West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains cautiously optimistic about his team’s ability to produce a significantly improved performance in the decisive second Test against Pakistan as they seek to level the two-match series.
Brathwaite emphasized self-belief, clarity in plans, and composure under pressure as key elements for success in the encounter, which bowls off in Multan on Friday night at 11:30 pm (12:30 am ECT).
“Once we bring our all-round performance in this game, I think we’ll do well. We’ve got to put it together. Obviously, batting-wise, we didn’t get as many runs as we would like. It was a difficult pitch last game, and we’ve got to make adjustments to steal this one,” Brathwaite said in a pre-game press conference.
The West Indies were comprehensively beaten in the first Test, as they lost by 127 runs inside three days as Pakistan’s spinners exploited a dry, cracked pitch to devastating effect. The Multan surface for the second Test appears similar, and, as such, Brathwaite urged his side to rise to the challenge.
“We don’t know how the pitch is going to play, but it looks quite similar. The spinners got all the wickets last time, so the challenge is clear. We’ve got to believe in ourselves and go out there to get the job done,” he declared.
“As batters, we aim to bat for long periods, and I think once we do that and put our all-round game together, it will put us in a good position,” Brathwaite added.
The captain pointed to Jomel Warrican’s disciplined bowling and Alick Athanaze’s resilience with the bat as positive individual performances from the first Test, which if followed by others, could see them being more competitive.
With Jayden Seales being rested, Kemar Roach will be Brathwaite’s pace option for the final 11, while wicketkeeper/batsman Amir Jangoo could get a chance to show his worth.
“Jomel bowled well and led the attack, and Alick got a good score, batting some spin and spending time in the middle. If we follow those examples as a group, I think we will do well in this game. The guys here are capable of doing well, and I look forward to seeing them step up in this match,” Brathwaite noted.
That said, Brathwaite knows his side faces a tough task against a confident Pakistan team. Still, he remains steadfast in his belief that the visitors can turn the tide, as he stressed the need for mental toughness and executing plans from the first ball.
“The guys had some good sessions, which was good for us as a group. For me, the message to the boys is to believe in yourself, be brave, trust your plans, and execute them from ball one,” he urged.
“It was a difficult pitch last time, but there are still runs to be scored. The challenge is executing from ball one, believing in your plans and yourself,” Brathwaite ended.