West Indies opener Evin Lewis is still ineligible for the team after failing to pass the required fitness tests ahead of the New Zealand series.
The left-handed opener lastly represented West Indies in the T20 World Cup against Australia in November last year.
Called a template for Chris Gayle who was devastating in the shorter format, he has scored 1423 runs in 50 T20Is with two centuries and 10 fifties. He also scored 1847 runs with 4 centuries and 10 fifties in 54 ODI innings at an average of 36.94.
This fitness issue of his first starts before the 2020 West Indies tour of Sri Lanka. It was then announced that Lewis and another great batsman, Shimron Hetmyer, had failed a fitness test.
However, Lewis achieved success against Sri Lanka in March last year thanks to a commitment to fitness and gym work. He has scored 466 runs in his last 10 ODI innings with 02 centuries and three fifties.
Desmond Haynes, the head of the selection committee, once mentioned that Lewis had discussed this fitness issue directly with Lewis.
“I spoke to Evin probably a couple weeks ago, when it was reported to me that Evin was asked to do a fitness test in India with his IPL franchise and because of an injury it was suggested that he would do a 2K run.”
And,
“When I reached out to him…I asked him all the things that I have heard regarding the injury. He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘You were asked to do a 2K?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, “Did you do it?” he said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Did you not try to make arrangements to redo the test?’ He said, ‘No.”
As well as,
“The vibes I got from him that he was not interested in doing it anyway. It is nothing I can do. I would really like a time…where we could just get an opportunity to pick all of these guys, but sometimes I am not too sure if these guys want to play.”
“Evin Lewis was not considered for selection after failing to meet CWI’s fitness criteria.”
However, CWI head of selectors Desmond Haynes confirmed that, as before, Lewis will not play in the upcoming series against New Zealand as he has not completed a fitness test.
Shimron Hetmyer, who faced this problem, faced a fitness test before the last India T20 series and he successfully completed it, he played in the T20 series with India and the ongoing NZ Series.