There was no play on the second day of the second Test between West Indies and Pakistan, with the weather frustrating the sides after Friday's gripping action.

Repeated inspections of a wet outfield did not yield suitable conditions, as rain continued to fall throughout Saturday.

It meant Pakistan remained on 212-4, as they were at stumps the previous day having staged a recovery from a rocky start.

West Indies had the tourists on the ropes in Kingston when they were put in to bat and remarkably reduced to 2-3.

Yet a huge partnership between Fawad Alam and Babar Azam lasted for 298 balls and 158 runs and was only ended when the former retired hurt with cramps.

That stand brought Pakistan firmly back into contention, and they would have hoped to set a big total on day two, only for the rain to intervene.

West Indies won the first match of the two-Test series.

Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Fawad Alam wrested the early initiative from the West Indies and put Pakistan in a position of strength at the end of the first day of the second Betway Test at Sabina Park on Friday.

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has hailed the contribution of allrounder and former captain Jason Holder as the team looks to secure its first Test series win over Pakistan in almost two decades.

Holder crafted a crucial second-innings knock of 58 and took 4 wickets as the team held on for a nail-biting one-wicket win to take the lead.

However, the top allrounder has also gained plenty of attention for his actions off the field, particularly for the mentorship shown to young fast-bowler Jayden Seales.  Seales was one of the highlights of the first match for the Windies after claiming an impressive five-wicket second innings haul.

“Obviously, Jason is the number one all-rounder in the world.  He is very crucial, and he has done a fantastic job, obviously with Jayden.  I see them having a lot of chats,” Brathwaite told members of the media via an online press conference on Thursday.

“All the guys are doing a good job, they all came together but obviously Jason is the number one all-rounder in the world so obviously he brings a lot of value.”

Brathwaite replaced Holder as captain of the team in February, following a successful tour of Bangladesh, the team has since drawn with Sri Lanka and lost to South Africa.

West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood is confident the team is on the way to providing more consistent performances at the crease, despite recent displays of inconsistent form.

The Windies scored a  dramatic win over Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing two-Test series.  The match featured typically robust performances from the team’s bowlers with Jayden Seales ending with 125 for 8 and Kemar Roach 5 for 77.

With the bat, there were solid performances from captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Jason Holder, and Blackwood but elsewhere in the batting order, the concentration and execution on display from the line-up sparked cause for concern.  For Blackwood, however, it remains a work in progress and a hurdle that the unit will get over sooner or later.

“We are making improvements, baby steps.  It’s just the process, we are working hard as a batting unit, even though we did not get the scores we wanted,” Blackwood told members of the media on Wednesday.

"I see this unit is in a good place and on pace to do well for all the people of the West Indies, themselves and their families, and every day that we go to train we put in 150 percent,” he added.

Since the start of the year, Blackwood has himself struggled with the bat, averaging 22.92 in 7 Test matches played.  So far, he has a high score of 68.

Despite a poor run of form with the bat struggling batsmen Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner are full of confidence and are raring to go ahead of Friday’s second Test against Pakistan at Sabina Park in Kingston.

While defending his aggressive approach to batting, West Indies vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood believes the team’s batsmen need to spend more time at the crease if they are to win the second Test against Pakistan set to bowl off at Sabina Park in Kingston on Friday.

Talented up and coming West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales has vowed to continue focusing on development as he does not believe himself to be the finished product.

Seales played a leading role in the team’s one wicket over Pakistan earlier this week, in the process of securing his first-ever five-wicket haul.  In the process, he also made history by becoming the youngest West Indies bowler to achieve the feat at 19 years and 336 days.

With many already predicting a big future for the young player, however,  Seales himself believes it is important to keep both feet firmly planted on the ground.  Over the last few years, several young fast bowlers have threatened to make the breakthrough for the Caribbean team but have seen their development stalled at various points.

“It’s just for me to stay in the moment.  I will ride the fame and everything, but for me, it’s about continuing to work on my game.  I’m not where I want it to be.  I’m not the finished product.  I know I can be better,” Seales told members of the media on Tuesday.

“It’s just for me to work on my game a little more, build on the things I want to improve on, build from there and eventually become better.”

In three matches so far Seales has claimed a total of 13 wickets.

The second match of the two-Test series will begin on Friday at Jamaica’s Sabina Park.

Fierce rivals India and Pakistan will meet in their first game of the T20 World Cup on October 24.

The schedule for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman was confirmed on Tuesday, with the final taking place in Dubai on November 14.

Pakistan and India will do battle in their opening Super12 Group 2 match at 6 pm local time.

New Zealand will get their bid for glory underway against Pakistan in Sharjah two days later, while Afghanistan begin their campaign on 25 October against a qualifier

Holders West Indies play England in a repeat of the dramatic 2016 final in debut on October 23, the same day as Group 1 rivals Australia face South Africa in Abu Dhabi.

The opening game of the competition will see co-hosts Oman come up against Papua New Guinea in Group B on October 17, with Scotland and Bangladesh in action on the same day.

The first semi-final will take place in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and the second will be staged in Dubai the following day.

West Indies T20 World Cup schedule 

23 October

 England  vs   West Indies

 Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

 26 October

South Africa  vs  West Indies

 Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

29 October

West Indies  vs  B2

Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

4 November
  West Indies   A1

Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

 6 November

Australia  vs  West Indies

Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
  

Kemar Roach has high hopes for protege Jayden Seales and says the future of the West Indies bowling is bright.

Kemar Roach's battling 30 not out guided West Indies to an unforgettable one-wicket win over Pakistan in a gripping first Test in Kingston.

The hosts were set 168 to win after Pakistan's final five wickets fell for 31 runs on Sunday, with teenage paceman Jayden Seals claiming 5-55 in his second Test outing.

But the Windies stumbled to lunch on 38-3, Shaheen Afridi (4-50) having ripped out skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner for single-figure scores.

Roston Chase (22) and Jermaine Blackwood (55) launched a rebuilding job that threatened to turn into a match-winning partnership before Chase edged a full delivery from Faheem Ashraf (2-29) to Imran Butt at second slip.

Blackwood played with typical intent and struck 10 fours but played loosely at Hasan Ali (3-37), with Butt again the beneficiary. Kyle Mayers came and went without scoring and West Indies were staring down the barrel at 114-7 when Hasan bowled Jason Holder for 16.

The momentum looked to be shifting again after tea, only for Afridi to return and have Joshua Da Silva caught behind for 14 – ending a useful stand of 28 with Roach.

If the catch to remove opposite number Da Silva was fairly routine for Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan gloveman excelled himself by chasing Jomel Warrican's swirling hook at Hasan all the way to fine leg.

That made it 151-9 but Roach showed nerves of steel alongside the rookie Seales, who contributed two, to haul his men over the line.

Seales goes back to West Indies roots

They might not produce them in the volume or quality they used to, but nothing excites cricket fans quite like the emergence of a bright new fast bowling talent from the Caribbean. Man of the match Seales' raw pace was too much for Pakistan's lower order to deal with and, at 19 years and 339 days, he became the youngest West Indian to claim a five-wicket haul in Tests – breaking a 71-year-old record set by the great Alf Valentine.

Master combines with apprentice to seal glory

Once upon a time, Roach was the tearaway quick. Now he is charged with teaching Seales everything he knows and the 33-year-old proved a fine foil for the youngster, taking 5-77 in the match. Roach might have presumed their work done and would scarcely have imagined combining with Seales to get the Windies over the line.

Nevertheless, he played with a composure that belied a test average of 11.6 – Roach has never passed 50 in the longest format – and faced 52 deliveries from a high-class Pakistan attack across 92 minutes at the crease. His steer through cover off Hasan for the winning run was the sweetest reward for a temperamentally exceptional display.

The first Test between Pakistan and West Indies hangs in the balance after Babar Azam made a crucial half-century either side of a rain delay on day three in Jamaica.

Pakistan appeared to be in the ascendancy early on Saturday when they quickly knocked off the final two wickets to limit West Indies' first-innings lead to 36, all out for 253.

But the tourists were 65-4 after Jayden Seales struck twice in the 26th over, suddenly struggling and just 29 in front.

Crucially, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan (30) then put on 56 for the fifth wicket, which belatedly arrived when play resumed following a break for the weather.

Captain Babar remained and he had 54* at stumps, still unbeaten with Pakistan on 160-5, 124 ahead.

Seales unsettles Pakistan

Teenage pace bowler Seales threatened to really upset Pakistan in a stunning over. After taking 3-70 in the first innings, the 19-year-old struck with the first ball of a new spell, drawing an edge from Abid Ali (34), and then added another as Fawad Alam was caught behind for a three-ball duck.

Rizwan and rain slow Windies

That Seales burst left Pakistan reeling, four down and scarcely leading. But Rizwan arrived for a vital turn with the bat, contributing to a partnership with Babar that reached 52 before an early tea was called due to the rain. He did not last much longer, but Rizwan allowed Babar to settle again.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite led the way before he was run out just shy of a century as West Indies edged ahead of Pakistan in the first Test in Jamaica.

West Indies had bowled out their opponents for 217 on the opening day of the two-match series, only to then slip to 2-2 late in Thursday's proceedings when Mohammad Abbas struck twice.

It seemed they could struggle to get even close to parity when they slipped to 100-5 during day two, but Brathwaite stood firm to make sure his side claimed a first-innings lead.

The opening batsman hit 12 fours as he patiently worked his way to 97 but, with a hundred in sight, was caught short by Hasan Ali's direct hit from fine leg to depart.

Jason Holder contributed 58 as he added 96 for the sixth wicket with the man who replaced him as skipper, the former's fluent 108-ball knock including 10 boundaries.

Abbas dismissed Kemar Roach lbw in the closing overs, giving him figures of 3-42 in the match, while Shaheen Shah Afridi ended with 2-59.

However, Joshua Da Silva was unbeaten on 20 alongside Jomel Warrican, who will resume on one not out, as West Indies closed at 251-8, already holding what could be a crucial 34-run advantage in a potentially low-scoring contest.

Coming up short

Brathwaite appeared to be working his way towards a 10th Test century and a second of the calendar year, having made 126 against Sri Lanka back in March. While unable to make it to the milestone in the end, his defiant innings made sure West Indies hold the upper hand at Sabina Park.

Afridi strikes twice but hosts recover

Pakistan will feel they let West Indies off the hook, particularly after Afridi dismissed Jermaine Blackwood – whose ambitious attempt to hit over the top on 22 only found Abbas at mid-on – and Kyle Mayers with successive deliveries in the second session. They will hope to wrap up the tail quickly on day three.

Mohammad Abbas struck two late blows as Pakistan hit back after being dismissed for 217 on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies.

Seamer Abbas removed Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner with successive deliveries just before the close in Jamaica as West Indies finished proceedings on 2-2.

Fawad Alam had earlier made a valiant 56 to lead a fightback from the tourists, despite Jayden Seales and Jason Holder both claiming three wickets after West Indies had won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Pakistan recovered from the early losses of openers Imran Butt (11) and Abid Ali (9) to reach 68-2 at one stage, only to then lose two key wickets in successive overs without adding a run to their total.

Azhar Ali fought hard before falling to Seales for 17, while Babar Azam then fell just five balls later, an inside edge grabbed by wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva as Kemar Roach (2-47) sent back Pakistan's captain for 30.

After Mohammad Rizwan was caught by Roston Chase off the bowling of Holder, Alam and Faheem Ashraf provided some much-needed stability to the innings.

Their partnership was worth 85 when a superb throw by Chase while diving forward caught Ashraf short of his ground to go for 44. Holder eventually ended Alam's defiant knock as Pakistan's final three wickets went down with the total stuck on 217.

The late clatter of wickets looked to have rounded out a good start to the series for the home team, only for Abbas' double to leave the game wonderfully poised. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was unbeaten on 1, while Chase was still yet to get off the mark when bad light halted proceedings.

Alam keeps Pakistan afloat

With his unusual technique - he starts out chest-on in his stance looking straight at the bowler before switching to a more orthodox position - Alam can be difficult for opposition bowlers to get to grips with. It needed an inside edge to remove him, bowled when pushing at a delivery from Holder.

The left-hander was far from fluent but fought hard for the cause, hitting six fours to post his maiden Test half-century, though he has already managed four hundreds in the format.

Abbas shows problems ahead

It was undoubtedly a day for the pace bowlers, starting with Seales – who recorded career-best figures of 3-70 in Test cricket – and new-ball partner Roach.

Yet while West Indies’ attack performed admirably as a unit, the unerringly accurate Abbas demonstrated how it will not be easy in reply to Pakistan's workmanlike total at Sabina Park.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has backed mercurial talent Shimron Hetmyer to eventually find his way back into the Test team after an extended absence.

Despite being considered one of the team’s brightest talents, and having appeared in all formats, Hetmyer has not suited up for the Test team since 2019, against Afghanistan.

The 24-year-old, who made his debut against India in 2016, has struggled for consistency, scoring five 50s in 15 matches with a high score of 93, but with several other innings where he has not delivered.  Despite obvious potential, his overall average of 28 falls on the mediocre side.

In addition, the athlete has also had his share fair of fitness issues over the past two years, twice failing fitness standards after being included in touring squads.  Simmons has, however, backed the batsman to eventually get things right.

“I think that Hetmyer can be a world-class Test player when that time comes,” Simmons told members of the media.

“I’m sure at some point he’s going to return to the Test squad.  I’m sure the experience he’s gotten from being there before will serve him well and that he will make use of it.  I think he is maturing as we go along.  He’s had a few incidents he’s not proud of, but he’s maturing and I’m sure he will get back into the Test squad at some point in time and show what he’s made of.”