Trinidad: The West Indies have recalled experienced wicket-keeper batter Shai Hope and fast bowler Oshane Thomas to their squad for this month's five-match T20I series at home against India.
While Hope is captain of the West Indies in 50-over cricket he hasn't played a T20I for the Caribbean side since February last year, while Thomas is in line for his first international 20-over contest since December 2021 after selectors named a 15-player squad to take on India in the five matches during August.
Experienced batter Rovman Powell will lead the West Indies throughout the series after he was once again named captain, while the likes of Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and vice-captain Kyle Mayers provide the side with plenty of firepower, an ICC report said.
While the West Indies failed to qualify for this year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India, this series will help them prepare for next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup which they will co-host alongside the USA.
“The squad is selected with the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in mind," chief selector and West Indies great Desmond Haynes said.
"We are looking at various plans as we try to find the right combinations. As we prepare; we are looking to build a unit which we believe can do the job when we host the global event in just under a year," he said.
"We have some match-winners in our line-up and we will look to have the right kind of preparation, starting here in Trinidad on Thursday,” Haynes added.
The series switches to Guyana for the second and third matches following the series opener in Trinidad on August 3, with the final two games played at Broward County Stadium in Florida.
West Indies T20I squad: Rovman Powell (c), Kyle Mayers (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Obed McCoy, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas.
India T20I squad: Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. (UNI)
