The West Indies squad for the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup has already been named. Recently West Indies team played a two-match Twenty20 series against Australia and they lost to the home team 2-0.
However, some big names in the West Indies squad were missing in this World Cup, and there were controversial changes from the players a few days ago. Accordingly, we are able to list the West Indies’ best XI among the unselected players for the mega event.
Destructive Andre Fletcher and defensive batsman Shai Hope can be named as the opening batsmen in the squad not selected for the mega event.
Andre Fletcher, who represented the Patriots in the CPL tournament and the first-ever 6Ixty tournament, scored well in the first few matches. Many fans believed that the way he played in the beginning, he would surely book a place in the T20 World Cup. He scored 229 runs in nine CPL matches.
Another opening batsman, Shai Hope is also a prominent player who was not selected for the T20 World Cup. Hope was the second-highest run-scorer after Hetmayer for the Warriors in the CPL, and he scored 252 runs in 09 matches at an average of 31.50.
Shimron’s absence could be seen as a huge loss to the West Indies batting line-up. He almost missed out on being a part of the T20 World Cup due to not being on time for the rescheduled flight. As such, CWI also issued an announcement that Sharmarh Brooks would be sent to Australia as soon as possible.
Sherfane Rutherford is one of the purest hitters of the cricket ball. There is a very good demand in various leagues across the world and hence extensive experience in the T20 format. His day can be absolutely ruthless with the bowlers and tear apart any bowling attack.
A Jamaican player Russell is a fierce all-rounder who represented the West Indies. He has scored 741 runs in 67 matches for West Indies and has also taken 39 wickets. The all-rounder has scored 6943 runs in 414 T20 matches with two centuries and 26 fifties, and he has also taken 372 wickets.
He is another at the top of the famous conveyor belt of Caribbean power hitters, Having gained a lot of experience playing in T20 leagues around the world, he is simply unstoppable if he stays on the wicket for a while.
A mystery spinner in the truest sense of the word, Sunil Narine is a silent hunter who doesn’t talk too much. He has taken 52 wickets in 51 T20 matches for the West Indies, and he has also got 469 wickets in 431 T20 matches around the world, as well as 3313 runs as a batsman.
Narine is representing TKR in this CPL season and has taken 11 wickets in 10 matches. Narine, who has represented in two World Cups and is armed with a wealth of experience playing in leagues across the world, left the fans quite unhappy not to be a part of the T20 World Cup 2022.
Dr. Desmond Haynes stated that Narine is not interested in playing for the team. Like Russell, Narine has had many disputes with the boards, but he had earlier told ESPNcricinfo in an interview that everyone wants to represent their country, so he still wants to play for the West Indies.
Also, another pillar of power who will not be in the World Cup this year is the all-rounder Fabian Allen. Allen can be defined as dynamic with the bat, crafty with the ball, and electric on the field. He is a utility all-rounder in the shorter formats and came to the attention of the West Indies national selectors after his success in the 2014 ICC U-19 World Cup.
However, a place was not reserved for him in this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, and Dr. Desmond Haynes stated,
“Another one that was pretty close as well. Fabian, we have chat with him. Very good fielder. Has done very well in this format for us. I was a bit unfortunate that he was out of injury. We decided to go with a one left arm spinner.”
However, although many speculated that Antigun Walsh would be taken to support Akeal Hosein in the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup, he did not get that opportunity. Even Darren Sammy mentioned that he has been the number-one spinner for about three years and it would be good if he was seen in the squad.
Desmond Haynes discussed with commentator Ian Bishop the reasons for his absence from the squad, saying that Walsh did not seem consistent.
“We have invested in Hayden, but I think when we look at consistency. We still don’t feel that Hayden is consistent enough. We don’t write off any bowler because we think Hayden is somebody who have invested and we believe that he still stand chance if paying for west Indies. we hope again. he’s another one that will continue to do well in the CPL try to give himself selected.”
Also, Guyanese player Keemo Paul can be included in the unselected best XI. The all-rounder has collected 659 runs with 74 wickets in 92 T20 matches. He represented the Warriors in the concluded CPL season, where he scored 137 runs at an average of 34.25.
Also, Jayden Seals and Romario Shepard are two of the best fast bowlers in the XI who have not been selected for the World Cup. Shepard has taken 79 T20 wickets and was the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded 10th CPL season with 14 wickets. However, Seals is yet to play a T20I for West Indies but he has taken 29 wickets in 22 T20 matches.
Here is West Indies’ best XI among the unselected players for the T20 WC 2022:
Andre Fletcher, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherafane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Fabian Allen, Keemo Paul, Sunil Narine, Hyden Walsh Jr., Jayden Seals, Romario Shepherd