Pakistan, West Indies likely to swap ODIs for T20Is in upcoming series

Pakistan are scheduled to tour the Caribbean next month for three T20Is and as many ODIs, starting July 31

PHOTO: AFP

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) are in talks to drop the One Day Internationals (ODIs) from their upcoming white-ball series, sources revealed on Tuesday.

Pakistan are currently scheduled to tour the Caribbean later this year for three T20 Internationals and three ODIs, starting from July 31.

The T20I leg of the tour is set to be played in Broward County, Florida, with matches lined up for July 31, August 2, and August 3. The ODI matches are scheduled for August 8, 10, and 12 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

However, both boards are considering replacing the three ODIs with an equal number of T20Is. The discussions are still in the early stages, but the main goal behind this potential change is to prepare better for the upcoming T20 events — the ACC Men’s Asia Cup, which will be played in the T20 format, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2026.

Sources added that increasing the number of T20Is will help both teams test combinations and strengthen their squads ahead of these global tournaments.

This wouldn’t be the first time PCB has made such an adjustment. Earlier this year, the board held similar talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to replace a planned three-match ODI series with two additional T20Is. Although the boards initially agreed, they later reverted to a three-match T20I series due to regional tensions.

Schedule for Pakistan's upcoming limited-overs tour of the West Indies: