West Indies announce squad for the tour of Pakistan and Netherlands

On May 9, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel announced the West Indies men's squad for the upcoming tours of the Netherlands and Pakistan. 

The Caribbean cricket team is scheduled to play a 3-ODI series in the Netherlands on May 31, June 2, and 4. Then they will embark on a tour to play another set of 3 One Day Internationals in Pakistan on June 8, 10, and 12.

It will be the first-ever bilateral series between West Indies and the Netherlands and will go down in the history books. The series will be played at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen. They have met each other just twice in the 2007/08 Quadrangular series and the 2011 World Cup, and both the fixtures have been won by the West Indies team. 

The ODI series against Pakistan will be played at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi. This series was postponed due to the covid scare in the Caribbean team last year when the team faced each other in the 3-match T20I series. 

Currently, the West Indies are placed at 10th position in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League 2020-2022/23 points table. Therefore, these two series will serve as an essential gateway for the team to earn a spot in the top 8 teams and be a part of the 2023 World Cup. 

The likes of Jayden Seales, Shermon Lewis, and Keacy Carty have earned a maiden call-up to the ODI side. Seales has been in good form in the red ball cricket with twenty-seven wickets to his name. 

The batter Carty has become the first player from Sint Maarten to be named in the senior men's team squad. In March, he scored 57 and 49 for CWI President's XI in a warm-up fixture against England. 

The all-rounder Jason Holder is rested, while Shimron Hetmyer made himself unavailable due to the birth of his first child. The opening batter Evin Lewis could not make the cut after failing to meet Cricket West Indies fitness guidelines. 

Squad:

Nicholas Pooran (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Schedule: 

West Indies tour of Netherlands

May 31: 1st ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

June 2: 2nd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

June 4: 3rd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

West Indies tour of Pakistan

June 8: 1st ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

June 10: 2nd ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

June 12: 3rd ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi