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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is currently in discussions with Cricket West Indies (CWI) to revise the format of the upcoming white-ball tour, with the possibility of replacing the scheduled ODIs with extra T20I matches.
Speaking to the media after Pakistan announced its squad for the Bangladesh T20I series, PCB Chief Operating Officer (COO) Sumair Ahmad Syed confirmed that talks with the West Indies board are in the final stages and a decision is expected in the next couple of days.
“As you know, we have the T20 World Cup coming up early next year, so our aim is to give the team as much T20 exposure as possible,” Sumair said.
“That’s why we’re playing Bangladesh and also pushing West Indies to convert the matches into T20s. You’ll hear more about this in the next 1–2 days,” he added.
As per the original schedule, Pakistan is set to play three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies. However, the PCB is keen to convert the 50-over matches into T20s to help the team prepare for the 2025 ACC Men’s Asia Cup and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Sumair also mentioned that the squad for the West Indies tour will be announced once the match formats are finalised. If the ODIs remain in place, the board might name separate squads for the two formats.
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies has already started selling tickets for the series. The first T20I is scheduled to be played on July 31 at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida. The other two T20Is will be held on August 2 and 3, followed by three ODIs in Trinidad on August 8, 10, and 12.
To promote the T20I series, fans have been offered a “buy one, get one free” ticket deal, and single ticket prices have been reduced by 50%. For the ODIs, ticket prices range from $8 to $175.
Despite the PCB’s push to modify the tour, CWI is reportedly in favor of sticking to the original plan. An official decision has not yet been announced, but sources suggest that the West Indies board is unlikely to change the agreed schedule.
