West Indies have named their 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 which will begin on October 13.
The team looks similar to the one which faced India/New Zeland in the five-match T20I series at the home with Evin Lewis being recalled to the squad.
Moreover, two big names-Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have been left out. Haynes said they decided to pick someone “in form” instead of Russell, who last played a T20I in the T20 World Cup last year.
“We had a meeting with Andre Russell earlier in the year, We’re still not convinced yet, he’s not performing as well as we would like to see him in the competition. I think in the situation with Andre Russell, we’ve just decided to move on, and look for someone who’s in form, and doing well in the T20 format.” Haynes told Ian Bishop in an interview on the sidelines of Wednesday’s CPL game between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
With batter Nicholas Pooran set to lead the side, there have been a few other surprise selections as well, along with the exclusions of the aforementioned big names in the world of T20 Cricket.
Furthermore, two uncapped players have also been picked with right-arm leg-spinner allrounder Yannic Cariah and left-arm batting allrounder Raymon Reifer making the cut over the regulars in leg-spinner Hayden Walsh and Romario Shephard.
At the top of the order, wicket-keeper Johnson Charles, on the back of his decent enough numbers in CPL 2022 so far, marks his return back to the side, having last played a T20I in December 2016.
With room for just one left-arm spinner in the squad, as per Cricket West Indies chief selector Desmond Haynes, Akeal Hosein has been preferred over Fabien Allen.
Having managed to score mere 34 runs across 4 innings at an average of mere 8.50 in CPL 2022 for far, Andre Russell has been dropped from the 15-member squad, with past reputation being no ground for selection, as per Haynes.
“We had a meeting with Andre Russell earlier in the year,” Haynes said. “We’re still not convinced yet, he’s not performing as well as we would like to see him in the competition. I think in the situation with Andre Russell, we’ve just decided to just move on, and look for someone who’s in form, and doing well in the T20 format,” exclaimed Haynes.
As for Narine, who has not yet been able to get his issues resolved with the West Indies Cricket Board, the 34-year-old has, like the 2021 T20 World Cup been left out of the squad yet again.
West Indies chief selector Desmond Haynes, who has also been an opening batsman for West Indies in the past, revealed that the current West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran had regular conversations with Sunil Narine about his availability for the T20 World Cup 2022. It didn’t seem at any stage that Narine was interested in playing for West Indies anymore.
“Yes, again, the captain [Nicholas Pooran] told me he’s reached out to Narine, but I’m not too sure he wants to play,” Haynes remarked when queried about Narine.
ICYMI: CWI has announced the 15-man squad for the Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia! #MenInMaroon #T20WorldCup
More details⬇️ https://t.co/t6ils9Xdox pic.twitter.com/GKxgCHZcvG
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) September 14, 2022
When asked about Russell, Desmond Haynes said that in the case of Russell, the selection committee, and the team management, both were of the opinion that West Indies needed to move on from him and persist with a young all-rounder.
I agree with the omission of andre russell but Narine is still the best and most economical bowler in t20 cricket.Seems a bit strange the chief selector will leave it up to pooran to talk to sunil.Is he to big to reach out to him something doesn’t look right.
West Indies has the same old KINGDOM that ruled the CRICKET CLUB for DONKEY YEARS so what is the difference now or the future.