The T20I team that lost in the first round of the 2018 World Cup has only undergone one change.
Since the 2019 World Cup, Shannon Gabriel hasn’t participated in an ODI
Shannon Gabriel has been added to the West Indies team for their upcoming three-match series in South Africa, which could be his first ODI since the 2019 World Cup.
In the second Test match between the West Indies and Zimbabwe last week in Bulawayo, Gabriel made his return to the international stage. Because of his performance for Trinidad and Tobago in the Regional Super50 Cup in November, Gabriel has been chosen to take early wickets in place of the injured Anderson Philip and Jayden Seales.
Schedule for West Indies’ visit to South Africa:
February 21–23, a warm-up game against the SA Select XI (Benoni)
Feb 28-March 4 – 1st Test (Centurion)
March 8-12 – 2nd Test (Johannesburg)
March 16 – 1st ODI (East London)
March 18 – 2nd ODI (East London)
March 21 – 3rd ODI (Potchefstroom)
March 25 – 1st T20I (Centurion)
March 26 – 2nd T20I (Centurion)
March 28 – 3rd T20I (Johannesburg)
West Indies’ chief selector, Desmond Haynes, stated that due to several injuries in their fast-bowling pool, they believe Shannon Gabriel would be a great addition to their squad for the upcoming series in South Africa, as he is a bowler who can take early wickets and is well-suited to the expected playing conditions. Haynes based his opinion on Gabriel’s impressive performances in the CG United Super50 Cup, where he showed his potential as a wicket-taking option.
West Indies cricket team has recently announced the inclusion of Roston Chase in their white-ball squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series, scheduled from March 16-21. This comes after Chase’s most recent appearance in an ODI match against Ireland in January last year.
Notably, the upcoming ODI series is West Indies’ first in the format since August 2022 and is not part of the World Cup Super League. With the return of Chase to the ODI squad, the team hopes to further strengthen its middle-order, especially after their poor performance in the recent T20 World Cup held in the UAE.
In addition, the series marks the first time that the West Indies team will play under the permanent captaincy of Shai Hope, who was appointed the ODI captain last week. Alongside Hope, Rovman Powell, who has recently been named as the new T20I captain, will serve as his deputy.
The West Indies team also faces several injury concerns in their fast-bowling pool, which led to the selection of Shannon Gabriel for the upcoming series. As such, the team management will be looking forward to a strong performance from the experienced all-rounder Roston Chase, who has played a key role in the team’s previous victories in the ODI format.
2024 T20 World Cup becomes long-term focus
For the upcoming three-match T20I series in South Africa, West Indies have opted to retain the majority of the team that failed to progress to the Super 12 stage in the previous T20 World Cup. The T20I series follows the ODIs and is part of West Indies’ preparation for future tournaments. Following their early exit in the T20 World Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) initiated a review of the team’s performance. The review, which was conducted by a panel comprising Brian Lara, Mickey Arthur, and Patrick Thompson Jr, a high-court judge, released a damning report last month. The report stated that the West Indies team missed a “golden opportunity to hit the reset button” before the 2024 edition of the tournament, which will take place on home soil.
Despite the damning review of their performance in the T20 World Cup, West Indies have retained the bulk of the squad that failed to progress beyond the first round of the tournament in their upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa. Only Evin Lewis has been replaced by seam-bowling allrounder Romario Shepherd in the squad. According to Desmond Haynes, the team’s lead selector, the focus is on building a cohesive unit with experienced players who can form the nucleus of the team in preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which West Indies will host. The team has also named Kyle Mayers as Rovman Powell’s vice-captain, while the inclusion of Obed McCoy is contingent on him receiving medical clearance for the T20Is.
Brevis plays for the SA Challenge team
While preparing for the two-match Test series against South Africa, which begins at Centurion on February 28, West Indies will face Dewald Brevis.
Brevis has been selected for the South African Invitational XI squad for an unofficial three-day warm-up match in Benoni that begins on Tuesday despite never having played a first-class match. Brevis has long been identified as a potential all-format international.
According to a statement from CSA, “the squad is made up of a mix of provincial players who were made available by their various provincial teams.”
Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Ruan de Swart, Evan Jones, Wihan Lubbe, Wandile Makwetu, Hlompho Modimokoane, Smangaliso Nhlebela, Thando Ntini, Bryce Parsons, Jiveshan Pillay, Daniel Smith, and Codi Yusuf make up the South Africa Invitational XI team.
