West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard will miss the upcoming cricket series in Pakistan as he has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury he sustained in the T20 World Cup.
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has named the experienced Devon Thomas, as Pollard’s replacement in the ODI squad, while all-rounder Rovman Powell will play in place of Pollard in the T20I squad.
Pollard will undergo rehabilitation work in Trinidad, under the supervision of CWI Chief Medical Officer Dr Israel Dowlat, and will be reassessed a few weeks ahead of the upcoming home tours against Ireland and England in January 2022.
With Pollard ruled out, Nicholas Pooran will lead the team in the T20Is. He was stand-in captain when West Indies beat Australia 4-1 in the five-match CG Insurance T20I Series in St Lucia earlier this year. Shai Hope will captain the team in the ODIs for the first time. Pooran is vice-captain for the ODIs and Hope the vice-captain for the T20Is.
The West Indies are due to play three T20Is and three ODIs at the Karachi National Stadium from December 13 to 22. The start times for the matches are: T20Is at 6 pm local time (9 am Eastern Caribbean/8 am Jamaica) and the ODIs at 1 pm local time (4 am Eastern Caribbean/3 am Jamaica).
The ODI series will be West Indies’ fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. West Indies currently lie in the eighth position out of 13 teams and have the opportunity to move above Pakistan into the seventh position.
SQUADS
One-Day Internationals
Shai Hope (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
T20 Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
TOUR SCHEDULE
December 13 – 1st T20I, Karachi
December 14 – 2nd T20I, Karachi
December 16 – 3rd T20I, Karachi
December 18 – 1st ODI, Karachi
December 20 – 2nd ODI, Karachi
December 22 – 3rd ODI, Karachi
