Almost a decade after winning the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, seamer Ravi Rampaul has another chance to add to his coveted title after being selected in West Indies’ 15-member squad for the upcoming edition of the tournament.
Rampaul, now 36, had last played a T20I for West Indies in November 2015 but is now back in the team after emerging as the best pacer on the spin-friendly St Kitts tracks in the ongoing CPL tournament.
Offspin-bowling allrounder Roston Chase, who hasn’t played a single T20I match, earned his place in the squad after impressing in both CPL 2020 and 2021 for the St Lucia franchise. However, there was no place for Sunil Narine and Jason Holder was only part of the reserves.
“Ravi Rampaul is a highly experienced bowler who performed well in the last CG Insurance Super50 Cup and the current Hero CPL to date,” lead selector Roger Harper said in a press conference. “He will boost the team’s wicket-taking options in the powerplay and the middle phase and will provide another option for the death overs.
“Roston Chase has shown that he is a very capable T20 player. He performed well in the CPL in 2020 and has been outstanding in the 2021 edition so far. He has shown the ability to knit the innings together while still scoring at a fast rate with a low dot-ball percentage. He will be an excellent foil for the explosive players in the team.”
Narine,termed as the original “mystery spinner” has been active in the CPL and the IPL and was more recently part of the Hundred as well, but he hasn’t played for West Indies since 2019, when he indicated to the national selectors that he was “not ready” for international cricket. In Narine’s absence, legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr is the only specialist spinner in the squad. He will be assisted by fingerspin-bowling allrounders Fabian Allen and Chase. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein didn’t find his place in the main squad but is among the travelling reserves as is Darren Bravo.
Dwayne Bravo, who had suffered a groin injury during St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ clash against St Lucia Kings on September 4, and hasn’t played in the CPL since, however, was cleared for selection. Bravo had come out of T20I retirement in December 2019 to reunite with captain Kieron Pollard in the quest for yet another world cup trophy.
Breakthrough bowler Oshane Thomas, who has played only two T20Is this year, also found a place after bowling quality spells for his new CPL side Barbados Royals. Thomas hit speeds more than 140kph and cranked it up when he bowled Chris Gayle with a 142kph rocket.
Squad: Kieron Pollard (capt), Nicholas Pooran (vice-capt & wk), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher (wk), Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr
Reserves: Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell, Darren Bravo
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