Major Talking Points from the West Indies T20 Squad Announcement

-Brandon Harrison

Cricket West Indies has announced a seventeen-man squad to take on both England and Ireland in 3 T20 internationals each, as the men in maroon aim to put two relatively disappointing ODI series results behind them and stamp their authority on the Twenty-twenty format. The squad serves up some interesting selections, such as Jason Holder and Jyd Goolie, as well as its nature, where players such as Andre Russell, Brandon King and Roston Chase have only been selected for the England series. At the same time, Jyd Goolie and Kaecy Carty have only been chosen to battle the Irish. This series will be the first time the Windies face England in a T20I on foreign soil since 2017, and Shai Hope will be eager to improve on last year’s series defeat, where the English dominated the West Indies in all aspects of the game. 

So, what are some of the key takeaways from the 17-member squad announcement?

Holder back in the Fray 

A notable inclusion for the tourists is that of Jason Holder, who last played a T20 International for the West Indies in February 2024 against Australia. After not participating in the T20 World Cup in 2024, many cricket fans and analysts certainly thought that Holder’s career in the shortest format of the game was coming to an end. However, with new leadership at the helm, Holder has been selected for the upcoming tour, but why? The first thought is that Holder would provide a great deal of experience for the team, having played 60-plus T20 Internationals for the West Indies over a ten-year span, however, the argument can be made that this particular West Indies team is not short of experience at all. The squad is jam-packed with seasoned professionals who have gone all over the world to ply their respective trades in T20 cricket, with the youngest member of the squad being Matthew Forde, who has played his fair share of domestic T20 cricket both in the Caribbean region and abroad. So, how about his skill set? A major criticism of many West Indian T20 squads in the past is the volume of all-rounders selected. The squad, chosen to tour the United Kingdom, is no different. With the likes of Romario Shepherd, Andre Russell, Roston Chase and even Matthew Forde and Gudakesh Motie being selected, Holder can be considered a surplus to requirements in both the bowling and batting departments. His status as a ‘finisher’ has been questioned heavily within the last 12-18 months after many underwhelming batting performances, and his bowling efforts have been under real scrutiny, especially at the back-end of innings. On the contrary, the major positive surrounding Jason Holder’s appointment, which the selection panel undoubtedly took into consideration, is his overall performance in the Pakistan Super League, where he averaged 34.5 with a strike rate of 164 in addition to capturing 15 wickets during his 8-match stint. Having a player enter the series in good form is a welcome asset for the West Indies, especially considering that many within the T20 squad are not necessarily in good touch or are in high spirits after their ODI series whitewash.

Good Experience for Goolie

Jyd Goolie is probably not a name that many cricket fans are familiar with, especially those outside the regional cricketing arena. The 28-year-old left-hand batsman from the twin-island state of Trinidad & Tobago, who has not played more than a handful of T20 games in his career, would be eager to take this opportunity to play with the West Indies senior men’s team for the first time. Though it is somewhat later than he would’ve liked, Goolie can certainly take inspiration from a fellow ‘late bloomer’ Justin Greaves, who has progressed significantly since making his West Indian debut. Though Goolie is not tipped to start many of the games, if any at all, there is always room for a player who scores runs, especially with the current state of West Indian batting performances in all three formats of the game. Once he plays with confidence and trusts his abilities as the selectors have done, he can show the cricketing world what he has to offer, and hopefully he can provide some healthy competition for the other left hand batsmen in the West Indian setup such as Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford and Nicholas Pooran when he re-enters the lineup.

Hard Start for Hope

It certainly has not been the start Shai Hope would’ve envisioned as he led his troops into battle against both Ireland and England. After struggling to stamp their authority against a very competitive and tight-knit Irish team, the Windies were further embarrassed by the English throughout the series. On a personal note, though he did get two solid half-centuries in Dublin and again in Cardiff, Hope would’ve certainly liked to impose himself a bit more on each contest, as the West Indies continue to look to him as their key for ODI success. Many observed Joe Root’s performances throughout the series, specifically his knock at Cardiff where he scored 166* and led England to victory, and they would have wanted something similar from Hope, where he takes the game by the scruff of its neck and guides the West Indies to glory. 

Pre-captaincy, there was already a lot of pressure on Hope to lead with his batting talents and to ultimately make the West Indies consistently competitive. Now, he still is required to fulfil this role, but he must also perform his duties as captain, adding that bit more weight on his shoulders. There is no doubt that Hope needs support, and in this series, he has been supported commendably by Kaecy Carty, however, the question is whether Carty is able to produce as consistently as Hope does. Many West Indies batsmen too often contribute for too short a period, and there is a need for a dependable batsman or two who can showcase long-lasting consistency. In this T20 format, Hope is expected to get the support he desires from the star-studded Windies lineup. The aim is to let the stardom and experience, which is abundant in the team, translate into quality performances on the playing field and by extension a series victory.

The West Indies start their T20 U.K tour by taking on England in the first T20 International at the Riverside Ground on June 6th.