Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Pooran, Yannic Cariah, Akeal Hosein, and Evin Lewis have been named on the West Indies team for next month’s ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) made the announcement on Wednesday and the T&T quartet make the cut to be named on the squad of 15 players.
Pooran will lead West Indies at a major ICC event for the first time after taking over the role after Kieron Pollard retired from international cricket in May 2022.
He was vice-captain of the West Indies team at the 2014 ICC U19 World Cup in Dubai.
Lewis is back on the team for the first time since the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, after enduring concerns over his fitness.
Hosein, who is currently listed as injured and has missed the last four games for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League, is expected to recover well in time for the tournament.
Cariah, 31, is one of two uncapped players on the team (along with Barbados’ Raymond Reifer).
The former West Indies U19 batsman impressed during his debut ODI series against New Zealand when he notched a maiden international fifty and took three wickets.
However, mystery spinner Sunil Narine and all-rounder Andre Russell were not selected for the team.
Rovman Powell has been named as vice-captain.
The in-form Jamaica Tallawahs captain and Pooran will be at the center of a powerful West Indies batting lineup.
They are backed up by the talents of Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Kyle Mayers, Raymond Reifer, Brandon King, and Cariah.
Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph will spearhead the pace attack along with Sheldon Cottrell, Obed McCoy, and Odean Smith.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Akeal Hosein and leg-spinner Cariah were the only slow bowlers selected for the World Cup, which will be played on pitches that favor pacers.
West Indies have won the ICC World T20 title on two occasions (2012 and 2016) and are going after an unprecedented third title.
Pooran’s team open their campaign on 17 October against Scotland at Bellerive Oval in Hobart, in a Group B encounter.
They also play Zimbabwe (19 October) and Ireland (21 October) for a place, with the top two teams in the group moving on to the Super 12s.
Australia will defend their ICC T20 World Cup title at home from 16 October to 13 November.
West Indies will play Australia in a two-match bilateral T20 international before the World Cup.
The matches will be played at Metricon Stadium (Gold Coast) on 5 October, and on 7 October at the ‘Gabba (Brisbane).
WEST INDIES ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran – Captain
Rovman Powell – Vice-Captain
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
MATCH SCHEDULE
T20 International Series, Australia vs West Indies
October 5: 1st T20I, Australia vs West Indies, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast
October 7: 2nd T20I, Australia vs West Indies, The Gabba, Brisbane
ICC MEN’s T20 WORLD CUP 2022, Australia
Round 1 – Groups
Group A: Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Namibia
Group B: Scotland, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland
(Top two teams from each group advance to Super 12s)
Round 1 – Match Schedule (all played at Bellerive Oval, Hobart).
October 17: West Indies v Scotland, 15h00 Australia time, 00h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 23h00 Jamaica time (16 October)
October 19: West Indies v Zimbabwe, 19h00 Australia time, 04h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 03h00 Jamaica time
October 21: West Indies v Ireland, 15h00 Australia time, 00h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 23h00 Jamaica time (20 October)
Super 12s
Group 1: England, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, A1 and B2.
Group 2: India, Pakistan, Pakistan, South Africa, A2 and B1.
(Top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals)
SEMI-FINALS
November 9: SCG, Sydney
November 10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
FINAL
November 13: MCG, Melbourne
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