West Indies Squad Announcement for 2024 T20 World Cup Glory
The West Indies Cricket Board has revealed its 15-man squad for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, featuring notable inclusions such as Shimron Hetmyer and emerging talent Shamar Joseph.
Rovman Powell will lead the team as captain, with Alzarri Joseph appointed as vice-captain.
The 15-man West Indies squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup includes Shimron Hetmyer. Additionally called up is 24-year-old fast bowler Shamar Joseph, who has only participated in three Twenty20 matches and has not yet made his debut for his country in the format.
Along with Jason Holder, Andre Russell, and Nicholas Pooran, Alzarri Joseph has been named captain Rovman Powell’s deputy.
After missing his flight, Hetmyer was removed off the 2022 T20 World Cup roster. He participated in the England and India series of last year before being left out of the white-ball selections for the Australia tour and being benched for the last two Twenty20 Internationals in the England series.
Despite winning the T20 World Cup twice (in 2012 and 2016), West Indies’ performance in the previous two tournaments was lackluster. Under Kieron Pollard’s leadership, they won just one game during the group stage in 2021 and were eliminated. Under Nicholas Pooran’s captaincy, they missed out on the main round in Australia a year later. They also failed to get past the qualifier, which prevented them from being eligible for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
“I’m making it very clear to everybody that whatever team you hear us put out today, that team we feel is going to win the World Cup,” West Indies head of selectors Desmond Haynes stated following the squad announcement.
Although the selectors had made a list of candidates for the reserves, Hayes said that a final selection would be finalized following the West Indies A tour of Nepal and the home Twenty20I series against South Africa. The South Africa series will begin with a training camp in Antigua the following weekend. Sammy, the head coach for white-ball, added that CWI has asked the BCCI to expeditiously release West Indies players from the current IPL.
Haynes acknowledged that choosing Hetmyer over Kyle Mayers, who has frequently opened the innings while also serving as a useful medium-pace bowler, was a “very close decision”. The selectors believed that having a finisher was more crucial than having a top-order batsman like Mayers, who plays for LSG in the IPL right now.
Another player that West Indies selectors are keeping an eye on is left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, who is currently competing for the West Indies A squad in Nepal.
Sammy added that Brandon King, who was forced to skip the West Indies A’s current tour of Nepal because of a knee injury, will participate in the Twenty20 series against South Africa at home. This will help both teams get ready for the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 1. West Indies have till May 25 to alter their provisional 15 if King is still deemed unfit.
Regarding Roson Chase’s selection as the team’s only offspinner, Haynes emphasized that his statistics showed he was the “most economical bowler” in addition to being a strong all-around player and having the ability to fill a “similar role” to Marlon Samuels during the West Indies’ T20 World Cup victory.
As Daren Sammy had emphasized, Haynes claimed that Shamar and Hetmyer’s participation was role-specific.
“You really can’t question Shamar Joseph’s skills,” Haynes stated. “In Australia, you observed him. Someone up front bowling the first powerplay caught our eye, and he meets all the requirements.”
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Shamar is one of the West Indies players playing in the IPL. He established his reputation with a magnificent seven-wicket haul that helped the team secure a historic Test victory at the Gabba. He was brought in by the Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement, but he struggled in his debut, giving up 47 runs to the Kolkata Knight Riders. He has not taken a wicket in his three Twenty20 matches and has given up 9.91 runs per over.
Sammy claimed that selecting the team was “difficult” because there were other candidates to consider. One of them was Matthew Forde, a fast bowler who had a great 2023 CPL and made his debut for the West Indies against England in the home white-ball series. But Sammy agreed with Haynes when he said Shamar had defeated Forde and other new ball contenders.
“Shamar Joseph has the pace, he has skills with the new ball,” remarked Sammy. “Not saying Matthew Forde doesn’t, but when you look at the role, it makes it easier for us to now pick the personnel to fit that role.”
“Ever since I became coach, I have had conversations with all players who took part in the 2023 CPL that I thought could have an impact for us this World Cup,” West Indies head coach Sammy said in response to a question about whether Sunil Narine was in the running given his excellent all-around form in the ongoing IPL. I did, in fact, speak with Narine. Nonetheless, Narine is retired, as the news made apparent.”
When the West Indies won the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2012, Sammy was the captain. Those victories included Johnson Charles and Russell, who made his long-awaited comeback to the West Indies team during the Australia series in January. Sammy acknowledged that the chance to make history by being the first side to win a T20 World Cup at home inspired him.
“This period here reminds me of when I was captain, Ottis Gibson or Phil Simmons was coach, sitting down in selection, having a healthy performance squad to pick from and you look at all angles, which 15 men you put on the park, and what every single angle could give you an advantage,” Sammy said when asked which player in the West Indies team he would single out as an X-factor. That gives me fifteen X-factors. I was informed throughout the meeting that we have matchwinners, and everyone is aware of this by Dessie [Desmond Haynes].
West Indies Group Phase Schedule
Group C comprises Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Uganda, New Zealand, and the West Indies. They play their opening two matches at Providence, Guyana, on June 2 against PNG and June 8 against Uganda. After that, on June 12 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, they take on New Zealand, and on June 17, in St Lucia, they play their last group match against Afghanistan.
Squad For T20 World Cup
Rovman Powell (C), Alzarri Joseph (VC), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford.
