Image Credit- CPL T20
Sherfane Rutherford and Matthew Forde, two uncapped
players, have been called up to the West Indies ODI squad to play England next
month. In addition, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich will now play in the one-day
format, and Shai Hope’s vice-captain is Alzarri Joseph.
After averaging 78.00 in the local Super50 Cup,
Dowrich—whose only other ODI cap came against Bangladesh in 2019—returned to
the team. Kjorn Ottley, the competition’s third-highest run scorer, was also
recalled. As the West Indies begin to prepare for the 2027 World Cup in South
Africa, Forde’s all-around efforts for West Indies Academy earned him a call-up
to the national team. Rutherford, who has six T20I caps, also impressed while
collecting his first List A hundred.
“We named Alzarri Joseph as vice-captain as he
demonstrated maturity and good leadership qualities for the Leeward Islands
Hurricanes during the recent CG United Super50 Cup,” West Indies lead
selector, Desmond Haynes, said. “We believe with exposure and
opportunities he could be a future leader in West Indies cricket. Matthew Forde
is a whole-hearted cricketer who has been impressive. He is one of the players
coming through the West Indies Academy programme who can form part of the future.
“England on tour of the West Indies is always
filled with excitement and expectation. We expect this to be a hard-fought
series, but we also believe this squad will do well in our home conditions. We
have a clear vision. We are focused on building a solid team. Our main focus is
to re-build for success at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.”
The last time the West Indies played in an ODI format,
they lost 2-1 against India in August, just after missing out on World Cup
qualification. Rovman Powell, Dominic Drakes, Kyle Mayers, and Jayden Seales
were among the players participating against India who were left off of the
roster for the three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against England, which begin
in Antigua on December 3.
The squad convened in Antigua on Monday to begin
preparations for the series, with nets, planning and fitness sessions at the
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Coolidge Cricket Ground. The ODI series will be
followed by five T20Is, spread between in Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad.