The West Indies squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup was named last Wednesday, and while players like Johnson Charles, Raymon Reifer, and Yannic Cariah were part of it, some senior names were missing. Among them, Sunil Narine, Russell and Fletcher were the main ones.
However, there was some discussion among the fans about these selections, and former captain Sir Vivian Richards urged the Caribbean fans to rally behind the team.
Commenting further, the former captain said that although the team has not had the best in terms of preparation for the T20 World Cup but Australia is a great place to play cricket, so there is the potential to change matches. He described,
“Regardless of whatever squad it is, we are Caribbean people and we’ve got to get behind the team, so until they do whatever, then let’s support. We haven’t had the best in terms of preparation leading up to the T20 World Cup, but you never know, things can turn around.”
Also,
“The guys could find some energy and gel together as a team, and Australia is a place that I know, it can be done because it is a magnificent place, in my opinion, to play cricket, so things can change around.”
This year’s Twenty20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Australia from October 16 to November 13, and the first match to qualify for the Super 12 will be played by Sri Lanka against Namibia on October 16. Also, West Indies’ first match is scheduled to start on October 17, against Scotland.
When asked by the Antigua Observer what role the captain should play in team selection, Sir Vivian Richard described it this way,
“I think it’s fair enough for a captain to have a fair say about individuals that he trusts and stuff like that, and as I said, it’s all about the trust factor, believing in the captain, and if you believe in the captain and he asks for something, then most times, selectors would agree. It has to be something really abnormal for them to not to.”