ICC T20 World Cup 2022: No Place For Andre Russell As West Indies Announce Squad For The Tournament

The Cricket West Indies (CWI), on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022, which was devoid of T20 legend Andre Russell. The tournament will be played in Australia from October 16 onwards across seven cities in the country.

Nicholas Pooran will be leading the two-time T20 World champs for the first time in an ICC event, while Rovman Powell has been named his deputy.

There is no room in the squad for the allrounder Andre Russell, who last featured for West Indies during last year’s T20 World Cup which was held in UAE. However, Evin Lewis, who also played for the Men in Maroon in that tournament, has been recalled after missing out for almost an entire year due to fitness issues.

Fabien Allen, who has been on a break from cricket for family reasons has not been considered, and also leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr was also not selected for the squad. Instead of Walsh, the CWI selectors went for uncapped Yannic Cariah, who made his West Indies debut during last month’s ODI series against New Zealand.

Another uncapped player picked is the left-arm batting allrounder, Raymon Reifer.

West Indies To Play Scotland In Their Qualifying Round Opener

Unfortunately, the West Indies team has not qualified for the main draw directly and needs to play the qualifying round first in order to make it into the super 12s stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

They will take on Scotland in the first of three Group B fixtures played at the Bellerive Oval, in Hobart, Tasmania. And next, they will face off against Zimbabwe on October 19 and then Ireland on October 21 with the top two teams from Group B joining the Super 12s, along with the top two teams from Group A which features Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Namibia.

“We have selected a mixture of youth and experience to represent the West Indies. In the selection process, we have been cognizant of the ongoing CPL and we have been looking at the players who have been playing very well. I said at the beginning of my tenure that I would be interested in giving players the opportunity and I think I have been consistent in doing that. I believe it is a very good team we have selected, and it is a team that will compete, given that we have to qualify from Round 1 into the Super12s,” said Desmond Haynes, CWI’s Lead Selector.

Before the T20 World Cup 2022 starts, West Indies will play Australia in a two-match bilateral T20I series which will be played on October 5 at Gold Coast and October 7 in Brisbane.

West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022: Nicholas Pooran (C), Rovman Powell (Vc), Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed Mccoy, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith

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