Johnson Charles is back in West Indies Colours after Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Selection Panel, this week, announced the West Indies squad for the upcoming International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup. The panel confirmed the 15 players who represent the West Indies for the eighth ICC T20 World Cup, which will be played in Australia from October 16 to November 13.
The West Indies are the only team to have won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup twice, in Sri Lanka in 2012 and in India in 2016, both times with Charles part of the team.
Since then he has been out but is back to help the West Indies campaign win an unprecedented third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, which starts on October 17, when they take on Scotland in first of three Group B fixtures played at the Bellerive Oval, in Hobart, Tasmania to qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament. Nicholas Pooran leads the West Indies in his first World Cup as captain, with Rovman Powell as vice-captain.
Left-hand opening batter Evin Lewis has been recalled for the first time since the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Two uncapped players have been selected; right-arm leg-spinner allrounder Yannic Cariah and left-arm batting allrounder Raymon Reifer.
The Most Honourable Dr. Desmond Haynes, CWI’s Lead Selector said: “We have selected a mixture of youth and experience to represent the West Indies. In the selection process, we have been cognizant of the ongoing CPL and we have been looking at the players who have been playing very well. I said at the beginning of my tenure that I would be interested in giving players the opportunity and I think I have been consistent in doing that. I believe it is a very good team we have selected, and it is a team that will compete, given that we have to qualify from Round 1 into the Super12s.”
Dr. Haynes added: “There are players who did not make the team and I hope they will continue to work hard and perform to their best in the CPL and the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup; because you never know what can happen in case of injuries or any other unforeseen situations where we might need to call up players as replacements.”
West Indies will face Zimbabwe on October 19 and then Ireland on October 21 with the top two teams from Group B joining the Super 12s, along with the top two teams from Group A which features Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Namibia. The top two teams from each Super12 group will advance to the semi-finals on November 9 and 10.
Before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the West Indies will meet home team Australia in a two-match bilateral T20 International (T20I) series on October 5 at the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and on October 7 at the historical Gabba, in Brisbane.
WEST INDIES ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022 FULL SQUAD
NICHOLAS POORAN – Captain
ROVMAN POWELL – Vice captain
YANNIC CARIAH
JOHNSON CHARLES
SHELDON COTTRELL
SHIMRON HETMYER
JASON HOLDER
AKEAL HOSEIN
ALZARRI JOSEPH
BRANDON KING
EVIN LEWIS
KYLE MAYERS
OBED McCOY
RAYMON REIFER
ODEAN SMITH
MATCH SCHEDULE
T20 International Series, Australia vs West Indies
October 5: 1st T20I, Australia vs West Indies, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast
October 7: 2nd T20I, Australia vs West Indies, The Gabba, Brisbane
ICC MEN’s T20 WORLD CUP 2022, Australia
Round 1 – Groups
Group A: Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and Namibia
Group B: Scotland, West Indies, Zimbabwe, and Ireland
(Top two teams from each group advance to Super 12s)
Round 1 – Match Schedule (all played at Bellerive Oval, Hobart).
October 17: West Indies v Scotland, 15h00 Australia time, 00h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 23h00 Jamaica time (16 October)
October 19: West Indies v Zimbabwe, 19h00 Australia time, 04h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 03h00 Jamaica time
October 21: West Indies v Ireland, 15h00 Australia time, 00h00 Eastern Caribbean time, 23h00 Jamaica time (20 October)
Super 12s
Group 1: England, Australia, New Zealand, Afghanistan, A1 and B2.
Group 2: India, Pakistan, South Africa, A2 and B1.
(Top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals)
SEMI-FINALS
November 9: SCG, Sydney
November 10: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
FINAL
November 13: MCG, Melbourne