The West Indies selectors have caused a major surprise in leaving out a trio of big names from the one-day international squad that will play South Africa in five 50-over matches next month.
The team will be captained by 23-year-old seam bowler Jason Holder after the former skipper Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Kieron Pollard were all left out of the 15-man squad. With the series coming so soon before the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February, their omission could have ominous ramifications for their chances of playing in that event.
That trio of all-rounders have 370 one-day international caps between them, while Holder has played just 21 matches.
Bravo was at the centre of the bitter dispute between the players, the West Indies Cricket Board and the players association which led to the abandonment of the tour to India last month.
In a terse statement released at the weekend, the WICB “thanked” Bravo, who captained the West Indies in 37 one-day internationals, for his services as skipper with chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd saying the time was right for a transition.
“The selectors decided that now is the time to make the transition and Jason will have people around him to help and guide him,” said Lloyd. “Some might say it’s close to the time of next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand but we know that we have a good one-day team which can do very well.”
Chris Gayle has been called-up alongside Andrew Russell, who shone recently in the RamSlam T20 Challenge for the Knights plus big-hitting opener Dwayne Smith.
Strangely, Pollard, Bravo and Sammy have been called up for the three T20 Internationals which will be played shortly after the third Test. Sammy will captain that side.
West Indies ODI squad: Jason Holder (capt), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Narsingh Deonarine, Leon Johnson, Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.
West Indies T20 squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle (subject to fitness test), Jason Holder, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith. - The Star