St. John’s (Antigua): West Indies’ preparations for the next ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup have begun as the Caribbean side named a 15-player squad for three-match ODI series at home against England, starting from December 3.
Shai Hope will lead the team with Alzarri Joseph named as the new vice-captain.
There are two uncapped players in the squad in the form of batting allrounder Sherfane Rutherford and seam bowling allrounder Matthew Forde , who has earned his first call-up at the senior international level.
“We named Alzarri Joseph as vice captain as he demonstrated maturity and good leadership qualities for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes during the recent Super50 Cup. We believe with exposure and opportunities he could be a future leader in West Indies cricket. Matthew Forde is a whole-hearted cricketer who has been impressive. He is one of the players coming through the West Indies Academy program who can form part of the future,” Lead Selector Desmond Haynes said.
The Selection Panel also recalled experienced wicket-keeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, who played his only ODI in May, 2019; and opener Kjorn Ottley, who played two ODIs in January 2021.
Veteran quick Jason Holder and white-ball specialist Nicholas Pooran are sidelined as they prepare for Test campaigns and next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup respectively.
The two-time World Cup winners failed to qualify for the recently concluded 50-over showcase in India and will be keen to atone when the next tournament is held in South Africa and Namibia in 2027.
“England on tour of the West Indies is always filled with excitement and expectation. We expect this to be a hard-fought series, but we also believe this squad will do well in our home conditions. We have a clear vision. We are focused on building a solid team. Our main focus is to rebuild for success at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027,” Haynes added.
The first two ODIs will take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on December 3 and 6, respectively. The final ODI will he held on December 9 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas.
–IANS