Hope, Powell appointed West Indies white-ball skippers

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):

CRICKET WEST Indies yesterday appointed Shai Hope and Rovman Powell to lead its white-ball sides, replacing Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down last November after less than a year in the job.

The 29-year-old Hope, one of the leading One-Day International batsmen in the world, will take over the ODI side while Powell, also 29, will take charge of the Twenty20 International unit, CWI opting to split the roles after previously combining them under Pooran and Kieron Pollard.

CWI said Hope, who has in the past served as vice-captain, had demonstrated “strong leadership on and off the field”.

The right-hander, who averages nearly 49 from 104 ODIs, will oversee a three-match series on the tour of South Africa next month as his first assignment.

“It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance, not only to myself and my teammates, but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child,” said Hope.

“The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for requires no intricate explanation.

“I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to.

“With the support of my teammates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team.”

Powell, meanwhile, was widely tipped to take over the role, especially after his success last year when he led Jamaica Tallawahs to the capture of the Caribbean Premier League title before guiding Jamaica Scorpions to success in the Super50 Cup.

He also captained Dubai Capitals in the just-concluded International League T20 in United Arab Emirates, the franchise managing to reach the playoffs of the inaugural tournament.

Powell, who CWI said possessed “leadership acumen and tactical ability”, will take charge for the first time in a three-match series on next month’s tour of South Africa.

“I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies,” said Powell, who has featured in 55 T20 Internationals.

“For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region – a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket.

“I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year.

“I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 per cent.”

Both Hope and Powell assume their roles at a pivotal juncture with the white-ball teams under intense scrutiny because of recent results.

West Indies’ only series win in their last eight ODI tours has come against minnows the Netherlands. They have lost 18 of their last 24 ODIs and are 10th in the ICC rankings behind Afghanistan.

The Caribbean side have fared little better in T20 Internationals. They suffered a shock early elimination from the qualifiers of the T20 World Cup in Australia last year, which led to the resignation of head coach Phil Simmons and Pooran’s eventual departure.

They lie seventh in the ICC rankings despite losing eight of their 10 outings.