-Sammy, Haynes believe WI can win
Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday morning announced its 15-man squad for the impending ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June.
Among the 15 players revealed, five Guyanese were included: rookie fast bowler Shamar Joseph along with hard-hitting all-rounders Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd. Shimron Hetmyer has earned a recall following a bad run of form in maroon colours which led to him being dropped for the Australia series earlier this year in February. Spinner Gudakesh Motie has also found himself in the squad and will partner Akeal Hosein who is ranked among the top 10 T20I bowlers in the world.
At the squad announcement, Lead Selector, Dr. Desmond Haynes and Head Coach Darren Sammy both expressed confidence in the team and its chances of winning the world cup at home.
Addressing a press conference in Barbados, Sammy said “we are confident, we are playing at home, the preparation did not start today, it started a year ago and when you look at the role definition from the group you have to select from, it is the best group we could have selected”.
Meanwhile Haynes said that he believes West Indies, the only team in the world to win the T20 World Cup twice, are capable of winning it on home soil. “I’m making it very clear to everybody that whatever team that you hear us put out today, that team we feel is going to win the World Cup”, Haynes said just before the squad was unveiled.
While an air of mystery shrouded whether or not Joseph would make the cut after his heroics in Australia, it all wound down to ‘roles’ according to Sammy. Joseph’s express pace was a big factor in securing his place among the 15-member squad while Hetmyer was preferred to Kyle Mayers who usually opens the batting and chips in with seam bowling. Hetmyer was ultimately preferred because Sammy and Haynes wanted an extra batter down the order with the left-handed Hetmyer reprising the role of a finisher.
“You really can’t question Shamar Joseph’s skills. You saw him in Australia. We were looking at someone up front bowling the first powerplay and he ticked the boxes.”
Joseph turned in an awe-inspiring spell which saw him claiming a seven-wicket haul while bowling with a broken toe, to help West Indies seal a first Test win in Australia at the Gabba for the first time in 27 years. He is currently in India at the IPL with the Lucknow SuperGiants. However, he has had little experience in T20s and had a tough debut in the IPL conceding 47 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders in what was his third T20 match.
Release
Along the same vein, Sammy revealed that CWI have requested that the Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) release the West Indies players who have been selected for the world cup, from the IPL as soon as possible. That request has been made with an eye on a preparatory camp which will be held in Antigua from next weekend. That camp will be held prior to the visiting South Africans who will take on the West Indies in a three-match T20I series prior to the World Cup.
Quizzed on the exclusion of fastbowler Matthew Forde who enjoyed stellar outings in the CPL last year and the Bangladesh Premier League earlier this year, Sammy said that it was an exceedingly “difficult” squad to pick.
The continued selection of Roston Chase in the West Indies whiteball squads has continued to raise eyebrows as Chase has not turned in any exceptional performances in recent memory. Many on social media questioned Chase’s selection to the world cup squad after the initial announcement.
While those social media commentators would not have been privy to the press conference. Haynes told media operatives that numbers played a big part in Chase being selected as he is the “most economical bowler” while he can also bat. Haynes likened his role in the team to that of the one Marlon Samuels played in both world cup winning campaigns.
Opener Brandon King missed West Indies A’s ongoing tour of Nepal due to knee injury but was selected for the world cup nevertheless. Asked about King’s fitness, Sammy noted that CWI’s medical team has given the stylish right-handed batsman the green light to play in the T20 series against South Africa later this month. In the event that King is not in the clear for the world cup, West Indies can make the necessary changes to their provisional squad by May 25.
While most of the 20 participating countries have listed their squads with accompanying reserve players in case of injuries, West Indies are yet to list their reserves with both Sammy and Haynes explaining that they have “put some names down, but we haven’t contacted anyone as yet”. It is understood that by the end of the South Africa series, the reserves will be selected based on performances.
West Indies will face Papua New Guinea (PNG), Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group C with their first two games to be played here in Providence, Guyana. They face PNG on June 2 and Uganda on June 8. They will then come up against the Kiwis at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on June 12, before playing their final group game against Afghanistan on June 17 in St Lucia.
The squad reads:
Captain – Rovman Powell
Vice-captain – Alzarri Joseph
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Shamar Joseph
Gudakesh Motie
Sherfane Rutherford
Romario Shepherd
Brandon King
Andre Russell
Nicholas Pooran
