India-Forums.TV

[fiza]

MIRPUR: The Sher-e-Bangla Stadium is all set to witness a curious clash between two fickle sides on Wednesday. On their day, both Pakistan and the West Indies can be indomitable.

But they have a tendency to implode and a reputation of delivering baffling results that defy the norm. When they come face to face in the first quarterfinal, it's anyone's guess which team will stay and which one will be sent packing.

On paper, though, it's the Pakistanis who have the edge. They also have a knack of delivering their best in crunch situations. That said, the Windies too can come up with a blinder or two, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the results of their matches are often a surprise even to themselves! The mentally stronger team on the day will prevail.

Pakistan have conducted their affairs impressively throughout this tournament. Their bowling looks destructive with some exceptions. The fact that skipper Afridi is not playing Shoaib Akhtar in the XI is an indication of their strength in this department. Umar Gul has been a revelation, as the Aussies came to know in Colombo. Afridi has also made it clear he would like to stick to the winning combination.

Pakistan's batting too has clicked against formidable sides like Lanka and Australia, and team morale is high. This is dangerous for the West Indies since Pakistan thrive on confidence.

Darren Sammy's batsmen, on the other hand, have had trouble playing slow bowlers. They have given away games from strong positions, like against England and India, and owe their quarterfinal berth to victories against lesser teams. This denies them the psychological edge.

The West Indians have trump cards in the form of Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Kemar Roach and the destructive Kieron Pollard. Skipper Darren Sammy will have to decide whether or not to play Shivnarine Chanderpaul. His strategising needs to be spot-on for this game.