Shimron Hetmyer Fails Fitness Test For The Second Time In One Year

West Indies hard-hitting batsman Shimron Hetmyer was not considered in the limited-overs squad for the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka after not passing a fitness test. Sri Lanka will tour the West Indies that consists of three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests, getting underway from the 4th of March. Reportedly, Shimron Hetmyer has failed the fitness test for the second time in a year. Earlier in 2020 when West Indies toured Sri Lanka for playing white-ball cricket, Hetmyer and Lewis both failed fitness tests, leading to their exclusion.

Shimron Hetmyer has been in a red-hot form of late, scoring an outstanding hundred in the Regional Super50 competition for Guyana Jaguars a few days back. The 24-year old is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament behind Jason Mohammed and Jonathan Carter. Hetmyer has accumulated 280 runs in six matches at 56 while keeping a strike rate of 130.23.

As per Cricket West Indies regulations, their cricketers must pass the yoyo test to be available for selection. However, the board does allow some exemption to certain players who do not make the grade. Nevertheless, an approach has created a controversy in the past and it is the second occasion that Shimron Hetmyer has failed to make the squad due to failing fitness requirements.

Shimron Hetmyer not the only absentee from the West Indies’ squad:

Alongside Shimron Hetmyer, the likes of Oshane Thomas, Andre Russell, Sheldon Cottrell, and Roston Chase are also absent from the squad – being the first-choice cricketers in the shortest format. Nevertheless, veterans in Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards have earned recalls to the West Indies’ squad as they build towards defending their World T20 crown later this year in India.

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