Smith, Shepherd in Windies squads for Pakistan tour

KIERON POLLARD will remain as the West Indies white-ball captain for the limited-overs tour of Pakistan in December, despite a few calls for him to be replaced as T20 skipper after the disappointing title-defence at the recent ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel announced respective 15-man teams for three T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals against Pakistan, at the National Stadium, Karachi from December 13-22.

Jamaican Odean Smith, who have been recalled to the T20 squad, having played a pair of matches in the 2018 tour of Pakistan, and fellow all-rounder, Barbados-born Dominic Drakes, who was the player of the final after guiding St Kitts/Nevis Patriots to the 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title, have been included in the T20 team.

The experienced Darren Bravo have been named to both white-ball teams, as well as Shai Hope, while all-rounder Raymon Reifer was selected to the ODI team.

Romario Shepherd, who, like Smith, was a notable omission from the W/Cup squad, for apparent fitness reasons, have been picked in the ODI and T20 teams.

The established WI white-ball opening batsman Evin Lewis, fellow left-hander Shimron Hetmyer, all-rounder Andre Russell and T20 International specialist Lendl Simmons made themselves unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. The experienced Jason Holder was rested due to workload management while the pair of Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are yet to recover from injuries, which forced them to pull out of the T20 World Cup.

Barbadian batsmen Shamarh Brooks and Justin Greaves earn their first WI ODI call-ups while Guyanese left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, who was a travelling reserve in the W/Cup squad, earns his first T20 International selection.

The T20s will take place on December 13, 14 and 16, followed by the ODIs on December 18, 20 and 22.

West Indies squads –

ODI: Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Nicholas Pooran, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh jnr.

T20: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh jnr.