West Indies will have a fourth vice-captain in six months.
Kieron Pollard, the big-hitting limited-overs specialist, has been appointed to the position for the first time for the five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and solitary Twenty20 International on the ongoing tour of Bangladesh.
Pollard, a settled team member in the shorter forms of the game, has replaced fellow Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin, who is vice-captain for the two-match Test series.
In a squad devoid of established captains, Pollard has been made Darren Sammy’s assistant despite never having led the senior Trinidad and Tobago team.
Ramdin, fresh from marching to a century in the opening Test last Wednesday, has been replaced in the 15-man squad by Antiguan wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas.
Ramdin had been appointed vice-captain in the absence of injured all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who was the No. 2 to Sammy during the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
In addition to Ramdin and Bravo, West Indies’ other vice-captain this year was Barbadian Kirk Edwards, who held the job for the Test tour of England in May and June.
Ramdin and Edwards are among six players from the Test squad who have not been picked for the limited-overs matches, while Bravo has not recovered from an injury he sustained at the World Twenty20 that restricted his bowling.
Ramdin’s omission could be viewed in some quarters as a surprise. In addition to scoring two Test centuries this year, he made 96 in an ODI in India last year and averages 22.88 with the bat in the 50-over game over the past 12 months.
Apart from Ramdin and Kirk Edwards, the others returning home from Bangladesh are batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine and Assad Fudadin and fast bowler Fidel Edwards.
Pacer Kemar Roach, who was forced to withdraw from the Test squad because of a hamstring injury, has recovered and joins a host of limited-overs specialists who will link up with the squad in time for the first ODI on November 30.
Batsman Lendl Simmons and all-rounders Dwayne Smith and Andre Russell, all part of the champion World Twenty20 team, have also been called up.
The only member of the squad who has not played an ODI or Twenty20 International is left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who enjoyed a satisfying international debut in the opening Test which West Indies won by 77 runs on Saturday.
The second Test bowls off on Wednesday (tomorrow at 11:30 p.m. Barbados time). (HG)
The squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Kieron Pollard (vice captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Devon Thomas.
