West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell and Jason Holder have been rested for this month’s three-match Twenty20 home series against South Africa, governing body Cricket West Indies (CWI) said on Sunday.
Medium pacer Matthew Forde and all-rounder Fabian Allen, who missed the T20 World Cup co-hosted by West Indies in June, have returned to the squad.
Miles Bascombe, CWI’s director of cricket, revealed Russell, 36, requested ‘for a period of rest and recovery’. Russell returned to the West Indies squad for the showpiece event and lately completed his stint with London Spirit in The Hundred.
“Andre Russell requested a period of rest and recovery as well as Jason Holder who played five back-to-back tests against England and South Africa,” CWI’s director of cricket Miles Bascombe said in a statment.
“During this period, they will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team,” he added.
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who was rested for the test series against South Africa this month, is absent from the 15-man squad along with injured opening batter Brandon King.
Russell and Holder will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team, and Joseph – recently appointed the Test vice-captain, will continue to take his time off. West Indies’ Test coach Andre Coley also spoke about managing Joseph’s workload in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.
“As far as Alzarri is concerned, it always helps to have a period of time away from the game to work on your individual skills because you could get drawn into moving from one tournament to the next and might actually lose some of your skills.
“So, it’s building in the right amount of rest time where he does nothing, but then also have little periods where he is not in competition. That way, he will be able to create more control around his bowling,” the Test coach noted.
The series will be played on August 23, August 25 and August 27 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.
How come,Players from other countries have to play test cricket. And Big names.