West Indies’ next Test assignment is a tour of the UAE to play Pakistan, who were recently crowned the No. 1 Test team in the world.
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West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Michael Muirhead expressed his organisation’s surprise with the state of the outfield and is awaiting an explanation from the officials of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club over the circumstances that meant there was no play over the last four days of the match despite nearly continuous sunshine.
India won the Test series against West Indies 2-0 after no play was possible for the fourth consecutive day at the Queen’s Park Oval on Monday, meaning Pakistan moved top of the ICC rankings.
Only 22 overs were bowled on the first day, with West Indies 62 for two wickets when play was halted.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq told ESPN Cricinfo: “There is no greater feeling than to achieve the number one ranking in the most traditional and purest format of the sport”.
The team – who have replaced India at the top – have not played a Test at house in six years for security reasons.
Next up for Pakistan is a “home” series in the UAE against the struggling West Indies in October, followed by more hard examinations of their credentials in New Zealand and Australia.
“For us, the No1 ranking is not a destination but part of a journey”. To top the Test table, which boasts some of the best sides and players, is something to be very proud of. It means India claimed 110 ranking points, leaving them one point behind Pakistan in the top spot. The gap between [Test cricket] and our cricket needs to be filled, whether it can be done with an academy, which we don’t have right now, A-team cricket, which we have one [series] a year, we should have two to three a year.
“The past few weeks of Test cricket have been incredibly absorbing with some high-quality competitive series being played, exhibiting what is so special about Test cricket”.
To mark Pakistan’s number-one Test status, it will be presented with the ICC Test Championship mace. West Indies cricket now holds the unenviable record of hosting the three shortest Test matches for reasons related to pitch and playing conditions.
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Their rise to No. 1 was built on the back of a run of unbeaten Test series since August 2014, when they were down at No. 6.
