In a notable update to their cricketing roster, West Indies unveiled their white-ball squads for the closely watched three-match ODI and T20I series scheduled against Australia. The ODI team features a few fresh faces, while some regular contributors were unavailable due to their commitments in various T20 leagues worldwide. On the flip side, the T20I squad stands solid, gathering a battalion of noteworthy talents ready for international combat.
The Surprise Omission
One of the biggest talking points around this new selection is the absence of Shimron Hetmyer from the side. Despite a promising career start and leading West Indies to victory in the U19 World Cup, Hetmyer’s recent form was not enough to secure his spot. Not featuring in the last three of the five T20Is at home against England recently, Hetmyer’s exclusion from both the ODI and T20I squads has been perceived as a significant decision.
New and Returning Faces
A rejuvenation of the squad includes the introduction of Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers into the T20I setup. This comes after their exclusion from the Test squad, a direct consequence of their choice to remain unavailable for Test selection. Both Holder and Mayers, alongside Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford, will partake in franchise cricket before converging with the rest of the squad for the T20I series kickoff on February 9 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
Hetmyer’s Numbers Under Scrutiny
While Hetmyer’s T20 statistics reflect a competent player, with an aggregate of 3696 runs in 190 T20 games at a strike rate of 133.09, his T20I performance tells a different story. With 902 runs in 57 T20Is at a strike rate below par at 118.21, and an uninspired outing during the ODI series against England at home, followed by the initial T20Is against the same opponent, his non-selection underscores the demand for consistent performance at the international level.
Confidence in The Squad
Chief selector Desmond Haynes has expressed optimism ahead of the Australia tour. Following triumphant series against England, he believes the team composition exhibits both freshness and experience, setting the stage for competitive performances in Australian conditions. Haynes also underlined the T20I engagements as an essential phase in gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup, with aspirations of employing the foundations laid against India and England to further enhance the squad’s prowess.
The Teams
The ODI team will be under the captaincy of Shai Hope, along with teammates Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, and Hayden Walsh Jr.
For the T20 internationals, the charge will be led by Rovman Powell, accompanied by Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, and Oshane Thomas.
With all eyes set on the forthcoming match-ups, the West Indies seem poised for a highly anticipated white-ball clash with Australia. Fans and pundits alike are eager to see how these new and retained West Indies players will succeed on Australian soil and whether they can sustain the momentum garnered from their victorious exploits against England.
