Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan admitted to concerns over the fifth-bowler option, saying a final decision on the playing XI for Tuesday\u2019s series decider against West Indies would be made at the last moment following Sunday\u2019s defeat in the second one-day international. After winning the opening ODI by five wickets, Pakistan set a competitive 171-7 in 37 overs in a rain-shortened contest, but West Indies chased the target with five wickets to spare, leveling the three-match series. Part-time bowlers Saim Ayub and Salman Agha went for a combined 66 runs in seven wicketless overs, allowing West Indies to cruise to victory. \u201cOur fifth-bowler option did leak runs, but both Salman and Saim have bowled well for us in the past,\u201d Rizwan said after the game. \u201cSaim didn\u2019t have the best outing today, but he was excellent in the T20Is. These things happen in cricket.\u201d Rizwan said they could not read the conditions, and several rain delays did not help their cause. “Honestly, the weather forecast has been completely different from expectations, and it’s hard to read. “We’re keeping our options open and will finalise the XI after assessing the conditions,” the skipper remarked. Pakistan had won the preceding T20I series 2-1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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