After nearly a two-year hiatus, the West Indies cricket team arrived in Guyana yesterday, as they seek to upset the touring Pakistan in the two ODIs to be played in Guyana at the Providence stadium starting tomorrow.
At a press conference held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri VIP lounge, Skipper Dwayne Bravo made a few brief comments to the media about the series.
When asked about his thoughts on a West Indies team playing in Guyana with no Ramnaresh Sarwan or Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the squad, the skipper said it was “something never expected”, explaining that Chanderpaul is currently in England fulfilling his English county commitments and had virtually retired from the shorter form of the game.
Regarding Sarwan, the captain said the out-of-touch right hander remains a big part of the West Indies plan, although he is in and out of the team. He also said he was confident that Guyana will “welcome the West Indies team” despite there being no local players in the mix.
Speaking on his batting form, Bravo said that he will not analyze his own form as he hadn’t had many opportunities to play since his appointment as West Indies ODI skipper.
Pakistan, Bravo said, are classed in the same bracket as the West Indies as being unpredictable, but the all-rounder said that he and his men highly respect the tourists and will not be taking them “lightly.”
Out-of-sorts wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, has been dropped from the squad, leaving opener Johnson Charles as the likely candidate behind the stumps, while injured fast bowler Ravi Rampaul remains sidelined. The West Indies and the Pakistanis will conduct their training sessions respectively, at the Providence Stadium today.
The West Indies squad reads: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, and Devon Smith.
