Pakistan Tour of West Indies 2026: 2 Tests, Schedule & Squads

Pakistan's late-2026 tour of the West Indies is, in many ways, the most cleanly scheduled red-ball assignment of either side's WTC cycle. Two Tests, neutral conditions for both teams, and zero white-ball baggage on either end — just the long format, the WTC table, and a series that quietly carries some of the most-loaded subplots of the entire 2026 calendar. Babar Azam's form. Shaheen Afridi's return after the PSL ball-tampering controversy. The West Indies' long, slow rebuild under a settled red-ball captain. And Cricket West Indies' calendar choice between Sabina Park, Queen's Park Oval and Kensington Oval as host venues.

This hub pulls the schedule, the venues, the squads, the WTC stakes, and the PSL fallout into one place. We have flagged what is firm, what is FTP-confirmed, and what is still subject to formal announcement by Cricket West Indies.

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Series at a glance

• Tour window: Late 2026 (provisional: November-December)
• Format: 2 Test matches
• Host: Cricket West Indies (CWI)
• Visitors: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
• WTC context: Both Tests count in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle
• Trophy: Cornelius Trophy (bilateral series trophy renamed in 2024)
• Last Pakistan Test in WI: August 2021, Kingston (the famous Mohammad Rizwan rear-guard Test)

The series is part of the FTP commitments for the 2025-27 cycle. It will be Pakistan's first Test tour of the Caribbean since their narrow 2021 series win, and the West Indies' first home Test series after their tough late-2025 Pakistan home loss.

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Provisional schedule

CWI is expected to publish the formal fixture list in late August 2026. The dates below are based on FTP commitments and broadcaster filings.

#	Match	Dates	Likely venue
1	1st Test	Nov 26 – Nov 30, 2026	Sabina Park, Kingston (Jamaica)
2	2nd Test	Dec 4 – Dec 8, 2026	Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain (Trinidad) or Kensington Oval, Bridgetown (Barbados)

The first Test is overwhelmingly likely to be at Sabina Park — Pakistan's last Test win in the Caribbean was at Kingston, and CWI traditionally rotates the Pakistan series opener through Jamaica. The second-Test venue is between Port of Spain and Bridgetown, with Bridgetown the slight favourite given the typical late-November / early-December weather window.

Daily play in the West Indies in late 2026 will start at 10:00 AM local (8:30 PM IST the previous evening), with stumps around 2:00 AM IST. The series is, conveniently, perfect prime-time + late-evening viewing for Indian audiences.

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The three likely venues

Sabina Park, Kingston

Pakistan's favourite ground in the Caribbean. Pace and bounce, with a hint of carry that suits the Pakistan attack's natural lengths. Mohammad Rizwan made his famous unbeaten 50+ rear-guard here in the 2021 Test that Pakistan won by one wicket. The pitch typically rewards bowlers who hit the deck hard, and Shaheen Afridi has a history of taking early wickets at this venue.

Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain

The most balanced Test surface in the Caribbean. Spinners get something from day three. Quality batting tracks early. Trinidad in late November can have rain interruption, which is the main argument against scheduling the second Test here.

Kensington Oval, Bridgetown

The traditional Caribbean Test venue. Slightly slower than Sabina, slightly faster than Queen's Park. December weather in Barbados is the most-reliable in the region — typically dry, with steady trade winds. For the second Test, CWI's scheduling logic likely tilts towards Bridgetown for weather certainty.

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The Babar Azam form watch

Babar Azam comes into the West Indies tour as the most-discussed batter in Pakistan cricket. After a difficult 2025 — a Test summer in which his average dipped sharply, an awkward middle-cycle period in white-ball cricket, and the loss of the Pakistan men's captaincy across two formats — he has been on a slow climb back through 2026. The IPL 2026 was not relevant for him (Pakistani players continue to be unavailable for the IPL), but his domestic Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and PSL output has been steady.

The questions for the WI tour:

• Can he score a tour-defining century? Babar has had a mixed record in the Caribbean. A second-innings hundred at Sabina or Kensington would re-anchor his Test status.
• Where does he bat? With Saud Shakeel cementing the No 4 slot and Imam-ul-Haq still opening, Babar has been used at No 3 and 4 interchangeably. The selectorial framework for WI is expected to settle on Babar at three.
• Captaincy speculation: Shan Masood is the current Pakistan Test captain. A successful WI tour for Masood would settle the question. Anything less, and the captaincy churn re-opens.

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Shaheen Afridi: the PSL ball-tampering fallout

This is the storyline that has dominated Pakistan cricket through the back half of 2025 and into 2026. The PSL 2025 ball-tampering controversy resulted in a PCB disciplinary process that ultimately involved three senior internationals — Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Fakhar Zaman. The full context, the disciplinary outcomes, and the longer historical setting are covered in our most consequential ball-tampering cases ranked 2026 piece.

For the WI tour specifically:

• Shaheen Afridi's availability: PCB has cleared Shaheen for international duty for the 2026 international cycle, with sanctions completed in early 2026. He is expected to lead the Pakistan attack at Sabina Park in Test 1.
• Haris Rauf's availability: Slightly different status. Haris has primarily been used in white-ball cricket since the disciplinary process; his Test selection for the WI tour is uncertain. If he plays, it would be his first Test in the Caribbean.
• Fakhar Zaman's availability: White-ball-only profile, so the Test tour is irrelevant for him.

The question that hangs over the series is whether the disciplinary process has affected Shaheen's rhythm. Through the 2026 PSL, his pace was visibly down on his pre-2024 peak, and his early-spell wicket-taking ratio fell. CWI's pitch curators will have noticed.

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West Indies in transition

The West Indies enter the series ranked in the middle of the latest ICC Test rankings — they have stabilised under captain Kraigg Brathwaite, but a string of close losses through 2025 has them needing wins.

Players to watch for the home side:

• Kraigg Brathwaite (captain): the spiritual anchor of the WI batting order, into his late-30s but still the most-trusted opener
• Alick Athanaze: the rising left-hander who has cemented the No 3 slot
• Justin Greaves: the all-rounder who can bat at 6 and bowl medium pace
• Joshua Da Silva: the keeper-batter, a senior squad member
• Shamar Joseph: the breakout fast bowler of the 2024 cycle, the spearhead of the WI attack
• Jayden Seales: left-arm pace, the foil to Joseph
• Gudakesh Motie: left-arm spin, the strike spinner

The West Indies pace attack — Joseph, Seales, Greaves, with Alzarri Joseph rotated in for the second Test — is the strongest red-ball pace group the side has fielded in over a decade. If the surfaces have any seam life, Pakistan's top order is in for a serious examination.

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WTC 2025-27 stakes

For both sides, this series is meaningful for the WTC table. The points and PCT rules are explained in our ICC WTC rules and points system guide and the broader 2025-27 cycle explainer.

• Pakistan sit in the lower-middle of the WTC table as of late April 2026, having banked some home points in late 2025 but lost ground in away series. Two wins here would push them back into the top six conversation.
• West Indies sit in the bottom half. A home series win would be both meaningful and overdue — they have not won a home Test series against Pakistan since 2000.

For Indian fans tracking how this cycle's table is shaping up, the WTC India simulator is a useful sandbox.

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Squad watch

Full squads are expected approximately three weeks before the first Test.

Pakistan (provisional)

Shan Masood (captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Sajid Khan, Mir Hamza, Khurram Shehzad, Saim Ayub.

The selection question is the second seamer alongside Shaheen and Naseem. Mir Hamza or Khurram Shehzad both have credible cases. Sajid Khan is the second spinner option behind Abrar Ahmed.

West Indies (provisional)

Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Kraigg Brathwaite jr (potential debut).

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Storylines we are tracking

1. Shaheen vs the WI top order

Shaheen Afridi's ability to break the Brathwaite-Chanderpaul-Athanaze top three with the new ball will define Pakistan's tour. If he gets early wickets, Pakistan are favourites. If he does not, the series tilts the other way.

2. Babar at Sabina Park

A century at Sabina would be one of the most-watched moments of Babar's career. The pitch suits him — pace and bounce on, but not unmanageable. The narrative weight of returning to form on a tour where every innings will be analysed makes this his series.

3. Shamar Joseph's second cycle

The Guyanese fast bowler announced himself with the famous Brisbane Test win in 2024. He has had injury management through 2025 and parts of 2026. A clean tour against Pakistan would re-establish him as the West Indies' spearhead heading into the 2027 WTC final qualification window.

4. The PSL aftermath

How does Pakistan's cricket culture process the PSL ball-tampering chapter when the senior players involved are back on the field internationally? The pre-tour press conferences will be instructive.

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How to watch (India)

In India, the series will be broadcast by Cricket West Indies' rights-holding partner. For the 2026-27 cycle, this is Sony Sports Network (TV), with digital streaming on Sony LIV and / or FanCode. Final India-broadcast confirmation is expected in October 2026.

Start times in IST:

• Day's play: 8:30 PM IST (10:00 AM local Caribbean)
• Lunch: 10:30 PM IST
• Tea: 1:00 AM IST
• Stumps: 2:30 AM IST (subject to over-rate adjustments)

This makes the morning session perfect prime-time viewing in India, the post-lunch session late-evening viewing, and the final session the standard sports-bar / late-couch slot.

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Why this series matters

For Pakistan, the WI tour is the cleanest red-ball assignment of their cycle — neutral conditions, manageable opposition, and a chance to bank away WTC points. For the West Indies, it is the kind of home series they need to win to consolidate a long-overdue red-ball recovery. For Babar Azam, it is a form-defining tour. For Shaheen Afridi, it is the first Test series after the PSL disciplinary chapter has fully closed.

The series gets less attention globally than the parallel Australia tour of South Africa or Bangladesh in Australia, but for the WTC table churn and for the human storylines, it is one of the most-loaded fixtures of the 2026 calendar.

For more international previews, see our domestic cricket category.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does Pakistan's 2026 Test tour of the West Indies start? The first Test is provisionally scheduled to begin on November 26, 2026, at Sabina Park, Kingston. The second Test follows from December 4-8, 2026, at either Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain or Kensington Oval, Bridgetown.

Will Shaheen Afridi play after the PSL ball-tampering controversy? Yes. The PCB has cleared Shaheen for international duty for the 2026 cycle, with the disciplinary sanctions completed in early 2026. He is expected to lead the Pakistan attack at Sabina Park in the first Test.

Does the series count for the World Test Championship? Yes. Both Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with 12 points available for each Test win. The result will affect both sides' PCT in the qualification race for the 2027 WTC Final.

Where can I watch the series in India? Broadcast confirmation is expected in October 2026. Recent CWI-hosted series in India have been carried by Sony Sports Network (TV) with digital streaming on Sony LIV and / or FanCode. We will update this section once formal confirmation drops.

When was Pakistan's last Test win in the West Indies? August 2021 in Kingston — Pakistan won the second Test by one wicket, with Mohammad Rizwan's unbeaten innings the centrepiece of a famous rear-guard. The first Test of that 2021 series was drawn / ended badly for the visitors; the Kingston win sealed a series result.