Pakistan and West Indies scrap ODI series ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have mutually agreed to make changes to the Men in Green’s upcoming tour of the Caribbean. Notably, the two cricket boards have opted to play a five-match T20 International series ahead of the Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Pakistan were scheduled to tour the West Indies for a white-ball series comprising three T20Is followed by three ODIs. The T20I leg was set to begin on July 31, with the next two matches slated for August 2 and 3. After that, a three-match ODI series will be played from August 8 to 12 in Trinidad.

Pakistan–West Indies ODI Series Likely to Be Replaced by 5-Match T20I Series

According to a report by Samaa TV, the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket West Indies are in talks to revise their upcoming bilateral series, with discussions underway to replace the three-match ODI series with a five-match T20I series.

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While the decision is still in its early stages, both boards are focused on preparing for the Asia Cup 2026 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 — both of which will be played in the T20 format.

Officials from both the PCB and CWI believe the revised series will help teams fine-tune their combinations and strategies in the lead-up to the global T20 events. A final decision is expected soon, with dates and venues for the T20Is to be confirmed once both boards finalize the updated schedule.

"Sources divulged on Tuesday that the purpose of making such a decision is to ensure the preparations of the upcoming mega-events in the T20I format," the report read.

Pakistan Set to Face Bangladesh in T20I Series in July

Earlier, the PCB and BCB had decided to replace a planned three-match ODI series with two T20Is as part of their bilateral white-ball tour. However, due to regional tensions at the time, both boards later revised the plan and agreed to a three-match T20I series instead.

For their upcoming series, Pakistan are set to face Bangladesh in T20Is on July 20, 22, and 24. Following that, they will travel to Florida for a five-match T20I series against the West Indies.

To ensure solid preparation ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan have also scheduled T20I series against Afghanistan, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Australia.

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi Ignored for Pakistan’s Tours

The selection committee has reportedly left out senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi from the T20I squads for the upcoming tours of Bangladesh and the West Indies.

According to a report by Telecom Asia Sport, the decision was made after discussions with white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Agha. While Hesson and Salman stated that the door remains open for the trio, the selectors have decided to move forward without them for now.

“Pakistan's management and selection committee want to move on from Babar and Rizwan despite Hesson and Salman both saying that the door was not shut on the two former openers, whose strike rate and batting form in T20Is were part of Pakistan's problems in recent defeats,” a senior official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told www.telecomeasia.net.

Also read: Competition for WPL? Andhra set to relaunch Women’s T20 League under Mithali Raj’s leadership