Pollard, Smith in WI squad to Australia

Mon, Jan 18, '10

 

The West Indies Cricket Board has named the following players for the upcoming limited-overs tour of Australia:

1. Chris Gayle (Captain)
2. Dwayne Bravo (Vice Captain)
3. Narsingh Deonarine
4. Travis Dowlin
5. Runako Morton
6. Nikita Miller
7. Brendan Nash
8. Kieron Pollard
9. Denesh Ramdin
10. Ravi Rampaul
11. Kemar Roach
12. Darren Sammy
13. Lendl Simmons
14. Dwayne Smith
15. Gavin Tonge

Team Management: Joel Garner (Team Manager), David Williams (Coach), Henderson Springer (Assistant Coach), C.J Clark (Physiotherapist), Hector Martinez Charles (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Richard Berridge (Video & Statistical Analyst), Philip Spooner (Media Officer), Virgil Browne (Massage Therapist).

Several players are unavailable for selection due to injury: Daren Bravo, Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Shiv Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.

Speaking on the team, Clyde Butts (Chairman of Selectors for the West Indies Cricket Board) outlined:

On the team unit: We believe the team will do very well in Australia in the 50-over format as well as the T20 Internationals. We have faith in the players and we believe the team can beat Australia. Before we went to Australia for the Test matches, the team was not given a chance by many people, but we saw how well they bounced backed after the first Test and challenged the Aussies in Adelaide and Perth.

On selections: We are missing some key players due to injuries, but this is an opportunity for other players to re-establish themselves. We have selected some allrounders who we believe have the ability to be match-winners at the international level. Dwayne Smith and Kieron Pollard have been a bit disappointing in the past, but they have displayed the ability to perform on the Twenty/20 stage, and we think they will be major assets in the squad.

Looking forward: There is a lot of cricket to be played in the next five months and we have to be prepared. The players have been working hard and we are looking to do well in Australia and also to continue that work when we return home for the series against Zimbabwe in late February and March. After that we have the much-anticipated ICC T20 World Cup and at home and we want to be fully prepared for that. Following that tournament we face South Africa at home at that will be another major battle. Overall, we want to see the players make progress as individuals, see the team make strides as a unit and get West Indies cricket back up the ladder.

Tour schedule

February 4: vs Prime Minister’s XI, Canberra

One-Day Internationals

February 7: 1st ODI at MCG, Melbourne
February 9: 2nd ODI at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
February 12: 3rd ODI at SCG, Sydney
February 14: 4th ODI at Gabba, Brisbane
February 19: 5th ODI at MCG, Melbourne

T20 Internationals
February 21: at Bellerive Oval, Hobart
February 23: at SCG, Sydney