WI to play positive cricket in Pak Tests, says coach

West Indies Test coach Andre Coley, commenting on the two-Test series against Pakistan, said on Wednesday said it is a new series and a new opportunity and his team will be playing positive cricket on the tour.

The first Test will be played in Karachi from January 16 while the second in Multan, from January 24, with West Indies playing a three-day tour game in Islamabad from January 10 to get used to the conditions.

Coley emphasized unwavering focus on the upcoming two-match Test series against Pakistan, setting aside thoughts of his tenure ending after the series.

Coley, whose time at the helm will conclude with this tour, insists his primary goal is to guide the regional side to better performances in their first series of 2025.

The series marks the West Indies' first Test tour of Pakistan in 18 years, with the home side last securing a 2-0 victory in 2006.

"A new series, a new opportunity. We haven't played a Test match or a Test series in Pakistan for a few years, so we're all looking forward to it and the challenges it will pose," Coley said in a pre-series interview with CWI media. Coley underlined the importance of learning from past performances to achieve consistency and improve the team's approach.

"Creating history, there's always an opportunity once you play a series or a match; there's an opportunity in itself. The focus shouldn't be on creating history; it's about using the learning from 2024 and that consistency that we have been searching for over the past 12 months, being more consistent on how we want to play the game and the brand of cricket that we want to play," he explained.

That said, Coley pointed out that the tour also represents a platform for new players to prove themselves, as he added that their preparation is geared toward all eventualities, whether pace or spin-friendly tracks.

"There are different people in the squad who would have missed out on opportunities before, and they can use this as an opportunity to be better and do it in conditions that in some instances can be different," he noted.

"For us, it's about preparing so that when it is a pace or spin-friendly track, we are equally prepared to give a good account of ourselves here. I believe everyone is looking forward to it. It's always good to play in different conditions," Coley added.

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