Matthew Forde and Sherfane Rutherford are the two uncapped all-rounders that comprise the West Indies squad for the One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against England. Wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich, who last represented the West Indies in one ODI in 2019, has returned to the squad. Similarly, opener Kjorn Ottley, who last represented the West Indies in two ODIs in January 2021, has been included in the 15-member selection for the 50-over games.
Ottley and Dowrich both achieved success in the domestic Super50 Cup. Dowrich has amassed 234 runs at an average of 78 over five innings, fifty-five of which are in the form of a century. Ottley ranks third in terms of run scoring with 317 runs scored in 8 innings at an average of 45.28, including a fifty and a century.
A recent injury suffered by Justin Greaves rendered him ineligible for selection. In contrast, the absence of Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran was due to their prioritization of preparations for the Twenty20 International format, with Holder also devoting attention to Test cricket.
Alzarri Joseph was designated as the vice-captain of the West Indies squad by the selection committee. “Alzarri Joseph was appointed vice captain of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in recognition of his maturity and exemplary leadership during the recent CG United Super50 Cup.” Desmond Haynes, chief selector, elaborated, “We believe he has the potential to become a future leader in West Indies cricket given the opportunity and exposure.”
“Matthew Forde is a whole-hearted cricketer who has been impressive. He is one of the players coming through the West Indies Academy program who can form part of the future,” Haynes added.
Haynes stated that the emphasis will be on assembling the squad for the 2027 World Cup, as the West Indies did not qualify for the 2023 tournament that concluded just recently. “A tour of the West Indies by England is invariably accompanied by anticipation and enthusiasm.” We anticipate a fiercely contested series, but we are also confident that this team will perform admirably on our home turf. We are guided by a distinct vision. Our primary objective is to construct a formidable crew. Rebuilding for triumph at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 is our primary objective.
The series preparations commenced on November 20 with a camp in Antigua, where strength and conditioning training and net sessions were the primary focuses. “”Advocates are all cognizant of the circumstances surrounding our preparations to confront England on our home turf. The camp will be comprehensive and will be designed in accordance with the specific requirements that we have identified as crucial for achieving success on an international scale. “Our training sessions will be intense and purposeful, with every effort directed toward improvement and victory,” said head coach Daren Sammy.
“I believe in preparation. I believe when you prepare well you give yourself the best chance of winning. When you do the hard work, the right kind of work, when you finetune your skills, that will add value to your game,” he added.
The ODI series gets underway in December with the first two matches to be played in Antigua on December 3 and 6. The third ODI will be played in Barbados on December 9. The last two matches will be day-night encounters.
