West Indies team for Nepal
ROSTON CHASE will skipper a 15-member West Indies A team for a five-match T20 tour of Nepal, which started on Saturday 27th April and will run until May 4.
All matches (April 27 and 28, as well as May 1, 2 and 4) will be contested at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Nepal.
The 15-man squad are Chase, his deputy Alick Athanaze, Fabian Allen, Kadeem Alleyne, Joshua Bishop, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Mark Deyal, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh jnr.
Comprising the technical staff are Floyd Reifer (coach), Rayon Griffith (assistant coach), Neil Barry (physiotherapist), Shayne Cooper (strength and conditioning coach) and Avenesh Seetaram (manager/analyst).
According to a media release from Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Monday, the tour “holds significant importance as it serves as another phase in preparation leading up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.”
There are two other quotes of note in the media release.
Chairman of selectors Desmond Haynes said, “(The tour) presents an invaluable opportunity to get our players who are not in the IPL back on the park playing competitive T20 cricket as well as provides the chance for us to expose a few emerging prospects.”
And West Indies white-ball coach Darren Sammy stated, “It offers us a chance to refine our World Cup squad, defining roles and personnel more clearly. Additionally, with nine players in the IPL, we can truly gauge and push the limits of our T20 team’s depth.”
The West Indies players at the IPL, who are ‘almost’ certainties to make the World Cup squad, are captain Rovman Powell, vice-captain Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Andre Russell.
That cohort (excluding Shamar Joseph) were part of the recent three-match West Indies T20 international series away to Australia in February.
Shimron Hetmyer could well force his way into the selectors’ thoughts while Sunil Narine, who has not played a T20 international since 2019, confirmed his desire on Tuesday to remain as a ‘retired international player’.
With regards to the other players who featured against Australia – Chase, Charles, Motie and Thomas are on this A team tour, Jason Holder is in England playing county cricket and Brandon King is injured.
Therefore, one has to wonder what about left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, who has been a mainstay in the T20 squad since making his debut, against South Africa, in Grenada during the 2021 home series.
In 47 T20 Internationals, he has claimed 38 wickets at an average of 31.44 and at an economy rate of 7.51. But, in his last three series, he took five wickets at home to India (in five matches), six at home to England (in five matches) and one away to Australia.
With the recall of the enigmatic pair of leg-spinner Walsh and left-armer Fabiam Allen in the squad for Nepal, it can be interpreted that both will be looking to displace Hosein in the WI squad for the June 1-29 World Cup, which will be staged jointly in the West Indies and United States.
To be more analytical, regarding the Nepal team, it is almost a likelihood that Charles, Athanaze and Fletcher will be challenging for opening duties.
However, if one looks at the fact that Mayers’ form has deteriorated so badly that he lost both the vice-captaincy and his place in the starting XI, then batting all-rounders Alleyne (medium pace) and Deyal (off-spin) – who are yet to play at the international level – would each be fancying their chances to force their way into the selectors’ plans for the impending World Cup.
Left-arm spinner Bishop has been rewarded for his impressive all-round form of late, against Ireland (in late 2023) and in the domestic first-class competition, for the West Indies Academy team.
Carty can be seen as long-term prospect while Matthew Forde, Keemo Paul and Obed McCoy could be in the reckoning for the World Cup, if any of the frontline bowlers are injured or suffer a shocking loss of form.
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