ICC World Cup 2019: 5 Windies players who could have been included in the squad

At the start of May 2019, the “Kentucky Derby” is going to make headlines and by the end of that month another race, the 50-overs World Cup will take the centre stage in England and Wales. There are 10 horses, teams in the Brits derby, and they will be competing in order to stamp their authority in the white ball race course. The conditioning program of the contestants began months ago and the audience has also put bets, predictions on the winning combinations. Now the fans are hoping that their horse, the team crosses the finish line first.

2019 WC is the most important fixture for the survival of ODI cricket, and the teams have already selected the 15-member squad for the celebrated event. The last cricket board to announce its troop was the Windies cricket. From the last decade, the island nation has been suffering turmoils in the 50-overs format, and that’s why this year’s tournament can lead their resurgence. The Caribbean team has a good bunch of players in their squad, but there are some stars who missed the bus to England.

Here are the 5 Windies players who could have been included in the squad :

Marlon Samuels

The Jamaican cricketer is a superstar of Windies cricket, as he was the architect of the country’s two biggest achievements in this decade. The right-hander is one of the most dynamic batsmen to have emerged from the Caribbean land. Marlon Samuels has played some magical knocks in the international circuit that includes his innings of 85 in the final of 2016 T20 WC. Till now, he has played around 340 games for his nation.

Along with his batting, Samuels is also an efficient off-spinner. In his ODI career, he has got over 5000 runs and has picked up 89 wickets. At 38, the veteran has been going through a rough patch, and that may be the reason for his exclusion from the 15-member squad. Samuels has played 200 ODIs, and he has an average of 68 in Tests played in England so the star could have been a valuable addition to the team as he has good experience of such conditions.

Kieron Pollard

Keiron Pollard is an underutilized cricketer by the island nation, as he has the potential of a match-winner. Pollard is a dangerous customer down the order, as he can carve out bowlers with his brute power. The Trinidadian can also be a handy bowler and in the field, he can contribute with his athleticism. Pollard has never been constant in the team set-up but still has played 160 games by donning the maroon jersey.

The all-rounder has scored almost 2300 runs and scalped 50 wickets in his ODI career. Pollard has scored most of his runs at No.6 and No.7 position with a strike rate of over 100 which is really praiseworthy. At 31, the big man from Trinidad and Tobago has missed the cut for 2019 WC, as he has played just 2 international series in the last 1 year. Recently he has been in good form in IPL playing the role of a finisher for Mumbai Indians (MI) with 195 runs in 10 innings with a strike rate of 175, but the selectors have not shown faith in him.

Devendra Bishoo

The Guyanese cricketer has been a regular in the Windies Test team with his consistent performances. The short-statured player is a rare slow bowler from the island nation, who has outfoxed the batsmen with his guile and wicket-taking abilities. Bishoo can also contribute with his willow, and his average of above 15 in Tests is a testimony to the fact. Bishoo has represented the Caribbean side in 85 games.

The leg-spinner has taken 38 wickets in 40 ODIs with an economy rate of 4.95 which is striking in the modern day game. When Bishoo burst into the scene, he took an impressive 3-wicket haul against England in 2011 WC. He can be a threat for opposition on slow surfaces, but recently there has been a dip in his form. All the top teams have preferred quality spinners in their side for the WC, but Jason Holder’s men are weak in the spin department so Bishoo could have been a good option for them.

Rovman Powell

Rovman Powell has been on the fringe of Windies team from the last couple of years. The youngster from Jamaica showed immense promise from his debut match when he scored a quick-fire 44 ofF 29 balls against Sri Lanka. Powell can also chip in with useful overs in the middle of the innings. At 25 the all-rounder has already played 34 ODIs, and has scored over 800 runs which have mostly come down the order.

Powell has played some useful cameos down the order which includes a century against Ireland while batting at No.7 position. The selectors have dropped him for the 2019 WC because of his failures in the last couple of series. He was one of the stars when the Caribbean side played the ICC WC qualifiers, where he scored 178 runs in 5 innings. Recently the youngster has been in good form for his domestic side with ball in his hand, as he took 17 wickets in 4 games but he didn’t get the nod from selectors.

Keemo Paul

The youngster is the latest talent to enter the Windies side, and he has done well in his limited opportunities. Keemo Paul caught the attention of the world when he took 7 wickets and scored 166 runs in the 2016 U19 WC. The Guyanese cricketer has shown his expertise in bowling with different variations in his kitty. Keemo Paul is also no mug with the bat, as he has scored 129 runs in 3 test matches.

Keemo Paul showed his class in his debut series which was the ICC WC qualifiers, where he took 5 wickets in 4 matches with an economy rate of 3.95. Till now the all-rounder has played 11 ODIs in which he has taken 10 wickets. The island nation has picked up good fast bowlers in their side for the upcoming WC, but Keemo could have offered a different dimension to the bowling set-up. The youngster has been plying his trade in IPL 2019, and there he picked up a 3-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) which proved to be a match-winning effort.

The Holder-led side is really looking strong on the paper, as it consists of various superstars who have proved their worth. The selectors have gambled by picking up a couple of less experienced players, and due to that, some proven match-winners have missed the ticket to England.

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