Pakistan tour of West Indies 2025 1st ODI: WI vs PAK Live Score, Commentary & Full Scorecard

While Pakistan may have dominated the T20 battles, the white-ball warfare in the Caribbean shifts into a new gear with three ODI encounters that promise to redefine this series. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba becomes the exclusive venue for what could be the West Indies’ final chance to salvage pride from a disappointing home campaign. The hosts enter this crucial phase carrying the weight of expectation and the sting of recent failures. A solitary victory across their home season tells a story of missed opportunities, making these upcoming matches less about entertainment and more about the survival of reputation. Under Shai Hope's leadership, the home side presents a fascinating mix of established talent and emerging promise. The opening combination of Brandon King and Evin Lewis brings aggression to the top order, setting the foundation for a middle order that blends experience with raw power. Keacy Carty represents the new generation’s hunger, while Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive batting and Justin Greaves’ steady presence offer contrasting yet complementary approaches to run accumulation. The bowling department showcases the region’s evolving cricket landscape. Shamar Joseph’s meteoric ascent continues to capture headlines, leading a pace attack that includes the trio of Matthew Forde, Jayden Seales, and Jediah Blades. While Gudakesh Motie carries the spin bowling responsibilities, the dual skills of Romario Shepherd and Roston Chase add crucial depth to both batting and bowling resources. Pakistan arrives with confidence after their T20 series triumph, having successfully erased the bitter memories of their Bangladesh disappointment with a commanding 2-1 victory. The visitors now enter the ODI arena significantly strengthened, welcoming back two pillars of their batting order who could prove decisive in this longer format. Mohammad Rizwan assumes the captaincy mantle upon his return. Alongside him, premier batter Babar Azam makes his much-awaited comeback to the green jersey, adding vast experience. The batting foundation rests on seasoned campaigners Abdullah Shafique, who finds his place in the squad for an injured Fakhar Zaman, and with the presence of Salman Agha, each will need to carry the responsibility of transforming starts into substantial scores. Meanwhile, the spotlight falls on Pakistan’s emerging talent as Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, and Hasan Nawaz face the ultimate test of proving their skills in challenging foreign conditions. Pakistan’s bowling arsenal revolves around their feared pace trinity of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Hasan Ali, who will aim to perform with conviction. The spin department finds itself in the capable hands of mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed and the promising talent Sufiyan Muqeem, while the crucial all-rounder positions are filled by Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz. The ODI history between these two nations tells a story of infrequent meetings, with this representing just their third series encounter in the past eight years. Their last 50-over clash came in 2022 when Pakistan delivered a dominant 3-0 whitewash to the visiting West Indies on home soil. Perhaps more significantly, Pakistan's return to Caribbean shores for ODI cricket marks the end of an eight-year absence, their last visit in this format dating back to 2017. This extended gap transforms the upcoming series into something of a reunion, where both teams venture into relatively unfamiliar territory with squads largely inexperienced in this particular rivalry. It’s a dual task for the hosts as they have not defeated Pakistan in an ODI series since 1991, at home or away, irrespective. It’s all set up for an enthralling ODI series, which will resurrect this rivalry.