Selectors call rookies Bishop, Imlach for ODI, T20I squads for Australia
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Selection Panel has named both 15-man squads to play against Australia in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) from Feb. 2-13, 2024.
The ODI squad features two debutants, Grenadian top-order batsman Teddy Bishop and Guyanese wicketkeeper-batsman, Tevin Imlach.
Bishop has impressed with the bat for the West Indies Academy during the recent CG United Super 50 Cup and Academy series against Emerging Ireland. Imlach, who is currently in Australia with the Test team, played 26 List A matches.
Justin Greaves, who has recently returned from a hamstring injury, gets a recall to the ODI team. He was particularly impressive at the CG United Super50 Cup, amassing a total of 403 runs in his 7 innings at an average of 80.59 for the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
Also returning to the squad are Hayden Walsh Jr. and Kavem Hodge. Walsh Jr last played in the ODI format against India in the Caribbean in July 2022. Hodge made his debut in June 2023 when he played in all three matches against the UAE.
Missing from the last ODI squad that won the series against England in December, are Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford, who took up T20 franchise contracts. Shimron Hetmyer and Yannic Cariah also missed out on selection.
Associated Press / Ricardo Mazalan, file
In the T20I format, Alzarri Joseph comes back into the team to replace Matthew Forde.
CWI Lead Selector, Desmond Haynes said, “On the back of a series win against England, we are expecting our ODI team to be very competitive in Australia. We have some new inclusions, who have impressed over a significant period, and a couple of returning players, who we think will have an impact. For the T20I series, this forms part of our crucial preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup where we are hosts. We are hoping to build on strong overall performances against India and England and to keep improving as we approach the major tournament.”
The Test series between Australia and the West Indies, begins on Jan. 17 and concludes on Jan. 29. Both teams will battle for ICC World Test Championship points.