West Indies had a poor showing at the World Cup 12 months ago. Their chances of improving in Australia, where they have to get out of the preliminary round, have been hampered by selection issues and fitness concerns. SAM MORSHEAD takes a look...
Coach: Phil Simmons
The former West Indies allrounder has been in post as head coach since 2019, when he returned for a second stint. His contract is due to run until after the 2023 50-over World Cup, but there are commentators in the Caribbean who remain surprised he survived the dreadful showing in the 2021 T20 World Cup, when the Windies won once and slipped out of the competition with little more than a whimper.
Simmons may have been saved from the chop by the fact there were few homegrown coaching alternatives - a Caribbean coach is the preference of those who run West Indies cricket at present. Now, however, there are options: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Curtly Ambrose between them steered Jamaica Tallawahs to victory in the recent CPL, Courtney Walsh has been gathering experience around the world, and Brian Lara has emerged as a coaching presence at Sunrisers Hyderabad.
There is a feeling that Simmons' side must show strongly in Australia, else their head coach getting to the 50-over tournament in India in October 2023 could become something of a struggle.
Captain: Nicholas Pooran
The exciting batsman was appointed captain of West Indies' white-ball sides in May, following the international retirement of Kieron Pollard.
Since taking on the role, Pooran has won seven of 20 matches in T20I cricket. He is a thoroughly effective player in his own right - a career T20 strike rate of 141 is nothing to sniff at. But his form is a little of a concern - he hardly set the CPL alight with Trinbago Knight Riders (102 runs at 12, strike rate 117) and, aside from 46 in a warmup against the UAE, has a run of meagre scores going into this tournament.
Trying to pull together this squad, following some unfortunate preparation (including wars of words between those omitted, and a star player being cut from the squad days before the warmup matches), to make an impact in this competition will require something special.
Nicholas Pooran leads West Indies at the World Cup [AFP via Getty Images]
Superstars
It is notable that a West Indies World Cup squad does not have a global household name: there's no Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo or Chris Gayle. This is the start of a new era.
Evin Lewis: Lewis has not really quite hit the heights many expected of him early in his career. A natural-born six-hitter, with a career T20 strike rate touching 145 (accompanied by an average of 30 makes a handy opener), his record in T20Is is even better (strike rate 155, average 30) - so there is still obviously a fine player there.
On Australian pitches, which typically have high pace and good bounce, Lewis should flourish (he strikes above 160 against short balls at 130kph-plus since 2018). However, he did not have a particularly good CPL (averaging 19 from seven innings), and will need to quickly slot into gear in this tournament, presumably alongside the in-form Johnson Charles at the top of the order.
Alzarri Joseph: Quick and tall, and therefore capable of extracting the most out of the surfaces in use at this tournament, he is also tremendously disciplined. With only seven T20I caps for West Indies, it might be tempting to suggest he doesn't have the experience, but Joseph is so well versed in cricket's two other international tournaments that matters little.
He collected 18 wickets at 15s (and with an economy rate below seven) during the CPL, which - while on admittedly very different pitches to those expected in Australia - is hardly scoff-worthy. He was much more expensive in the IPL in 2022, where he went at 8.8 for Gujarat Titans. Let's not forget that his side won the tournament, though. A proper attack leader in an attack that will need the guidance.
Rising star
Kyle Mayers: The man who destroyed England's Test team with 70-something mph dobblers in March is also an incredibly valuable T20 asset to West Indies, particularly in Australian conditions. Mayers can be miserly with the ball (he went at less than six runs per over for Barbados Royals in the recent CPL), but it is his capacity to club fast, short bowling which should - in theory - prove most important in this tournament.
Since 2018, Mayers cracks short deliveries above 130kph at a strike rate of nearly 200 and an average of nearly 120 in T20Is. That is an outlier in international cricket. The lesson: don't chuck the short stuff at him, regardless of how exciting the pitch is.
Odean Smith: Smith is an intriguing cricketer. Capable of hitting a long old ball - as shown beautifully when he clubbed Josh Hazlewood a meagre 108 metres during the recent series against Australia - he is also a handy seam bowler, who can hit 145kph at the very top of his game.
Johnson Charles has been in excellent form [AFP via Getty Images]
BATTING
Power hitters
Brandon King: How West Indies pick a partner for Evin Lewis will be fascinating, especially given King's performances in the CPL, where he made 56 more runs than anyone else in the competition to help guide Jamaica Tallawahs to the title. It's likely West Indies will favour Johnson Charles, given his prowess against the short-and-fast stuff, but King is hard to ignore.
Rovman Powell: The Jamaican packs plenty of power in the middle order, where he'll need to replace the firepower of Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard. Powell shows last year against England in Barbados just how impactful he can be with a magnificent century. He made good runs in the CPL, albeit at the slightly more sedate strike rate of 123.
Evin Lewis: One major bookmaker has Lewis as favourite to register the most sixes in this tournament (Sporting Index, whose spread reckons he'll manage 14). Don't put that past him: he ought to have at least seven innings, and possibly more if West Indies spring a surprise.
Anchor
Oh for Shimron Hetmyer. Perhaps the most talented - and certainly the most fascinating batting personality - in the squad was removed from the Windies squad on the eve of the tournament, having missed a flight to Australia. Whether or not the situation warranted the decision aside, it is a huge loss to West Indies.
In his place, Shamarh Brooks could fulfil the role. Brooks had an excellent CPL, with 241 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 153. How he goes in Australian conditions, against considerably different attacks, is a good question.
As is the theme in this team, Pooran could arguably be included in this bracket.
Finisher
There's no Kieron Pollard, no Sunil Narine, no Andre Russell. That's a lot of big ball-striking, middle-order ability not available.
Naturally, Pooran will have to take on a lot of the responsibility. Mayers could certainly take on the role, particularly against the quicks (he was used as an opener by Barbados Royals in the CPL but with Lewis, King and Charles available, it seems inevitable he'll be shunted down the order). Jason Holder and Odean Smith operate in very different ways with the bat - Holder is considerably more reserved - but each may well be asked to steer chases to a conclusion.
Problem areas
Replacing a middle order of Hetmyer-Russell-Pollard is a nightmare conundrum. If those selected in this Windies squad can make those players' absences obselete, they deserve a deep run in the tournament.
Alzarri Joseph leads the line for West Indies [AFP via Getty Images]
BOWLING
Speed merchants
Obed McCoy: The beauty about McCoy is his ability to be both a powerplay enforcer and a death disciplinarian. McCoy has an excellent back of the hand slower ball, which ought to be of great worth to his side on Aussie pitches, but he has recently made the transition to early-over impact seamer. He knocked India's top order out of place during the two teams' August series, having benefited from being part of the Rajasthan Royals' setup during the 2022 IPL.
He is likely to have to get through plenty of work here, and will need to avoid injury - the likes of which prevented him from being a part of West Indies' successful Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2016, and forced him out of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Alzarri Joseph: We've already touched on much of what makes Joseph a crucial cog in this West Indies machine.
It is a shame that Jayden Seales, the rapid 21-year-old from Trinidad & Tobago, has not yet been pushed into the T20 setup. It is his sort of raw pace which could have done damage in Australia.
Variation
Akeal Hosein is the only recognised international frontline spinner in this squad, which is quite something. Hosein is a very able operator (a T20 career economy of 6.43 only rises to 6.93 when the international T20 filter is applied), but a left-arm spinner alone is hardly going to breathe fear into opponents in this tournament.
Yannic Cariah is the second spinner in the squad. Cariah hadn't played a T20 match since 2016 prior to the Australia series in the buildup to this World Cup. Underlining the problems with West Indian spin, and the nonsense that means Sunil Narine is not involved in the Windies' setup, his inclusion represents not so much as a punt as sticking the mortgage on red.
West Indies' selectors will have to trust their gut instincts on this one: if they get it right, it will be the call of all calls.
Problem areas
Um, there are a few, most of which revolve around the spin department. If Hosein loses control, what do West Indies have in the middle overs? One spinner might be enough in Australia, but having a second feels a little more than a luxury. Cariah will surely have to perform at some point to keep his team in the hunt, and that's a lot of pressure on a guy not particularly used to the format.
The omission of Fabian Allen, a very competent left-arm spinner in addition to his destructive potential with the bat, remains a tad odd.
Sheldon Cottrell's fitness could also be cause for concern. Cottrell, 33, has not played a lot of cricket in 2022. He does offer a left-arm option, but there might have been better options.
Who takes the gloves?
Nicholas Pooran will attempt to multitask West Indies as far as he can. Johnson Charles would be a worthwhile shout instead, to take the pressure off the captain-anchor-finisher.
Squad: Nicholas Pooran (c), Rovman Powell, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith
Fixtures: Oct 17 – Scotland, Oct 19 – Zimbabwe, Oct 21 – Ireland
Possible starting XI: Evin Lewis, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran, Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Odean Smith, Alzarri Joseph, Akeal Hosein, Obed McCoy