West Indies’ Captain Pollard out of Pakistan tour
ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda (AFP) — West Indies white ball captain, Kieron Pollard was left out of the squad to tour Pakistan yesterday after failing to recover from a hamstring injury he sustained during the recent T20 World Cup.
Cricket West Indies said Nicholas Pooran will lead the T20I side (he also captained them in the 4-1 win over Australia in St Lucia earlier this year) with all-rounder Rovman Powell replacing Pollard as a player.
Shai Hope will captain the One-Day International (ODI) team for the first time, with the experienced Devon Thomas coming into the squad.
Pollard, 34, will engage in rehabilitation work in Trinidad and will be reassessed in a few weeks, ahead of the home tours against Ireland and England in January 2022.
“Pollard will undergo rehabilitation work in Trinidad, under the supervision of CWI’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Israel Dowlat, and will be reassessed in a few weeks ahead of the upcoming home tours against Ireland and England in January 2022,” Cricket West Indies said in a website statement.
The West Indies are due to play three T20Is and three ODIs at Karachi National Stadium from December 13 to 22.
The ODI series will be West Indies’ fourth of 12 in the men’s Cricket World Cup Super League in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.
West Indies currently lie in eighth position out of 13 teams and have the opportunity to move above Pakistan into seventh position.
ODI squad: Shai Hope (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jnr
T20 squad: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jnr
Schedule (all matches in Karachi)
December 13: 1st T20I
December 14: 2nd T20I
December 16: 3rd T20I
December 18: 1st ODI
December 20: 2nd ODI
December 22: 3rd ODI
— Additional report from Cananewsonline.com