West Indies sit eighth in the World Test Championship table with 18 points and a 15.00 percentage from ten matches, seven of them losses. Beating Pakistan in both Tests lifts that figure to 29.16, closing in on Sri Lanka’s 41.67 in sixth. Roston Chase has named fifth or sixth as the target for this cycle, and with just two Tests against Bangladesh left in November, this series is the last real chance to climb. Pakistan arrive missing a middle-order batter after a training ground injury.
Fazal’s Injury Sparks Squad Overhaul
Abdullah Fazal will miss both Tests after a lower back injury during training at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on July 24, a day before the opener. An MRI confirmed the damage, ruling him out of Pakistan’s three-Test tour of England too, from August 19 to September 3.
Fazal had arrived in form, hitting an unbeaten 50 and 48 for a Select XI in the warm-up game. His Test record stands at two appearances, both against Bangladesh in May, for 141 runs at 35.25 with two half-centuries. Abdullah Shafique has been named his replacement, with Saud Shakeel also added after missing the original squad through injury.
Babar Azam returns as captain, replacing Shan Masood after a difficult 30-month spell. West Indies also reshuffled, with Alzarri Joseph declining selection, John Campbell injured, and Anderson Phillip dropped, while Kirk McKenzie and Joshua Bishop come in.
West Indies vs Pakistan WTC Goal 2026
The table explains the stakes. West Indies have lost seven of ten Tests this cycle and sit above only Pakistan, docked eight points and sitting ninth on 8.33 percent. India hold fifth with 52 points from nine matches at 48.15 percent, while Sri Lanka sit sixth on 20 points and 41.67 percent from four games.
Two wins here push West Indies to 29.16 percent, bringing sixth spot into range for the first time. Two losses leave them staring at a table Australia leads on 87.5 percent, with South Africa and New Zealand well clear behind.
Chase Carries Fitness Concerns Into Series
Roston Chase goes in managing a right index finger that is not fully right, though he is expected to play. He says there is still some pain but enough time before the first ball for it to settle. It follows a rough patch, a Test average of just 13.81 across six matches in 2025, well below his career mark of 25.99 from 59 games.
What changed his fortunes was an innings, not a comment. His 194 against Sri Lanka in the first Test, his first century in six years, drove West Indies to an innings win and a rare series victory. That knock is why he still leads the batting fight now.
Form Guide Ahead Of The Series Opener
That Sri Lanka series is the clearest proof West Indies can still win Tests. At North Sound, they declared on 626 for 9, bowled Sri Lanka out for 308 and 101, and won by an innings and 217 runs as Kemar Roach took his 300th Test wicket. Antigua ended in a high-scoring draw after West Indies chose not to chase 302, sealing a 1-0 series win despite losing two points and a 10 percent match fee for bowling short overs.
That win ended a 23-year wait against Sri Lanka and snapped seven losses and two draws from the previous eight Tests, their first series win since 2023. It is exactly why this West Indies vs Pakistan WTC goal 2026 push matters, and why beating a weakened Pakistan now would give West Indies daylight from the bottom before the Bangladesh Tests decide it for good.