Babar, Awais Centuries and Ali's Five-for Highlight Pakistan's Tour Match

In Port of Spain, Pakistan's cricket squad, featuring reappointed Test captain Babar Azam, engaged in a four-day tour match against the West Indies Select XI ahead of their Test series starting on July 25. The match concluded in a draw, with Pakistan dominating the play. Pakistan declared at 455 for 4 in their first innings, bolstered by centuries from both Babar Azam and 21-year-old Azan Awais, who had scored a hundred on debut earlier in the year in Bangladesh. Awais finished with 100 not out, while Babar reached three figures before retiring. Other notable contributions came from Shan Masood with 70 runs and Abdullah Fazal, who scored 50.

In reply, the West Indies Select XI managed 279 runs, with Kavem Hodge top-scoring with 92 runs and Tagenarine Chanderpaul adding 51. Pakistan's Mohammad Ali was particularly effective, capturing five wickets for 37 runs, while Aamer Jamal and Usman also contributed with two wickets each. West Indies’ batting collapsed significantly after Hodge and Chanderpaul's partnership of 148 runs.

In their second innings, Pakistan declared again at 219 for 4, allowing several players a chance to bat, including Mohammad Rizwan, who opened but fell for a duck, and Awais Zafar, who scored 64 before being retired. The match ultimately ended without a result, with Pakistan stretching their lead to 395 runs, having lost four wickets. This game represented Pakistan's sole tour fixture before facing the West Indies in the first Test, which starts at Tarouba on July 25.