Sarwan, Taylor return for Windies
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jerome Taylor have been named in West Indies’ 15-member squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.
The West Indies selection panel have included Sarwan and Taylor following injury layoffs; they have recalled Wavell Hinds, after he was ignored for the recent home series against Zimbabwe; and stuck with wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin for the competition that begins at month-end in the Caribbean.
“We are confident our players will deliver on the home stage,” said chairman of the West Indies selection panel Clyde Butts in a WICB media release.
“If we play as a unit we have a very good chance of winning the T20 World Cup. The strength is in the all-round ability of the team.”
He added: “Overall, we have a balanced side with good all-round strength. We want to prepare well because good preparation leads to good results.
“Some of the players were in Barbados last week, and [they] now go to Jamaica for the Jamaica Cricket Festival. This provides the coach with a chance to be with the players and also to plan and prepare well.”
Sarwan has been out of action, since he injured his back when training on West Indies’ tour of Australia last November.
He made a successful return to competitive play during the last round of the regional first-class championship with a hundred against Windward Islands in Grenada.
West Indies officials, however, chose not to risk the stylish batsman in the recent limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe.
Hinds can also help in this regard if he can transform his modest international record. He is a handy batsman that has been moved up and down the West Indies’ order over the years, and can also bowl a slippery medium-pace.
He visited Australia for limited-overs matches earlier this year, when the reserves were low, and was then overlooked for the matches against Zimbabwe
Sarwan and Hinds can fortify a suspect batting line-up, whose limitations were cruelly exposed during the Zimbabwe series, particularly to spin.
“We have Chris Gayle at the top of the order and he can be a match-winner,” said Butts about the Windies batting.
“It is also good to have our experienced players in the middle-order — Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan — and this gives us strength in the batting.”
He said: “Wavell Hinds has been recalled, and he brings a wealth of experience. He is a knowledgeable cricketer, and we believe he can make a good contribution in the middle-order as well.
“Dwayne Bravo is one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket and he is the key man with bat and ball.”
Like Sarwan, Taylor has been sidelined, since he hobbled off the Gabba in Australia last year with a hip injury.
Unlike Sarwan however, the fast bowler has not played any serious cricket in recent months, and will have to spend the next few weeks trying to get match fit.
He will return to most likely share the new ball with Kemar Roach, and add the edge that was lacking in the bowling in recent matches.
“We are happy to have Jerome Taylor back in the bowling department and this is a big plus,” Butts said.
“I also believe Sulieman Benn will play a major role with the ball.”
The selectors have chosen to stay with Ramdin despite his recent travails with the bat. They had the option of Carlton Baugh Jr, whose batting is far superior, but whose ‘keeping may have been a let-down.
Ramdin, however, should not get too comfortable, since Andre Fletcher has also been named in the squad, and is a viable alternative.
The major omissions are talented young batsmen Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo, Dwayne’s younger brother, as well as all-rounder Dwayne Smith.
West Indies have been drawn in Group D of the first stage that will be contested at the Guyana National Stadium.
They face Ireland on Friday, April 30 in a day/nighter, and England on Monday, May 3 in a day game.
Squad: Chris Gayle (captain), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Wavell Hinds, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.