Injury propels Kieron Pollard to stay out of the team; Pooran, Hope to lead the Caribbean in Pakistan

West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard hasn’t yet recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the T20 World Cup 2021. As a result, the Caribbeans will play a 3-match ODI and T20I series against Pakistan without him.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) said in a statement that Pollard would spend a few weeks in rehabilitation in Trinidad before the home series against Ireland and England in January 2022, after which he would be re-evaluated.

Shai Hope will replace Pollard as captain in the ODI series and Nicholas Pooran will be the captain in the T20I series. However, Pollard will be replaced by veteran Devon Thomas in the ODI squad and by Rovman Powell in the T20I squad.

Shai Hope will be seen as the ODI captain for the first time. All 3 ODIs in the series will be part of the World Cup Super League. The West Indies are eighth in the points table with four wins from the league’s nine ODIs. However, if the West Indies win the series 3-0 this time, they will move up to third place in the points table.

However, Nicholas Pooran has a good record as the West Indies T20I captain. Under his leadership, the Caribbeans defeated Australia 4-1 in a five-match T20I series at home earlier this year. Shai Hope will be Pooran’s co-captain in T20I and Pooran will be the deputy of the ODI team.

The T20I series will start on December 13. The next two matches are on 14th and 16th. Then the three matches of the ODI series will be played on December 18, 20, and 22, respectively. All the matches will be in Karachi.

West Indies ODI squad for Pakistan tour

Shai Hope (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Raymon Reifer, Gudakesh Motie, Justin Greaves, Devon Thomas, Akeal Hosein, Anderson Phillip, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr

West Indies T20I squad for Pakistan tour

Nicholas Pooran (c), Shai Hope (vc), Darren Bravo, Rovman Powell, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Gudakesh Motie, Kyle Mayers, Sheldon Cottrell, Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr, Dominic Drakes, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas