Rizwan praises WI execution

The visitors were humbled in the series decider at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Pakistan's ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan spoke candidly following his team's loss in the third and final ODI of the series against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday.

During the post-match presentation, Rizwan, after losing the three-match ODI series 2-1, acknowledged the challenges his team faced on a tricky pitch.

"We understood this was the third game, given a Test across four innings was played on this deck. The momentum in the last 10 overs took it away as we were on top for the first 40 overs," Rizwan said.

The wicketkeeper-batsman praised the opposition's efforts, reflecting on the target they set after a strong comeback in the final 10 overs that completely turned the game around.

"We thought 220 was chaseable here. The credit goes to them — credit to Hope. The execution was good, but the edges went in their favour. Hope batted well and played some good shots," he added.

The 33-year-old explained that Pakistan's bowlers, including Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, were delivering but faced stiff challenges.

Abrar Ahmed was unable to complete his full spell due to Shai Hope's dominant batting, which disrupted Pakistan's bowling plans.

"We had Ayub and Salman delivering overs, and we expected Abrar Ahmed to come in as well. However, because Hope played so well, Abrar couldn't complete his spell," Rizwan said.

He further praised the consistent performance of West Indies bowler Jayden Seales and emphasised the need for better batting partnerships.

"Jayden Seales bowled brilliantly throughout the series and continuously troubled our batsmen. We needed to build partnerships and spend more time at the crease, but unfortunately, that didn't happen today," he concluded.

The hosts finally broke a 34-year-long jinx by securing a memorable 2-1 victory in the ODI series.

This triumph marked the Caribbean side's first ODI series win over Pakistan after suffering defeat in 10 consecutive series. It is being celebrated as a landmark achievement for West Indies cricket.

The last time West Indies won an ODI series against Pakistan was in November 1991 during their tour of Pakistan.

In the series decider, West Indies posted a commanding total of 294 for 6 in their 50 overs. Captain Shai Hope starred with a brilliant innings of 120 runs off 94 balls, including 10 boundaries and five sixes.

Justin Greaves played a crucial supporting role, scoring 43 runs off 24 deliveries, as the pair put together a 110-run partnership. Contributions from Evin Lewis (37) and Roston Chase (36) further bolstered the total.

In response, Pakistan's batting lineup collapsed, being bowled out for just 92 in 29.2 overs, losing the match by 202 runs.

All-rounder and captain Salman Ali Agha was the top scorer with 30 runs off 49 balls, while Mohammad Nawaz remained not out with 23 runs.

Hasan Nawaz added 13 runs, but the top order struggled badly, with opener Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, captain Mohammad Rizwan, Hasan Ali, and Abrar Ahmed all dismissed without scoring.