West Indies Cricket Board today announced Shai Hope as the new captain of the West Indies Men’s One-Day International team and Rovman Powell as the new captain of the West Indies Men’s T20 International team.
The West Indies side suffered embarrassing defeats at the hands of Scotland and Ireland as the former champions failed to enter the Super 12 phase of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
Their rankings in white formats are at an all-time low and most recently Two-time champions West Indies were dumped out of the ICC event after the Pooran-led side finished bottom in the group stage at the T20 World Cup.
With the early exit from the World Cup, West Indies head coach Phil Simmons resigned.
In addition, West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran announced a few days ago that he also step down as captain of the west indies white ball team.
Therefore Shai Hope and Rovman Powell will take over from Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the positions last November following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
Hope, who made his ODI debut six years ago and since 2017, has finished as the highest run-scorer in ODIs for the Windies every year.
Also, Last year was no different and the 29-year-old was once again one of the few stars to shine for West Indies in a difficult year where they won just 5 of the 21 ODIs they played.
Hope did not get off the greatest of starts in 2022 but in typical fashion started to grind out runs in the latter half. He finished the year with 709 runs, which include three hundreds and two fifties, at an average of 35.45.
Shai Hope was often the lone warrior for West Indies in ODIs last year and as a result, four of his five fifty-plus scores this year came in losses. The one that didn’t – his 119* off 130 against the Netherlands – fetched him the Player of the Match in the first game of the three-match series in May-June 2022.
Hope said: “It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child. The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for, requires no intricate explanation. I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team.”
Powell is another player at the top of many leaderboards due to his recent achievements. The 2022 CPL T20 title and his latest, the regional Super 50 crown, as he led Jamaica to victory, are the main reasons.
However, Powell is not an outstanding batsman or bowler, but he is a tactical genius on the field. Powell’s strength as a captain will be his form with the bat and if that doesn’t come to him, he, like Pooran, will be in big trouble.
He has led the West Indies team for 4 international matches out of which they have won 2 and lost 2. However, due to his humility and ability to learn quickly, as well as leading his team to the title in the last few tournaments.
Powell said: “I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region — a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket. I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 percent.”
The first assignment for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa.