Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Wednesday (February 15) announced Shai Hope as the new captain of the Men’s ODI team and Rovman Powell as the new captain of the Men’s T20I team.
Hope and Powell will take over from Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the positions last November following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.
The first assignments for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa in March where the West Indies face the Proteas in three ODIs and three T20Is from 16 to 28 March, following two matches in the ICC World Test Championship.
Hope has been appointed as ODI skipper after demonstrating strong leadership on and off the field and experiencing the vice-captain role over a number of series since 2019.
“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. 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 team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team,” Hope said in a statement issued by CWI.
The selection committee recommended Powell as T20I captain, referencing his demonstrated leadership acumen and tactical ability when acting as the West Indies T20I vice-captain and as captain for Jamaica in 2022 with double success in both regional competitions. He led Jamaica winning firstly the Caribbean Premier League with the Tallawahs in September before captaining the Jamaica Scorpions to the CG United Super50 Cup title in November.
"I'm truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. 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," Powell said.
"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 WC, 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 percent."
(windiescricket.com inputs)
