The second game of the Champions Trophy will witness Johannesburg host Pakistan and West Indies in a day night game.

West Indies has come into the competition with a long standing tiff with the West Indies Cricket Board. Hence, the WICB ensured that the main side did not go to the tournament, but a second-string, almost unheard of team. Already having lost three ODIs and two test matches to a lowly team like Bangladesh only speaks of how depressingly difficult it will be for the West Indies in this tournament, as was also proved by the score of 388 that was raked up by the South Africans in the warm-up game.

Floyd Reifer is the captain, but there aren't too many run-scorers or wicket-takers in the side. Devon Smith, for one, has consistently scored runs in all the warm-up games, but surely, the law of averages could catch up with him. As also is the case with Darren Sammy, who I think, is batting slightly lower down the order than what he probably should a number five or six is more suited to a batsman like him, unlike the rest who are in that order.

As compared to that, the Pakistan looks to be brimming with a lot of confidence. The captain is spritely and bright and has been talking a lot about winning the trophy. As if to prove that he backs his words with works, the Pakistanis routed the Sri Lankans and the Warriors in both the warm-ups and that speaks a lot about the way things are for the side.

Their batting is the key, according to me, as it bats deep. When one has all-rounders like Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal - who is the wicket-keeper of the side - it is only natural that the even the numbers seven and eight would be able to hold the bat with relative ease. With Naved-ul-Hasan Rana batting low down, it does make the batting look one of the strongest. It will require only need someone like a Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan or Misbah-ul-Haq to play through the innings to ensure that the Pakistanis manage a decent innings. One gets the sense that if Pakistan do bat first, they could easily get up to more than 300 on the flat looking tracks of Jo'burg.

The only one way that West Indies will probably have of putting one across their opposition would be to bat first, get to as much as possible and then hope that the ball swings around during the evening.

Tag :- Champions Trophy   Darren Sammy   Devon Smith   Kamran Akmal   Mohammad Yousuf   Pakistan   Shoaib Malik   West Indies   West Indies Cricket Board   Younis Khan