Cricket West Indies have named a number of strong list of T20 specialists in their 15-member ‘A’ squad that will tour Nepal for five T20s later this month. Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Mark Deyal, Andre Fletcher, Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh are all part of the side, which will be led by Roston Chase, who has Alick Athanaze as his deputy.
The tour, a first for a West Indian side in Nepal, “serves as another phase in preparation leading up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” West Indies’ lead selector Desmond Haynes said in a statement. “It presents an invaluable opportunity to get our players who are not in the IPL back on the park playing competitive T20 cricket, as well as provides the chance for us to expose a few emerging prospects.”
Chase, initially considered a Test specialist in the West Indies, made his T20I debut only in 2021. He was in West Indies’ team for their last bilateral T20I engagement, in Australia earlier this year, and scored a 20-ball 37 and picked up 2 for 19 in his four overs in the only match he played in the series, which was also the only game out of the three which West Indies won.
“Chase has exhibited over the past few years an impressive work ethic and proven leadership qualities,” Haynes said. “No doubt since Chase made his T20I debut in October 2021, for West Indies against Bangladesh, he has continued to make considerable strides.”
The World Cup, to be played in June in the USA and the West Indies, will feature Nepal among the 20 teams in the fray.
West Indies white-ball coach Daren Sammy said, “From a coaching perspective, the Nepal tour couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. It offers us a chance to refine our World Cup squad, defining roles and personnel more clearly. Additionally, with nine players in the IPL, we can truly gauge and push the limits of our T20 team’s depth.”
The nine West Indians at the IPL are Andre Russell, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph, Shimron Hetmyer and Shamar Joseph, apart from Sunil Narine, who has ruled out a comeback for West Indies for the World Cup.
The West Indies side in Nepal will be coached by Floyd Reifer, with Rayon Griffith as his assistant.
West Indies A squad for T20 tour of Nepal
Roston Chase (capt), Alick Athanaze (vice-capt), Fabian Allen, Kadeem Alleyne, Joshua Bishop, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Mark Deyal, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh
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