Windies look to rise above storm clouds

Narine, Russell may get call-up amid efforts to bolster group in time for World Cup qualifiers

West Indies coach Stuart Law is looking to the remainder of the One Day International series against England to help him build a settled team ahead of next year’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

Defeat in the first ODI at Old Trafford on Tuesday ended West Indies’ hopes of gaining direct entry to the 2019 World Cup in Britain.

Instead the two-time champions will now have to come through a qualifying tournament, set to take place in Zimbabwe early next year.

West Indies reached the first three World Cup finals, all staged in England, winning the inaugural edition in 1975 and repeating that achievement in 1979. But this year saw the Caribbean side fail to qualify for the elite Champions Trophy one-day tournament as they were outside the world’s top eight 50-over teams.

Following a washed-out second ODI at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on Thursday, Law’s men only have three more matches in England — starting with today’s fixture in Bristol — and a threematch ODI series in New Zealand scheduled before the qualifiers.

“Our plan is to go to Zimbabwe next year with a settled team, a team where everyone knows their roles and what they want to achieve,” Law told reporters at Trent Bridge.

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels returned for the limitedovers leg of West Indies’ tour.

Meanwhile, spinner Sunil Narine could come back into the ODI side as well after taking match honours in the win over England in the lone Twenty20 international of the tour.

West Indies could also soon be welcoming back Andre Russell, with the big-hitting allrounder due to complete a oneyear ban for missed drugs tests on January 31, 2018.

Law summed up: “This group I feel has a lot of good, that’s why they are here.”