Cricket West Indies on Thursday announced it’s 19-member squad that will defend their T20 World Cup title next month in the United Arab Emirates from October 17 to November 14.
The team comprises of an initial 15-member squad while four players were named as cover given the dynamics of the new norms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As expected, Kieron Pollard will lead the side in hopes of securing their fourth title. At 34, Pollard remains one of the most impactful players in the format and with 558 T20s under his belt, his wealth of experience makes him the most fitting player to lead. His three-dimensional approach to the game as well as a cavalier approach has embodied the spirit of West Indies Cricket.
While he does little with the ball these days, he still produces when the situation requires but it is his electrifying fielding coupled with one of the highest strike rates around that make teams think twice about their plans.
Pollard is currently leading the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League where he is striking at 144 with three not outs and 169 runs in seven innings.
His strike rate is not far off his overall figures at 152 to go with 55 half centuries and one triple figure score.
Pollard will be aided by his deputy, Nicholas Pooran, who is currently captaining the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL and also led West Indies to a series win over Australia recently.
The left-hander is the first-choice wicketkeeper but much like Pollard, his aggressive batting makes him one of the players talked about in oppositions’ dressing rooms. The 25-year-old boasts a strike rate of just 124 in T20 Internationals after 41 matches but his T20 figures justify his dominance in the format. There, he strikes at 152 after 193 matches.
Another power-hitter in the squad is Fabian Allen who since 2020 has impressed with his lower-order hitting and athletic fielding which has many legends of the game labeling him as the best fielder in the West Indies. Allen also provides a useful left-arm orthodox option for the Pollard to use in mostly spin-friendly conditions.
This trio is expected to be the muscle of the West Indies unit. Their exploits however will rest on the foundations given by the top order.
Shimron Hetmyer will have a target on his back for his place in the playing XI. His international strike rate is only 116 and he averages 19 from 30 innings. In the CPL this year he scored two fifties in his first three innings but followed up with three single-figure scores in four innings. He is another player that has had his issues with fitness.
West Indies have selected four openers with regulars, Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons expected to start.
Surprisingly, Andre Fletcher was included in the squad as the second-choice wicketkeeper and opener. At 33 years old, Fletcher’s figures with the bat are unimpressive. He averages 21 and strikes at a paltry 111. This year, after nine innings he strikes at 110 with 127 runs and a best of 35. In the CPL, he has done slightly better with an average of 26 and a strike rate of 131.
Shai Hope’s omission brings about some amount of chatter since he has shown he can play the opening role as well as a very competent wicketkeeper. Hope strikes at 136 in T20Is but hasn’t featured since 2019.
Kennar Lewis also fits the description of a back-up wicketkeeper and top order batsman. Despite his limited experience, he has taken the CPL this year to task with 243 runs and a strike rate of 166 in eight matches.
The other opener and another surprising selection, is the aging Chris Gayle. The 41-year-old is striking at 110 in the CPL with 83 runs in five innings. Overall, his international strike rate of 139 is impressive but has dropped in recent years. In the last three years, his international strike rate sits at 110 and just one half-century in 20 innings.
Lead Selector, Roger Harper recently indicated that statistics aren’t the only thing that counts and in Gayle’s case, his experience is what does.
This is despite Gayle not being subjected to the same fitness standards as the other players which effectively made Odean Smith, Sherfane Rutherford and Sunil Narine ineligible for selection.
Notably, Harper could not say when Rutherford was tested and failed.
One would wonder with space limited and Gayle bringing background support, why was he not included as a mentor rather than a player and India did with Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Maybe someone like Chandrapaul Hemraj could have been selected instead. The left-handed opener scored the only century by a Caribbean player in the CPL thus far with a strike-rate of 142 and has 190 runs after eight innings. He also bowls a useful left-arm spin.
Another peculiar pick was that of 37-year-old Dwayne Bravo whose career has been marred by injuries over the last two years. His numbers do suggest a wicket-taking option and arguably one of the better death bowlers but it is uncertain if the military medium pace bowler could survive the entire tournament. It is also unclear if he has passed any fitness test by Cricket West Indies.
Much like Bravo, Andre Russell brings value to any team with his solid all-round efforts however injuries, particularly with his knees, often plague his usefulness throughout tournaments.
Ravi Rampaul has been recalled after six years. The 36-year-old has been the leading wicket-taker in the CPL before he was overtaken by Guyana’s Romario Shepherd yesterday.
Given the uncertainty of Bravo one would ask why was Shepherd not included in the squad since he is considered among the top death bowlers in the Caribbean.
Harper did not give a reason for Shepherd’s omission but said he has been doing well this CPL. According to the lead selection, the CPL tournament gives the selectors an idea of where a player is at this time much like Roston Chase who earned himself a spot in the side as he currently sits at the top of the runs’ charts.
However, it seems shocking to see Oshane Thomas included ahead of Shepherd. Thomas has just four wickets from six innings, three of which came in one outing during the CPL. His international figures are also uninspiring as his economy rate is soaring at 9.16 with 19 wickets in 17 matches. His fitness has similarly been a debatable topic. Interestingly, Harper said Thomas is “an out and out fast bowler” who is beginning to look like himself with his pace and accuracy.
On the other hand, Obed McCoy has shown his worth in successive international series prior to the CPL, picking up 14 of his 19 T20I wickets in his last seven outings.
Leg-spinner, Hayden Walsh Jr., is the only frontline spinner in the side who will be complemented by Chase’s off-spin and Allen’s left-arm orthodox.
Taking a look at the traveling reserves, it is baffling to see Jason Holder excluded from the first 15. His fielding ability, lower-order hitting and magic with the ball has all seen drastic improvements over the last two seasons, earning him call-ups in both the Indian Premier League and Big Bash League.
Holder seemed to be a staple in the West Indies T20I side, along with Sheldon Cottrell but both have been relegated to the reserves along with Akeal Hosein and Darren Bravo.
Bravo’s inclusion in the reserves raises a few eyebrows. The left-hander played one match this year and was not part of the initial 18-member squad named for their hat-trick of T20I series in the Caribbean just prior to the World Cup. In that one match he made seven and so far in the CPL has scored 50 runs in four innings at an average of 16 and strike rate of 87.
Harper highlighted that the left-hander would be the best batting option available but again, it begs the question if he was the best available, why was he not included in the squad for the three series?
Full Squad: Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Obed McCoy, Hayden Walsh.
Traveling reserves: Jason Holder, Sheldon Cottrell, Akeal Hosein, Darren Bravo
