Greaves takes series honors but laments missed chance to lift West Indies

Justin Greaves walked away from the West Indies’ drawn Test series against Pakistan with another individual accolade, but the Barbadian all-rounder was left reflecting on what might have been had his fitness allowed him to make a greater contribution when the series reached its decisive stage.

Greaves was named joint Player-of-the-Series alongside Pakistan captain Babar Azam after a productive two-match campaign in which he scored 111 runs and claimed seven wickets. Yet his personal success could not fully compensate for the disappointment of seeing Pakistan level the series with an eight-wicket victory in the second Test on Wednesday.

For Greaves, the frustration centered on an issue largely beyond his control.

After producing a maiden five-wicket haul in the opening Test and earning Player-of-the-Match honors in West Indies’ 90-run victory, the 32-year-old was unable to bowl in the second match because he had not fully recovered his fitness.

‘I just really wished I could have helped’

Greaves had already demonstrated his value as both a batter and bowler in the first Test, and his absence from the bowling attack in the series finale weighed heavily on him.

He did, however, contribute with the bat when the West Indies found themselves in a difficult position during the second Test, joining Roston Chase in an important first-innings partnership.

Reflecting on the match, Greaves said he was pleased that he could still step forward with the bat when his team needed stability.

“I was happy that when things got a little bit difficult and things got a bit tricky, I was able to put my hand up in the first game, as well as this game in terms of batting. We had a tricky little situation and Roston Chase and I put on a pretty good partnership in the first innings, but just unlucky that I was unable to bowl to help the team out.”

That limitation, however, remained his biggest regret.

“I’m probably just a couple days away in terms of getting back to full fitness, but really, really looking back at it now, I just really wished I could have helped the team a little bit more,” Greaves said after the match.

Another series award, but team success comes first

The Player-of-the-Series recognition was Greaves’ second consecutive such honor in Test cricket, following his award in the preceding series against Sri Lanka.

His latest campaign reinforced his growing importance to the West Indies, particularly after his match-winning contribution in the opening Test against Pakistan.

But individual recognition offered little consolation for a player whose primary focus remains team success.

“I think my game is in a really good place at the moment, but I’m never satisfied. I always want to do better, always want to help the team.”

That mentality has helped establish Greaves as an increasingly influential figure in the West Indies setup, but the outcome in Trinidad left him and his teammates with unfinished business.

West Indies fall short of home target

The West Indies had entered their home summer with a clear ambition: win both Test series.

They defeated Sri Lanka before securing victory in the opening Test against Pakistan, putting themselves in position to complete an especially memorable home campaign. Pakistan, however, responded emphatically in the second match, winning by eight wickets to ensure the series ended 1-1.

Greaves acknowledged that the overall Test summer represented progress, even if the final result against Pakistan fell short of the team's objective.

“We actually set out to win both series at home, ended up drawing this one, so not a bad international summer for us in terms of Test cricket, but looking back we obviously want to win more Test matches,” he added.

For Greaves, the latest series therefore ended on two contrasting notes: another personal milestone and another Player-of-the-Series award, but also the lingering belief that, had his body permitted him to contribute with the ball in the final Test, he might have helped West Indies turn a promising home campaign into a historic series triumph over Pakistan.