ST JOHN’S – Left-handed stroke-maker Darren Bravo has returned to an otherwise predictable 15-man West?Indies squad announced yesterday to contest next month’s Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.
The stylish 23-year-old has not played for West Indies since limping out of the tour of England in June with a groin injury but now joins a squad that will be led by Darren Sammy, with older brother Dwayne Bravo as vice-captain.
Exciting all-rounder Andre Russell has also been recalled after missing the T20 double-header against New Zealand in Florida through injury.
The right-armer, however, took ten wickets in the subsequent five-match One-Day series and had unbeaten knocks of 59 and 42.
He will partner Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards to form the pace attack, with Sunil Narine expected to be at the heart of the Windies armoury with his beguiling off spin.
Narine dominated the Florida T20s with seven wickets and then followed up with 13 in the One-Day series.
Leg-spinner and fellow Trinidadian Samuel Badree, who made his debut in the Florida double-header, is the other specialist spinner in the squad, gaining the nod over lanky Barbadian left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn.
Meanwhile, flamboyant opener Chris Gayle will head the Windies batting which also boasts Indian Premier League stars Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith.
The selectors have also kept faith with big-hitting St Lucian top-order batsman Johnson Charles, despite recent encouraging performances from Nevisian left-hander Kieran Powell.
West Indies will do battle in Group B alongside Australia and Ireland, and have been tipped to advance to the Super Eight second round.
The tournament runs from September 18 to October 7.
Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith. (CMC/EZS)
