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Sammy named Captain for 2019 ICC WC
Senior players back in 22-man training squad
(By staff writer Muslim Times)
West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WICBC) today announced that St Lucian Daren Sammy will lead the Regional side in the 2019 ICC World Cricket Cup to be hosted by England and Wales.
According to a release from the WICBC the 34-year-old Sammy who has not been selected for the Regional side since leading the team to the 2016 T20 World Cup, is thrilled to be back in West Indies colours.
Superstar Chris Gayle, who will 40 when ICC’s flagship tournament is held next year, has been left out of a 22-man Squad despite publically saying he was looking forward to being in the World Cup after his side qualified for the mega Event by being the runners-up to Afghanistan in WC Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Among the heavyweights of T20 cricket to be recalled are the Bravo siblings and fellow Trinidadians Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree.
Jason Mohammed, Rayed Emrit, Evin Lewis and Denish Ramdin are the other Trinidadians in the Squad.
The squad also include Jamaicans Jerome Taylor, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Nickita Miller and Chadwick Walton although there is no space for Marlon Samuels, Man-of-the-Match in the last two T20 World Cup finals who volunteered to tour Pakistan for a three-match T20 series which commences today.
The only Barbadians selected are former ODI Skipper Jason Holder and 21-year-old Shia Hope while there is no place for Carlos Braithwaite who hit Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes in last over of the 2016 T20 final.
Also included are Rakeem Cornwall and Mervin Matthew from Leewards while Andrew Fletcher and Johnson Charles have been selected from the Windward Islands.
Raymon Reifer, Shimron Hetymer and Kemo Paul are the Guyana players in the squad.
In a major shake-up Brian Lara has been appointed batting Coach with Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the batting Consultant.
Former West Indies great Andy Robert is the new bowling Coach while sources indicate that Ian Bishop and Michael Holding turned down the offer as Assistant bowling Coach due to their Television work.
The fielding Coach is Roger Harper while the Head Coach is Sir Vivian Richards with Ananad Sanasie being appointed Manager by the WICBC’s President.
It is also understood that the new contracts (seen by the Muslim Times) gives the players approximately five times what they earn in the IPL in India and the Big Bash in Australia.
The 22-man squad will be trimmed to 16 by November after some friendly Internationals which are planned against Scotland, Holland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong.
A well-placed source told the ‘Muslim Times’ that talks broke down with Afghanistan because their Head Coach former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons wanted too much money as compensation for his sacking as Coach for the Regional side.
The 22- Man Squad: Daren Sammy (Capt), Dwayne Bravo (V/Capt), Chadwick Walton, Evin Lewis, Daren Bravo, Denish Ramdin, Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor, Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree, Shia Hope, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetymer, Rovman Powell, Rakeem Cornwall, Mervin Matthew, Raymon Reifer, Kemo Paul, Nikita Miller, Johnson Charles, Rayed Emrit
Happy all fool’s day to all those who took the time to read this to the end
