Odd ODI Squad
The selectors have dropped Lendl Simmons after his commendable T20 performances. They have brought back the likes of Dave Bernard Jr, Narsingh Deonarine and Runako Morton for the series against India.
The West Indies will hope for better luck in the less abbreviated form of the game-the One Day Internationals (ODI)- as they face a depleted India team at home in four matches, beginning Friday although there are glaring omissions in the squad selected.
The West Indies defeated Australia, India and England to reach the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) T20 semi-finals but went out with a whimper on Friday when they were badly beaten by Sri Lanka.
Losing three top batsmen in a remarkable first over of their run chase at the Kennington Oval, London, undid all the West Indies’ commendable work in the series. The Caribbean team barely made 100 runs chasing a mere 159.
The selectors in their wisdom have dropped Lendl Simmons, who performed reasonably well with the bat and proved to be a useful medium pace bowler and St Lucian all-rounder Darren Sammy. The first match of the ODI series will be at Sabina Park on Friday with the second on Sunday and the two others in St Lucia on July 1 and July 5.
The West Indies should have the edge at home: India who were beaten in their three preliminary round matches by the West Indies, England and South Africa complained about fatigue since some of the main players took part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) competition in South Africa.
They were also without star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is nursing a finger injury and Virendar Sehwag. Tendulkar, Sehwag, bowler Zaheer Khan and Suresh Reina will not be coming to the Caribbean, which constitutes a major blow to the Indian team.
However, they will take comfort in the fact that they are playing against inconsistent opponents who will be missing key bowler, Fidel Edwards who is recuperating from a back injury.
The selectors, who will ,undoubtedly, take a lot of stick for this odd ODI squad, have drafted in promising batsman Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo’s younger brother, and others finding a place are Guyanese batsman Narsingh Deonarine, who toured England but did not play in any of the Tests or T20s, medium pacer Lionel Baker and batsman Dave Bernard Jr, who also participated the ill-fated tour without distinction and Runako Morton, a Leeward Islands batsman with a well documented record of indiscipline, who has been in and out of the team..
Other members of the squad include Chris Gayle, captain, Denesh Ramdin, vice captain, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Sulieman Benn.
It will be the first time India will be touring the Caribbean without playing a Test Series and fans will wonder why at least one match was not scheduled for the Queen’s Park Oval.
However, a deflated West Indian team will fancy their chances against a jaded and demoralized Indian team who arrive in Jamaica today.