Batsman Shai Hope and allrounder Rovman Powell have been picked in West Indies’ squad for next month’s tri-series in Zimbabwe, after the selectors decided to drop Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin. Pollard and Ramdin’s exclusions are the only changes to the squad that suffered a 3-0 defeat in the ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month.
Both Pollard and Ramdin had poor returns in the limited-overs series in the UAE. Pollard managed 43 runs in the three T20s, and bowled two overs, going wicketless. In the three-match ODI series, Pollard scored 42 runs at an average of 14.00. He took one wicket in the 12 overs he bowled across the three matches. Ramdin, who was recalled to the ODI squad, compiled 79 runs at 26.33 in the three ODIs and did not feature in the T20s.
Hope, who is a part of the Test side in the UAE, is uncapped in limited-overs internationals, but has played six Tests since May 2015 scoring 171 runs at an average of 15.54. He scored 76 in the three-day tour match against the PCB Patron’s XI, played under lights with the pink ball.
Powell, uncapped in international cricket, had been named in the T20 squad for the UAE tour following a promising performance in CPL 2016. His only match on the tour was the practice T20 game against the Emirates Cricket Board XI where he scored 38 and bowled two overs for 14 runs.
The Zimbabwe series will begin on November 14 with a match between the hosts and Sri Lanka. West Indies’ first match in the series will be against Sri Lanka on November 16. The final will be played on November 27.
