Jamaican Batsmen Lead The Way For New-Look ODI West Indies Squad
CWI shake things up for the first-ever ODI series against the Netherlands and rest resilient all rounder Jason Holder
Jamaican batsmen Nkrumah Bonner, Brandon King and Rovman Powell have been named in the West Indies squad for the One Day Internationals (ODIs) against the Netherlands and Pakistan.
The trio are relative newcomers to ODIs and each made their debuts against Bangladesh. St. Catherine’s Bonner only made his ODI debut for the Windies last year, and on his Test debut in May 2021 hit 86 runs. The Kingston-born pair of King and Powell kicked off their ODI international careers in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
And Cricket West Indies (CWI), without white ball skipper Kieron Pollard who resigned from the international game last month, have handed Trinidad & Tobago’s Nicholas Pooran the captaincy. It is an exciting line-up with specialist batsman Keacy Carty becoming the first ever player from the Dutch island of Sint Maarten to be selected for the West Indies at senior level. The 25-year-old is a middle-order batsman.
Pace bowlers Shermon Lewis and Jayden Seales are the other newcomers for the 31 May-12 June whistlestop tour, although the pair have represented the Windies at Test level.
The West Indies will be missing former captain Jason Holder, with the Barbados all rounder being rested in a tactical move by CWI. Shimron Hetmyer, the Guyanese left-handed batsman, was unavailable for selection as he is waiting for the birth of his first child.
Veteran all rounders Andre Russell (Jamaica) and Sunil Narine (Trinidad & Tobago) have been overlooked, while left-handed batsman Evin Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago) failed the fitness criteria.
Desmond Haynes, the lead selector, explained that CWI wished to offer some young players a chance in the shorter format. The Barbados batting icon explained: “We were impressed with Carty and the way he goes about his innings.
“We saw several glimpses of his ability the way he played against England earlier this year for the CWI President’s XI. He is a young batsman with great promise, and this is the kind of tour he can show he fits in. We hope that giving him this opportunity he will recognise the importance of representing the West Indies.
“We have a week in The Netherlands and another week in Pakistan, which should provide them with quality opposition as we build towards the Cricket World Cup in 2023.”
Both of the series form part of the ICC ODI Super League, which offers points towards automatic qualification for next year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
This tour of the Netherlands will be the inaugural ODI Series between the two teams. Pooran will lead his team into battle at the VRA Cricket Ground in the province of North Holland at the suburban part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area in Amstelveen.
++++ Pollard, the 35-year-old Trinidad & Tobago all rounder, has signed up for Surrey’s T20 Blast at The Kia Oval in England. Pollard made his West Indies debut in a ODI against South Africa in 2007, and went on to play a total of 123 ODIs and 101 T20 internationals, which includes winning two T20 World Cups.
WEST INDIES SQUAD
Nkrumah Bonner (Jamaica), Shamarh Brooks (Barbados), Keacy Carty (Sint Maarten), Shai Hope (Barbados), Akeal Hosein (Trinidad & Tobago), Alzarri Joseph (Antigua), Brandon King (Jamaica), Shermon Lewis (Grenada), Kyle Mayers (Barbados), Anderson Phillip (Trinidad & Tobago), Nicholas Pooran (Trinidad & Tobago), Rovman Powell (Jamaica), Jayden Seales (Trinidad & Tobago), Romario Shepherd (Guyana), Hayden Walsh Jr. (US Virgin Islands)
WI ODIs SCHEDULE
31 May | 1st ODI v Netherlands (VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen)
2 June | 2nd ODI v Netherlanfds (VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen)
4 June | 3rd ODI v Netherlands (VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen)
8 June | 1st ODI v Pakistan (Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi)
10 June | 2nd ODI v Pakistan (Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi)
12 June | 3rd ODI v Pakistan (Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi)
Download The Jamaican Blogs™ App for your Android device: HERE
Remember to share this article on Facebook and other Social Media Platforms. To submit your own articles or to advertise with us please send us an EMAIL at: [email protected]