Fog delays start of Pakistan vs West Indies first test match

MULTAN, Pakistan — Heavy fog has delayed the start of the first cricket test between Pakistan and the West Indies on Friday.

Both teams are bottom-placed at the World Test Championship with Pakistan at No. 8 and West Indies at No. 9. Australia and South Africa have already qualified for June 11-15 WTC final at Lord’s.

Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 test matches while West Indies has yet to win a test series in this WTC cycle, losing to India, England and South Africa while drawing against Australia and Bangladesh.

One of the two Pakistan wins came at the Multan Cricket Stadium and on the same pitch when it beat England on an engineered dry wicket to favor the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.

Khan and Ali grabbed all 20 England wickets and will team up with recalled leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed to challenge the West Indies on another tailor-made spin wicket.

West Indies has dropped vice-captain Joshua Da Silva and will also be without ill fast bowler Kemar Roach.

A spin-heavy Pakistan playing XI includes debutant Mohammad Hurraira, who scored half centuries in both innings of a three-day warm-up game against West Indies in Islamabad.

The 22-year-old Hurraira came in place of Saim Ayub, who has been ruled out of competitive cricket for at least six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during a test match against South Africa at Cape Town earlier this month.