Changing of the guard ahead of World Cup 2022

On April 20th 2022, former West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard shocked the world by announcing his retirement from international cricket just six months away from the T20 World Cup. 

This means an instant shake-up in West Indies cricket, but it also necessitates a reshuffling in the hierarchy with a change of leadership. While this decision will expose a vulnerability of inexperience within the T20I squad in the immediate future, I believe it is a move in the right direction. 

It is widely expected that Nicholas Pooran will take over the captaincy reign heading into the T20 World Cup. The southpaw has experience of captaining the Windies in the shortest format of the game and looks like the right fit at the moment.

He has shown the courage to back his players even in adversity and wears his passion for West Indies cricket on his sleeve. Allowing Pooran to captain this team allows the West Indies to build another T20 juggernaut similar to the one that won two World Cups (2012, 2016).

With the likes of Pooran and Hetmyer headlining the middle-order, an opening partnership of Evin Lewis and newcomer Kyle Mayers could provide the Windies with the ultimate start making the most of the first six overs.

 Lewis is expected to return to the WI squad in the near future, while Mayers has massively impressed thus far, opening the batting in five T20Is, averaging 23 and striking at 144. This is an area where the team struggled at the last World Cup, and these players could make a big difference. 

The middle-order is expected to be packed with a plethora of all-around talent the Caribbean Island is known to produce. It is highlighted by former captain Jason Holder, the most experienced player in the team who is coming off a sensational T20I series against England, where he bagged 15 wickets at a strike-rate of 9.60. 

He is complemented by swashbuckling Rovman Powell, who has rediscovered himself as one of the world’s most lethal finishers averaging over 34 with a strike rate of 179 in 14 T20s this year. This year, the power-packed batter showcased his batting abilities against England and even slammed a T20I century against them.

It does not even stop there for the Men in Maroon! The likes of Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd have proven they can execute at the death with the effective use of the yorker, and they can also smash towering sixes. 

Both are currently gaining invaluable experience in the IPL for the Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively. Moreover, Fabian Allen’s bowling has offered a handy option in the power-play. Dominic Drakes, who recently made his T20I debut, is another all-rounder who has been in and out of the T20 team after his tremendous 2021 CPL and is another option in the arsenal for the Windies. 

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has matured into a dependable, new ball bowler in the bowling attack. He has conceded only 7.36 runs per over in seven matches played in 2022. The wily spinner generally bowls in the power-play and is a vital cog in the West Indies T20I setup. They will also have Hayden Walsh Jr., who is pertinent to their success since five of the world's top ten T20I bowlers happen to be wrist spinners. 

The Men in Maroon will also benefit from having a fit, Obed McCoy, one of the world’s best T20 bowlers in 2021, before suffering a shin injury ahead of the World Cup. McCoy was the leading wicket-taker in T20Is in 2021 at one stage, racing to 18 wickets in just 11 matches. He is expected to be a handful on the Australian surfaces in the World Cup with his cunning variations at full fitness.

Yet the most exciting spectacle about this West Indies team are the members who are currently warming the bench. Alzarri Joseph is a promising young player who consistently clocks at over 145 km/h in the ongoing IPL. If that does not excite West Indian fans, then maybe the likes of Nyeem Young or Keacy Carty, or even the more experienced Shamarh Brooks, Raymon Reifer, and Devon Thomas, who were selected at a recent white-ball skill camp in Antigua will. 

These players and many unborn stars will all have the luxury of competing in the Caribbean Premier League in September before the World Cup. It provides a perfect opportunity for every player to cement their place in the national side.

I could go on and about the future of this new-look, exciting Windies team. Cricket is a game played on the field and less on paper, and the team selected will have to execute in the heat of battle Down Under. I believe uncertainty and freshness will reveal their biggest superpower. West Indies are always dangerous when playing an underdog role.

Time will determine the fate of this team, but if you call yourself a true West Indian fan, your heart should be pumping by the end of reading this article, similar to mine after writing it.