Exciting Guyanese middle-order batsman Shimron Hetmyer is set to step back into maroon this week, as the West Indies host England in a white-ball series beginning Thursday in Antigua & Barbuda. The visitors have spent the past week getting to know local conditions, while the home team are coming off 2-1 series losses to Sri Lanka away in the T20 International and One Day International formats.
The hosts will go into their meeting with England almost unchanged from the squad that was beaten by the Lions, with the notable exception of Hetmyer returning to the ODI side for the first time since December last year, when he played against this same opposition.
Hetmyer is in to replace Alick Athanaze. The 27-year-old missed the Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons, having recently finished fifth on the run-scorers’ list at the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the 15-man squad on Tuesday for the highly-anticipated CG United One Day International (ODI) home series. Led by wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope, the side includes just one other Barbadian player, Roston Chase.
Fans are gearing up for what promises to be an electric series, featuring both established stars and exciting new talent ready to take the field.
The three-match ODI series begins with two fixtures at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on October 31 and November 2, aligning with Antigua & Barbuda’s Independence weekend celebrations, before the final showdown at the iconic Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 6.
Commenting on the upcoming encounter, West Indies men’s head coach Daren Sammy expressed his excitement about returning to action against England.
“Playing against England always provides a new challenge and reignites a rivalry that the players and the people of the Caribbean are eager for,” he said. “Somehow, we West Indies always find a way to raise our game when we face England.
“This rivalry goes back for decades, and after defeating them last year at home for the first time in a long time in an ODI series, we’re ready to face the challenge of a strong England squad again. It’s always special to play at home, where the local support brings energy and passion to every match. With our sights set on qualifying for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2027, we’ve selected a balanced squad that will no doubt push and compete with one of the best teams in the world.”
England, meanwhile, added Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed to their white-ball squads. Both players were with England’s Test team in Pakistan. Ahmed, named in England’s XI for the third Test against Bangladesh, is unlikely to feature in Thursday’s first ODI.
Cox, the Essex wicketkeeper-batter, is set to make his Test debut at some stage on England’s tour to New Zealand which closely follows the West Indies tour and may leave the Caribbean early. He is likely to miss the five-match T20I series, and will arrive in New Zealand in time for England’s warm-up match in Queenstown at the end of November.
Cox made his international debut in England’s T20I series against Australia last month, and is likely to win his first ODI cap in the Caribbean with Jos Buttler ruled out of the 50-over leg of the tour due to a recent setback in his rehabilitation from a calf injury.
Ahmed is one of three wristspinners in England’s squads along with Adil Rashid, the mainstay of their white-ball sides, and the uncapped Yorkshire leggie Jafer Chohan.
England said when they announced their squads that two Test players would be added and always planned to take Cox and Ahmed to the Caribbean. They announced last week that Liam Livingstone will captain them in their three ODIs in the Caribbean, with Buttler missing that leg of the tour, and also added Essex’s Michael Pepper to their squads as cover.
The CG United ODI series sets the stage for a five-match T20I series between the same two teams, scheduled from November 9 to November 17, beginning in Barbados. The T20 squad will be announced shortly, promising fans even more thrilling cricket action to come.
West Indies CG United ODI Squad:
Shai Hope (Captain)
Jewel Andrew
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Matthew Forde
Shimron Hetmyer
Alzarri Joseph
Shamar Joseph
Brandon King
Evin Lewis
Gudakesh Motie
Sherfane Rutherford
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Hayden Walsh Jr
Team Management:
Head Coach: Daren Sammy
Team Manager: Rawl Lewis
Assistant Coach (Bowling): James Franklin
Assistant Coach (Fielding): Rayon Griffith
Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer
Physiotherapist: Denis Byam
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers
Team Masseuse: Dane Currency
Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram
Team Media & Content Officer: Jerome Foster
West Indies vs England CG United ODI Series Schedule
1st CG United ODI: October 31 – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium @ 2 p.m. local time
2nd CG United ODI: November 2 – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium @ 9:30 a.m. local time
3rd CG United ODI: November 6 – Kensington Oval Barbados @ 2 p.m. local time
(PR)
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