Three newbies in Windies squad
Three newcomers, including one who is creating history, have been included in the squad for the upcoming One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against the Netherlands and Pakistan. These are the first tours since white-ball captain Kieron
Pollard called time on his international career – while some of the veterans have been left out for varying reasons.
Fast bowlers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis, who have both played at Test level, along with specialist batter Keacy Carty, the first player from St Maarten to be selected for the West Indies Senior Men’s team, were named in the squad announced by Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) yesterday.
“We were impressed with Carty and the way he goes about his innings. We saw several glimpses of his ability in the way he played against England earlier this year for the CWI President’s XI,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said of the 25-year-old history-maker, a right-handed, middle-order batsman.
“We hope that giving him this opportunity, he will recognise the importance of representing West Indies. We think he is a young batsman with great promise, and this is the kind of tour he can show he fits in.”
Veteran West Indies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have again been omitted from the squad, and the CWI also disclosed that Evan Lewis, who has not played an ODI for the Caribbean side since July last year, was not considered after failing to meet the fitness criteria; and Shimron Hetmyer was unavailable for selection to be at home for the birth of his first child.
The May 31-June 12 tours, in which
Nicholas Pooran will lead the side for the first time since being appointed to succeed Pollard as white-ball captain, will also be without all- format all-rounder Jason Holder, who the CWI said “is being rested to manage his workload”.
Haynes said that in choosing the team for the West Indies’ next assignment, the selectors wanted to give some young West Indies Test bowlers a chance in the shorter format.
The West Indies will visit the Netherlands for three ODIs on May 31, June 2 and 4, followed by another three ODIs on June 8, 10 and 12 in Pakistan.
The tour of the Netherlands will be the first-ever ODI series between the two teams and will be played at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen.
The matches in Pakistan will be played at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Both series form part of the ICC ODI Super League, where teams will have the opportunity to earn points to secure one of the top seven places, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.