Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph to depart early from World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe to prepare for India challenge

Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph will depart early from the ODI World Cup Qualifier which is being held in Zimbabwe. Their decision to depart early is because they want to prepare for the upcoming series against India in July-August. 

The India series including two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20s prompted the decision for Holder and Joseph to return early from Zimbabwe. With Yannic Cariah already withdrawn due to a facial injury, the squad will be left with 13 players, and no replacements have been announced yet.

"Jason and Alzarri are two of our leading bowlers in all formats," emphasized Desmond Haynes as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. He acknowledged their importance and the necessity to manage their workload. Haynes is the lead selector for the West Indies team. 

"We have a full schedule for the upcoming series against India, where we begin the new ICC World Test Championship, then followed by the ODIs and the five T20Is. Therefore, we had dialogue, and it was felt the best move at this time is to have two of our leading bowlers return early from Zimbabwe," he continued.

The much-awaited series against India is going to start with two Tests as the first match will be played on July 12 and the 2nd match will be played on July 20, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is. Recently, West Indies' hopes of qualifying for the ODI World Cup were shattered after their poor performance as they were defeated by Scotland, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands, marking the first time they won't participate in the history of the ODI World Cup.

Before the India series starts, West Indies will face Oman and Sri Lanka on July 5 and July 7, respectively. Although the squad is yet to be finalized, Holder and Joseph are expected to play significant roles. In the Zimbabwe Qualifier, Holder contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 144 runs at an average of 36, and picking up six wickets at an average of 35.33. Joseph emerged as their top bowler, taking eight wickets in five matches at an average of 32.11.

As West Indies prepares for the challenging series against India, the early return of Holder and Joseph will be crucial in bolstering their lineup. The team will aim to make the most of their talents and put up an intense fight against the Indian side which is obviously going to be a very tough series for West Indies, especially after their recent performances which have been very poor.