authorities to let children experience the delights of Test cricket in their own backyard,” he said.
It is yet another opportunity for budding youngsters and fans to watch Younis Khan, who has vaulted into the second slot behind Steven Smith in the latest ICC ranking for the top Test batsmen in the world, the guile of leg spinner Yasir Shah and endurance of Pakistan skipper Misbah Ul Haq.
West Indies are not a team made up of novices and have top class players like Darren Bravo, who has shown how to bat in tough and unfamiliar sub-continent conditions. Another of their top class players is Marlon Samuels, but except for a knock of 76 in the first Test match, he hasn’t played a long innings. Except for flashes of brilliance like leg spinner Devendra Bishoo’s eight wicket spell in the first Test, West Indies players have not delivered.
The result of all these has been a poor turnout for the matches. In fact, soon after practice, Misbah was asked how he feels on having to play the Test series in front of empty stands and he candidly said: “It is disappointing having to play with no one to applauding a good shot or a good bowling. It is tough to motivate players when they have to show their skills in front of no crowd. However, they are professionals and they have to perform whether there is crowd or not.”
With Pakistan set to play two Tests in New Zealand starting November 17 and three Tests in Australia later, they may experiment with a few players. Even then it is unlikely that the dispirited West Indies can pull off a consolation win.
Teams:
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan.
West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Leon Johnson, Alzarri Joseph, Marlon Samuels, Jomel Warrican.
Start time: 10am
