Pooran, Russell, Hosein return for T20 series

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

West Indies T20 stars Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell, along with spinner Akeal Hosein, have returned for the upcoming five-match series against England which bowls off today.

The trio, who made themselves unavailable for the recently concluded three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka due to personal reasons, have been named in a West Indies 15-man squad for the first two matches of the ‘Rivalry’ series to be played at Kensington Oval.

Matthew Forde, who was named Player of the Series in the just-concluded One Day International (ODI) series that West Indies won 2-1, and the hard-hitting Shimron Hetymer, who was recalled for the ODI series, are the only other changes to the squad which travelled to Sri Lanka.

Forde has been named as a replacement for pacer and vice-captain Alzarri Joseph, who has been suspended for the opening two games, following an incident in the final ODI on Wednesday.

The West Indies have been a dominant force at home, remaining unbeaten in four T20 International Series since 2023, and are currently ranked fourth in the ICC Men’s T20I rankings.

Head coach Daren Sammy said his troops would be aiming to continue their dominance over their archrivals by capturing the T20I series as well.

“The T20 team is our most settled team with lots of experienced players. However, the difficulty will be picking the 11, as every single player is challenging for a spot in the 11.

“As we face a very good England team, I am confident that the selected squad will continue to play a brand of cricket that allows us to win games and this Rivalry series,” Sammy said.

Squad: WEST INDIES: Rovman Powell (captain), Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Terrance Hinds, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

MANAGEMENT: Daren Sammy (head coach), Rawl Lewis (manager), Rayon Griffith (assistant coach: fielding), Floyd Reifer (assistant coach: batting), James Franklin (assistant coach: bowling), Denis Byam (physiotherapist), Ronald Rogers (strength & conditioning coach), Dane Currency (masseuse), Avenesh Seetaram (analyst), Jerome Foster (media & content officer).