WI name ODI squad for India series, Roach recalled
The West Indies cricket team has been announced for the upcoming three-match ODI series against India. The tournament is scheduled to kick off on February 6. The newly appointed West Indies' chief selector Desmond Haynes has recalled the trio of Brandon King, Kemar Roach, and Nkrumah Bonner in their ODI set-up while naming his first squad. Here are further details.
- Roach's last ODI appearance came in August 2019 against India in Port of Spain. He has played 92 ODIs and picked 124 wickets.
- Bonner was part of West Indies' ODI squad during their tour of Bangladesh in 2021. Bonner has played just three ODIs so far and scored 51 runs.
- King last played an ODI for WI during their Ireland series in 2018-20.
Here is West Indies' ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr
Explaining Roach's return, Haynes said that the former is one of the nation's best pacers. He added that the sides needs bowlers upfront to get early wickets and Kemar, who has an economy rate of around five, is certainly good enough to play. "We want to reach a stage where we have a lot of players fighting for positions," Haynes added.
Though Bonner is yet to live up to the expectations in ODI cricket, he has been a regular in West Indies' Test team since his debut in 2021, scoring 577 runs in nine games. "Bonner's cricket has come on leaps and bounds and we believe he should be given an opportunity to play in the 50-over format," Haynes said.
The opening ODI match will be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, February 6. The next two ODIs will be played on February 9 and 11 at the same venue. The Star Sports Network has the broadcasting rights for the India versus West Indies series. Live streaming will be available on Disney+Hotstar (paid subscription).
