- Tuesday, April 23, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE West Indies have picked the same squad for the upcoming three-match T20 international series in India starting February 16.
The 16-man squad will be led by Kieron Pollard who will also lead the visiting team in the three-game one-day internationals preceding the T20 series.
The three T20 games will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20. The three-match one-day-international series will be staged in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11.
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Eleven players feature in both the white-ball squads that the Caribbeans have picked for the upcoming series and they are, apart from skipper Pollard, Darren Bravo, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Shrimron Hetmyer was dropped on fitness grounds. Earlier in January, West Indies head coach Phil Simmons expressed unhappiness at Hetmyer’s attitude towards physical fitness.
“The team has been doing well in the Betway T20I Series against England in Barbados and we decided to stick with the same group of players. They have demonstrated great skill and fight and we expect the same kind of performances on the tour of India,” the West Indies’ chief selector Desmond Haynes said.
All-rounder Odean Smith was also named in the squad after a recent bizarre incident in which claims were made of him being “victimised” after he was left out for the third T20 international against England to make way for Rovman Powell.
The claims were made in a voice note sent to the media but the sender was not known.
Simmons and Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt have though rubbished the claims, terming the allegations “a malicious attack on the credibility of the West Indies captain, designed to sow division within our team”.
The Caribbeans, who have won the T20 World Cup twice, have just beaten England in a closely fought T20 international series, winning 3-2.
The Indian side in both the one-day and T20 international series will be led by Rohit Sharma.
India and the West Indies have played each other 17 times in the shortest format with the Asians leading 10-6 with one game remaining inconclusive.
West Indies T20I squad for India series: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Brandon King, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Dominic Drakes, Akeal Hosein, Rovman Powell, Odean Smith, Kyle Mayers, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.
