Rovman Powell has been announced as the new Vice Captain for the T20Is while left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy returns after recovering from injuries. There are also recalls for experienced wicket-keeper batter Devon Thomas and allrounder Keemo Paul. In the CG United ODI Series squad, there is a call up for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.
“We know Rovman’s history. He has captained the West Indies before and is also the captain of his CPL franchise. Our role is to look at future leaders as well and we have identified a few, including himself, who we will be putting programmes around to ensure we keep them involved in that aspect of the cricket,” said lead selector Dr the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
“Thomas is a very versatile cricketer, who has been knocking on the door in all formats. He has been doing well in franchise cricket and with that level of talent, we must ensure we keep him interested. He brings a lot to the table and is basically a four-dimensional player, he can bat, bowl, he is brilliant in the field, and he can keep wicket as well. McCoy has done exceptionally well in the IPL and enjoyed a successful stint in England as well, so we are confident that he is back to his best in terms of playing and fitness. Generally, we have to start looking at the bigger picture of getting these players playing together as often as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later down in the year. We need to ensure we are fielding a very strong side for that tournament,” Haynes added.
The T20I Series opens with back-to-back matches on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July at the Windsor Park in Dominica. This will see a return to international cricket at the fully refurbished venue, where international cricket is being hosted for the first time since the hurricane damage of 2017. The Series climaxes with the third and final match on Tuesday, 7 July at the Guyana National Stadium. The CG United ODI Series will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, 10 July, Monday 13 July and Thursday, 16 July.
Online ticket sales are now live via the new WINDIES TICKETS service, presented by Mastercard, at www.tickets.windiestickets.com. Fans can purchase in advance without the need to travel to box offices to save tickets to their mobile phones which can then be presented for scanning at the stadium entrance. Fans who register for the WINDIES TICKETS service and purchase tickets will also receive offers and promotions for future games.
In Dominica, there is great excitement on the Nature Isle for the return of international cricket with tickets available in three price categories providing a range of viewing positions for every budget. Ticket prices range from US$6 (EC$15) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (EC$40) for the standard seats and US$25 (EC$70) premium seating in the Shillingford Stand.
In Guyana, the prices will range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands, as the fans in Guyana welcome the busiest “Summer of Cricket” to the South American mainland.
Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
FULL SQUADS
T20 Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Keemo Paul
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Devon Thomas
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Reserve: Dominic Drakes
One-Day Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Kaecy Carty
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Keemo Paul
Anderson Phillip
Rovman Powell
Jayden Seales
Reserve: Romario Shepherd
After winning the toss and electing to field first, the hosts felt the wrath of the Indians from the outset with openers Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav speeding to 53 without loss after just 4.4 overs before Sharma was dismissed for a 16-ball 33 including two fours and three sixes.
Yadav’s dismissal for 24 in the sixth over then paired Deepak Hooda and Rishabh Pant who added a further 47 before Hooda’s wicket fell for 21 in the 12th over to leave the score on 108-3.
Pant went on to top-score with 44 before his dismissal in the 15th over. Sanju Samson (30 not out), Axar Patel (20 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (6) then combined to put the finishing touches on a fine effort with the bat for India, ending 191-5 from their 20 overs.
Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the bowlers for the Windies with 2-29 from his four overs.
The hosts then struggled throughout their reply thanks to some excellent bowling by India and some questionable decision-making by the batsmen.
Brandon King (13) and Kyle Mayers (14) both got starts but fell cheaply while captain Nicholas Pooran sprinted to 24 off just eight balls before he was run out after a mix-up with Mayers.
Rovman Powell with a quick 24, Shimron Hetmyer (19) and Jason Holder (13) were the only other batsmen to reach double-figures as the Windies struggled to a paltry 132 all-out after 19.1 overs.
Arshdeep Singh led the way for the Indians with 3-12 from 3.1 overs while he got good support from Avesh Khan (2-17) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-27).
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite leads the charge on the batting ranking, as he moved up two slots to 40th position, following scores of 48 and 47 in the second Test, which West Indies lost by 241 runs. They lost the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and will try to avoid a whitewash in the final Test in Edgbaston starting on Friday.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua de Silva was rewarded for his first innings score of 82 in that match, as he jumped seven places to 61st, while Jason Holder’s 27 and 37 saw him inched up two places to 70th. Kavem Hodge’s 120, which was his maiden Test century, pushed him into the top 80.
The Dominican batsman moved 21 places up to 75th, one spot behind Kyle Mayers, who, despite being out of action, remains in 74th. Alick Athanaze held firm in 77th, while discarded Jermaine Blackwood (50th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (83rd), Roston Chase (86th), and Kirk McKenzie (100) are the other Caribbean batsmen in the top 100.
On the bowling chart, new-ball bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales made the only notable improvements to their rankings. Joseph moved up two places to 33rd after finishing with five wickets in the match, and Seales moved up 10 places from 44th to 34th with six wickets.
Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has achieved a career-best third position after notching a century in the second Test.
Brook, who scored 36 and 109 in Nottingham, advanced four places, while his teammates Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have also made significant gains in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings, which are carried out on Wednesdays across formats.
Left-handed opener Duckett has progressed six places to 16th position after notching scores of 71 and 76, while Player of the Match Pope has advanced from 29th to 21st with scores of 121 and 51.
Chris Woakes is back into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time since September 2021, after he finished with four for 84 and two for 28 in the match, while spinner Shoaib Bashir has advanced 18 slots to 53rd position after he took his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth Test.
In the ICC World Test Championship standings, England are placed in sixth place, while West Indies are ninth, as per the percentage points that determine qualification.
According to Benjamin, Joseph has been underutilized by the skipper, making it difficult for him to develop a rhythm and perform at his best.
“It’s not because I’ve worked with this young man, but I think Alzarri has been handled poorly by the captain from day one, not just this series, and just look at how he is being used. Here it is that you have a youngster with raw talent and we don’t have a lot of bowlers with raw talent, but how do you get experience, isn’t it by doing what you have to do?” said Benjamin during an airing of the ‘Good Morning Jojo Sports Show’.
Benjamin also suggested Holder has an issue with Joseph and may not think he is as good as people are purporting.
“If you’re not happy with an individual and you think there is too much talk about this individual and don’t think he’s as good and you want to prove a point, then you give him short spells, bowl him with the old ball when things are tight and critical so he never has a break,” said Benjamin
Benjamin went on to point out that Holder has a responsibility that comes with being captain that, if not managed properly, could be harmful.
“The captain has the ability to make or break a bowler. The time that you give him the ball to bowl, the confidence that you place in him will determine the frame of mind and if you are going to give me two overs and take me off every minute, the first thing I am going to say is that you don’t have any confidence in me so my whole demeanour is now going to change,” said Benjamin.
Benjamin, the mentor of Joseph, was speaking after the first two Tests in the three-match #raisethebat Series currently ongoing in England.
In that first Test, Joseph bowled a total of 31 overs to end with match figures of 2-98, while in the second Test he bowled even less, accounting for 25.1 overs for a match-haul of 1-84. Joseph was dropped in favour of spinner Rahkeem Cornwall for the Third Test which heads into day three on Sunday.
According to Benjamin, there is a certain selfishness in the way Holder rotates his bowlers.
“Now, what I have observed with our captain is that he doesn’t bowl unless things are happening and once things are happening the ball belongs to him and he’s not relinquishing that but as soon as you hit a little rough patch, you go and work this ball for me and as soon as things start happening he comes back in and cleans up. I have seen those things, I’ve been part of those situations many times. I’ve gone through that myself,” he said.
What Joseph needs now, more than anything else, Benjamin went on to explain, is experience.
According to the former fast bowler, who took 61 wickets in 21 Tests for the West Indies, that experience can only be had if the captain allows it.
“You can’t learn experience; you learn skill, you develop skill, but experience is you participating in whatever it is in order to gain the experience.”
The West Indies and England are locked at a game apiece in their three-Test series with England dominating the third.
England, sent into bat scored 369 and after two days of cricket, have the West Indies in a spot of bother, six wickets down for 137.
