Left-arm seamer Obed McCoy has been added to the 15-man squad for the West Indies Senior Men’s T20I squad as a replacement for medium-pacer Matthew Forde for the remainder of the five-match T20I series against England in Saint Lucia.
Forde, named Player of the Series in the One Day International leg of the tour, where the West Indies secured a series win, sustained a left thigh injury during training on Wednesday 13 November, at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium. The 22-year-old Forde will continue to be monitored by the medical team as he works toward a full recovery.
Win the toss, win the match - win the series. Jos Buttler's third correct call of the T20I series resulted in yet another successful chase, as England beat West Indies by three wickets at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground to take an unassailable 3-0 lead.
This, however, was the toughest ask, despite a target of 146 being the lowest of the three so far. Once again, West Indies scrapped to a respectable total from a dire position of 37 for 5. Saqib Mahmood took 3 for 17, doing as he has done in bossing the powerplay, before Jamie Overton gutted the middle order with 3 for 20 after Rovman Powell's 54 and 30 from Romario Shepherd rebuilt from the wreckage.
But Akeal Hosein's 4 for 22 kept West Indies in the hunt right to the end. Sam Curran's 41 off 26, along with a run-a-ball 32 from Will Jacks had just kept England on course. Liam Livingstone's 39 removed what jeopardy there was.
Livingstone was lucky to be out there long enough to have that impact, having been dropped three times. The first, on 6, was the easiest - Nicholas Pooran shelling a top-edged hook off Alzarri Joseph, returning from his two-match suspension as one of three changes.
Nicholas Pooran arrived at Kensington Oval on Sunday afternoon fully prepped for the second T20I against England, his 100th international in the format. He gave thanks for another day to showcase his flamboyant batting, knowing there was a time when it seemed like he might never play again.
"It's what I love to do. I just love playing cricket, it's what I wanted to do from a child and I get to live my dream," he said.
"Everyone knows my story: when I had the accident [in 2015], when many people felt I would never play cricket again. At the time I felt playing cricket again was impossible. When I recovered in the hospital the first thing I asked was if I would be able to play cricket again.
"Now I'm on both feet and I enjoy everything I do for West Indies cricket and for the fans who come to see me play. I play for them. When the fans are around that is when the magic happens. There was a time during the pandemic when we had no fans [in the stands]… that felt strange. I always give thanks for my blessings. Having represented West Indies in my 100th T20I is a special feeling… I feel like I can play a hundred more.
"Hearing the West Indies anthem and seeing the fans celebrating West Indies cricket is what makes me happy. As a little boy growing up, I used to love to see Brian Lara and hearing Ian Bishop's voice on TV, that's what I enjoyed as a young fan… so that inspired me."
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced two changes to the West Indies Senior Men’s T20I squad as the team prepares for the decisive final leg of the “Rivalry” series against England.
As the series moves to Saint Lucia, experienced all-rounder Andre Russell has been ruled out due to a left ankle sprain sustained during the opening T20I at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday. In his place, all-rounder Shamar Springer, fresh off two T20I games against Sri Lanka, will join the squad.
Alzarri Joseph, having completed his two-match suspension, will rejoin the squad in Saint Lucia for the crucial final leg of the series, replacing Shamar Joseph.
WEST INDIES T20 skipper Rovman Powell says his specialist batters need to deliver the goods if the home side is to have a realistic chance of winning the series against archrivals England.
The West Indies suffered a humiliating eight-wicket loss in the opening T20I on Saturday at Kensington Oval and were then trounced by seven wickets on Sunday as England took a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
With the three remaining matches slated to be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia starting Thursday, Powell maintained that the West Indies could not continue to depend on their lower order if they were to post challenging totals.
“To be honest, I think the toss is a big factor, in the first six overs when batting offers something for the bowlers.
“I think, if it was reversed, England would be in the same position. We saw how heavily dependent the toss was in Barbados,” Powell said.
