Shimron Hetmyer is set to appear in his first One Day International (ODI) in over a year after being surprisingly named in a West Indies 15-member squad to face Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series beginning on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old left-handed power hitter, who last featured in an ODI against England on June 1 last year, missed the West Indies’ 10-day high performance training camp in Antigua due to his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Hetmyer struggled mightily in the tournament, scoring just 78 runs in seven innings at an average of 13, before eventually being dropped by the Rajasthan Royals, who were eliminated in the second Qualifier.
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said Hetmyer, who starred for the regional side at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year where he was their highest run scorer, was named in the squad on the back of those performances.
Additionally, CWI said Hetmyer “has been reintegrated into the West Indies ODI setup as part of CWI’s strategic build-up towards the 50-Over World Cup in October and November next year.”
Interestingly though, his appearance in the series appears to be limited with the Guyanese scheduled to join the squad ahead of the third and final encounter on June 8.
The Windies’ bowling attack has been bolstered for the series with the highly anticipated but expected returns of pacer Alzarri Joseph and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, both of whom missed the last ODI series against New Zealand late last year.
Sherfane Rutherford has also been included in the squad following his appearance in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Romario Shepherd, who was part of the Royal Challengers Bengalaru team that won the IPL on Sunday, was not named in the squad.
Head coach Daren Sammy said the team’s strong recent form at home had boosted confidence ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka are a disciplined and skillful ODI unit, especially in conditions that demand patience and smart cricket. For us, this series is about setting the standard, intensity in the field, clarity with the bat, and consistency with the ball.
“We want to play fearless but intelligent cricket and continue building the identity we believe West Indies cricket should represent,” Sammy said.
“In our desire to make home a fortress in ODI cricket, I want the team to win moments consistently rather than relying on individual brilliance which we have stressed for the last 18 months.”
WEST INDIES ODI SQUAD: Shai Hope (captain), Ackeem Auguste, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Shamar Springer.
(Source: CMC)
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