The West Indies will visit India from February 6 to 20, where they will also play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20I. CWI named the ODI team last week.
The three T20Is will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20, following the three-match ODI series which will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11.
“The team has been doing well in the Betway T20I Series against England in Barbados and we decided to stick with the same group of players. They have demonstrated great skill and fight and we expect the same kind of performances on the tour of India,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes.
Kieron Pollard will lead the squad that will comprise Vice-Captain Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.
The West Indies are locked 2-2 in the series against England with the decider to be played later today at the Kensington Oval. England won Saturday’s match by 34 runs to level the series.
The three-match Apex Series is level 0-0 following a draws in the first Apex Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados, which ended on Sunday.
According to Lead Selector Desmond Haynes, the team showed their fighting spirit in the just-concluded Test in Barbados.
“We were very impressed with the captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, showing the fight in both innings and the way he led from the front with the bat,” Haynes said.
“Also, Jermaine Blackwood, and the way he played in the first innings to get a century. They batted very well together. We really appreciated the fighting spirit from the batting department. We decided to stick with the same squad and want to see them continue to give a big effort in the third Apex Test match.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was named Player-of-the-Match in the second Apex Test. He scored an outstanding 160 in the first innings – his 10th Test century and his first on home soil, and then 56 not out in the second innings on the final day.
The 34-year-old has not played for the West Indies since representing the squad at the World Cup last year, despite controversially featuring in several lucrative T20 tournaments since then, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Vitality T20 Blast.
In addition, the player has failed to make much of an impression in this season’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which is admittedly closely watched by the panel of selectors. In six matches the all-rounder has averaged 7.40 and has a top score of 17. With the ball, he has taken four wickets.
“We just didn’t consider Russell for selection and that was it,” Haynes said of the player’s exclusion.
“We haven’t really seen a lot of Russell in playing cricket for the West Indies recently and judging from what is happening now we just decided that we would move on,” he added.
Russell has played 67 matches for the West Indies and averaged 19.50 with a strike rate of 150. He has taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 9.18.
Along with his outstanding cricket credentials, Haynes was recently honoured by the University of the West Indies with an Honorary Doctorate Degree and is a former Senator in the Parliament of Barbados.
He was confirmed as the new Men’s Team Lead Selector during a meeting of the CWI Board of Directors earlier today and CWI President, Ricky Skerritt, reacted to the appointment.
“I am delighted to confirm that the Most Hon. Dr. Desmond Haynes has agreed to re-join the CWI cricket system as the Lead Selector. His cricket knowledge and experience are second to none, and I am confident that Desmond is the right man for the right job, at the right time,” he said.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and all stakeholders, I wish Desmond every success as he commences his important Lead role, which starts immediately. I want to also take this opportunity to thank Roger Harper and Miles Bascombe for their commitment and integrity whilst they served on the panel over the past two years,” Skerritt added.
Haynes was grateful to the board for the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket again.
“I would like to thank President Skerritt and the CWI Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket once again. Being a selector is a thankless task, but a critical role in our cricket system and I am honoured to be appointed. I have always indicated that I would assist West Indies cricket in any way possible and I see this as an opportunity to do just that. I pledge to carry out my duties in a fair and professional manner,” he said.
Haynes will lead the West Indies Men’s Selection Panel until June 30, 2024, a period that includes four ICC Global Events, two T20 World Cups (2022 & 2024), the Cricket World Cup (2023) and the World Test Championship Final (2023).
He played 116 Test matches, four as captain, and 238 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies between 1978 and 1994.
He scored 7487 runs in Tests, including 18 centuries, and 8648 runs in ODIs, including 17 centuries.
He was a member of the West Indies team which won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1979 and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in June 2021.
