Shai Hope and Rovman Powell have been named as West Indies’ ODI and T20I captains respectively. Hope and Powell will take over from Nicholas Pooran, who resigned from his post as the limited-overs skipper after West Indies bowed out of the first round of the T20 World Cup last year. Hope and Powell will lead the West Indies in the forthcoming ODI and T20I series against South Africa, starting on March 16.
Hope was named the vice-captain of the West Indies ODI side in 2019 and was re-appointed as the vice-captain in June 2022. The top-order bat has played 104 ODIs, scoring 4308 runs at an average of 48.08. Meanwhile, Powell was the captain of Jamaica Tallawahs that won the Caribbean Premier League last year. He also led the Jamaica Scorpions to the CG United Super50 Cup title in November. Powell has also led the West Indies in three ODIs and one T20I.
“It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child. The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for, requires no intricate explanation,” said Hope.
“I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team,” he added.
“I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region – a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket,” Powell noted.
“I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 percent.”
