Chris Gayle and Andre Russell will hope to continue their good form.
West Indies players on arrival in England for the camp at Southampton
Chennai:
A number of administrative changes in the Board paved the way for return of superstars who can single-handedly tilt a contest in their favour. Opener Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are back in the fold, much to the delight of the Windies faithful. The duo, along with rest of the squad, will look to punch above their weight in the ten-team competition.
Strengths: Veteran Gayle made a dream comeback to limited-overs cricket, blasting over 400 runs in the home series against England. The ‘Universe Boss’ was also in good nick in the Indian Premier League, amassing 490 runs. The 39-year-old is known to give cracking starts and his current form will only enhance Windies’ chances of going further in the tournament. Apart from Gayle, the side possesses a number of power hitters in Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Russell. Shai Hope’s consistency at the top of the order will also be of great help.
Weaknesses: The team lacks a wicket-taking spin-bowling option. In the absence of mystery bowler Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse will be the frontline player in that department for skipper Jason Holder. While the offie is good at stemming the run flow, he isn’t one who breaks partnerships at crucial situations. Apart from Nurse, the only other regular slow bowler is Fabian Allen, who is also not an attacking option.
Opportunities: The national selectors have banked on a few youngsters and have given them a ticket to England and Wales, courtesy their match-winning prowess. Hetmyer, wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and pacer Oshane Thomas, in the last one year, have given good shape to the squad. The round-robin stage of the upcoming global event will serve as a platform for the trio to show what they have up their sleeve.
Threats: While age is not on Gayle’s side, a couple of key members are yet to be fully fit. Russell somehow managed to get through the IPL, but with this being a longer format, he will have to be 100% to unleash his absolute best.
Failure to win the tri-nation series (also featuring Bangladesh and Ireland) would have slightly dented the Windies’ confidence prior to the WC. It is to be noted that some of the main players weren’t included in the squad for the tri-series in Ireland.
Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Shannon Gabriel, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas and Sheldon Cottrell.
Two-time champion West Indies is all set for the 2019 World Cup after going through two tough years. It drew a home series against England back in the Caribbean, at the beginning of the year.
A number of administrative changes in the Board paved the way for return of superstars who can single-handedly tilt a contest in their favour. Opener Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are back in the fold, much to the delight of the Windies faithful. The duo, along with rest of the squad, will look to punch above their weight in the ten-team competition.
Strengths: Veteran Gayle made a dream comeback to limited-overs cricket, blasting over 400 runs in the home series against England. The ‘Universe Boss’ was also in good nick in the Indian Premier League, amassing 490 runs. The 39-year-old is known to give cracking starts and his current form will only enhance Windies’ chances of going further in the tournament. Apart from Gayle, the side possesses a number of power hitters in Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Russell. Shai Hope’s consistency at the top of the order will also be of great help.
Weaknesses: The team lacks a wicket-taking spin-bowling option. In the absence of mystery bowler Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse will be the frontline player in that department for skipper Jason Holder. While the offie is good at stemming the run flow, he isn’t one who breaks partnerships at crucial situations. Apart from Nurse, the only other regular slow bowler is Fabian Allen, who is also not an attacking option.
Opportunities: The national selectors have banked on a few youngsters and have given them a ticket to England and Wales, courtesy their match-winning prowess. Hetmyer, wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and pacer Oshane Thomas, in the last one year, have given good shape to the squad. The round-robin stage of the upcoming global event will serve as a platform for the trio to show what they have up their sleeve.
Threats: While age is not on Gayle’s side, a couple of key members are yet to be fully fit. Russell somehow managed to get through the IPL, but with this being a longer format, he will have to be 100% to unleash his absolute best.
Failure to win the tri-nation series (also featuring Bangladesh and Ireland) would have slightly dented the Windies’ confidence prior to the WC. It is to be noted that some of the main players weren’t included in the squad for the tri-series in Ireland.
Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Shannon Gabriel, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas and Sheldon Cottrell.