Hetmyer, Motie, Paul to miss ODI series

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Several changes have been made to the West Indies squad for the three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series against New Zealand starting today, with Keemo Paul and Gudakesh Motie out due to injury and Shimron Hetmyer unavailable.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men's Selection Panel announced yesterday that left-handed batsman Hetmyer is unavailable "due to personal reasons", all-rounder Paul was ruled out with an injury, and left-arm spinner Motie has failed to recover from the hand injury sustained during the series against India last month.

"Hetmyer has to attend to a family matter in Guyana. Unfortunately, Motie is not yet able to rejoin the squad and Keemo is struggling with an injury," explained CWI's lead selector Desmond Haynes.

The replacements are middle-order batter Jermaine Blackwood, who has been called up for the ODI squad for the first time since 2015; and leg-spinning all-rounder Yannic Cariah who earns his first squad call-up for the West Indies after being promoted from the West Indies A squad that has been playing against Bangladesh.

Cariah captained the West Indies Emerging Players team that won the CG United Super50 Cup (then the Colonial Insurance Super50 Cup) in 2019.

"He is someone that has been performing well on the regional circuit and we feel now is the right time to integrate him into the senior team set-up," Haynes said.

Odean Smith, the seam-bowling all-rounder, has been added as a reserve.

Haynes said he had been picked on the back of some notable performances in the T20I Series.

All three ODIs will be day/night matches played under floodlights at Kensington Oval with the second and third CG United ODIs on August 19 and 21.

The three matches are West Indies' last remaining three fixtures in the ICC ODI Super League.

The Caribbean side will be seeking to win the CG United ODI Series to secure one of the automatic qualification places reserved for the top seven teams in the ODI Super League table, excluding hosts India.

FULL SQUAD: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair

Travelling reserve: Odean Smith