The West Indies called up left fielder Kimu Pole and left fielder Judakesh Moti for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June and July.
The lackluster performance of the Caribbean side, which has slipped to 10th in the ICC’s ODI rankings, forces them to battle against six other teams for the two available places at the 2023 World Cup in India from October.
New ODI captain Sai Hope will be able to call up Paul and Motie for the first time since last July’s ODI series against India in Trinidad.
Head coach, former Test fly Desmond Haynes, said he had high hopes for the returning pair.
“Paul is a three-dimensional player, he can bowl the fresh ball effectively, he is dynamic on the field and can also make vital runs. He’s now fully recovered from the injury and with his skills we see that. As a potential match- he told us.”
He added, “Moti was excellent in the Test matches in Zimbabwe earlier this year, taking 19 wickets, and we expect similar conditions in the qualifiers. We think he will enjoy the opportunity to play under these conditions again.”
The main omission from the squad is Guyanese batsman and T20 star Shimron Hetmer who was left out of last year’s World Cup squad after a row over flights shortly before the tournament.
Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the Netherlands are the West Indies’ main rivals in the battle for qualification to the main tournament.
Nepal, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are also vying for the chance to visit India.
The West Indies will play three ODI friendlies against the United Arab Emirates without players playing in the Indian Premier League, who have been given time off in the Caribbean before traveling to Zimbabwe.
West Indies World Cup Qualifiers:
Shay Hope (Captain), Roffman Powell (Vice-Captain), Shamara Brooks, Yannick Kariya, Casey Carty, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akil Hussain, Alzari Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Myers, Judakesh Moti, Kimo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romário Burger
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