Rovman Powell Named Vice-Captain As West Indies Make Numerous Changes To T20I Squad

The West Indies’ search for the perfect team to take to the T20 World Cup in October remains strong, with an almost completely new set of players set to face Bangladesh in a three-match series beginning on July 2. Five of the 16 players who appeared in their last short-form assignment have been dropped.
Meanwhile, Rovman Powell, who had a strong IPL season with the Delhi Capitals, has been named T20I vice-captain.

Jason Holder’s absence from these games had already been confirmed, and Kieron Pollard has officially retired from international cricket, but players who had been to India in February, including Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, and Shai Hope, have been benched. Dominic Drakes is only able to play as a reserve.

Obed McCoy, a left-arm fast bowler who played for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL final, Keemo Paul, an all-arounder, and Devon Thomas, a wicketkeeper, were all recalled to the 13-person T20I team.

‘We know Rovman Powell history’: Desmond Haynes

Gudakesh Motie, a left-arm spinner who has played one Test and one T20I, has been named to a 13-man ODI squad to face Bangladesh beginning July 10. West Indies will be led by Nicholas Pooran in both formats.

“We are aware of Rovman Powell’s history,” said chief selector Desmond Haynes. “Rovman Powell has previously captained the West Indies and is the skipper of his CPL franchise [Jamaica Tallawahs].” Our role is also to look at future leaders, and we have recognized a few, including himself, for whom we will be putting programs in place to keep them engaged in that aspect of the game.“

“In general, we need to start thinking about the big picture of getting these players together as much as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later this year. We must ensure that we field a very strong team for that tournament.”

White-ball matches will begin with three T20Is on July 2, July 3, and July 7, followed by ODIs on July 10, July 13, and July 16. The first two games will be played in Dominica, which will host the first games since Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. Guyana will host the final four games. On Wednesday, the West Indies won both games of a two-match Test series against Bangladesh.

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