Alzarri Joseph named as vice captain; first call-up for Matthew Forde; CG United ODI Series starts on 3 December.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel today named the 15-member squad for the upcoming CG United One-Day International (ODI) Series against England starting on 3 December. Shai Hope will again lead the team with Alzarri Joseph named as the new vice captain.
There are two uncapped players in the squad: batting allrounder Sherfane Rutherford and seam bowling allrounder Matthew Forde – who has earned his first call-up at the senior international level. The Selection Panel also recalled experienced wicket-keeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, who played his only ODI in May, 2019; and opener Kjorn Ottley, who played two ODIs in January, 2021.
Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes said: “We named Alzarri Joseph as vice captain as he demonstrated maturity and good leadership qualities for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes during the recent CG United Super50 Cup. We believe with exposure and opportunities he could be a future leader in West Indies cricket. Matthew Forde is a whole-hearted cricketer who has been impressive. He is one of the players coming through the West Indies Academy programme who can form part of the future.”
Haynes added: “England on tour of the West Indies is always filled with excitement and expectation. We expect this to be a hard-fought series, but we also believe this squad will do well in our home conditions. We have a clear vision. We are focused on building a solid team. Our main focus is to re-build for success at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027.”
The CG United ODI Series will feature three matches. The tour will start with two CG United ODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Sunday 3 December and Wednesday 6 December. The first CG United ODI is a day game starting at 9:30am with the second CG United ODI is a day/night game starting at 1:30pm.
The tour then moves to Barbados for the third and final CG United ODI to be played at Kensington Oval, on Saturday 9 December. This will also be a day/night game starting at 1:30pm.
Ahead of the first match West Indies squad will assemble for a preparation camp in Antigua, from Monday 20 November. Head Coach Daren Sammy indicated that the camp is a crucial component to the team’s preparations to face the visitors. The camp will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Coolidge Cricket Ground with net and planning sessions as well as fitness and strength and conditioning sessions.
“Everyone is fully aware of what is required as we prepare to face England on our home soil. The camp will be detailed and based on specifics which we have identified will be required if we are to be successful at the international level. We will have high-intensity, purposeful training sessions and everything that we do will be geared towards improving and winning,” Sammy said.
“I believe in preparation. I believe when you prepare well you give yourself the best chance of winning. When you do the hard work, the right kind of work, when you finetune your skills, that will add value to your game.”
Fans can purchase tickets in advance, saving money on the venue box office price (saving included in the online price) from the Windies Tickets service presented by Mastercard at www.tickets.windiescricket.com . Fans can choose their preferred seats and download or print the tickets from their Windies Tickets account to present at the venue entrance.
FULL SQUAD
Shai Hope (captain)
Alzarri Joseph (vice captain)
Alick Athanaze
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Shane Dowrich
Matthew Forde
Shimron Hetmyer
Brandon King
Gudakesh Motie
Kjorn Ottley
Sherfane Rutherford
Romario Shepherd
Oshane Thomas
NOTES
• Justin Greaves is unavailable for selection due to an injury he sustained in the recently concluded CG United Super50 Cup
• Nicholas Pooran is unavailable for selection as he prioritizes preparation for T20I format
• Jason Holder is unavailable for selection as he prioritizes preparation for Test and T20I formats
MATCH SCHEDULE
Sunday 3 December: 1st CG United ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua – 9:30am
Wednesday 6 December: 2nd CG United ODI at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua – 1:30pm
Saturday 9 December: 3rd CG United at Kensington Oval, Barbados – 1:30pm
