West Indies tour of Afghanistan 2019 (3 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 1 Test to be played in Dehradun, India)

[MenInG]

Several players have been rewarded for their form in the Caribbean Premier League with call-ups for West Indies tour of Afghanistan.

Tournament leading run-scorer and wicket-taker Brandon King and Hayden Walsh Jr. have each been rewarded with maiden selections, while Lendl Simmons, who finished second on the run charts, earned his first pick since 2017.

Top-order bat King and leg-spinner Walsh Jr. have also been named in the ODI squad, along with fellow international newbie Romario Shepherd, a right-arm seamer and lower-order bat.

As previously announced, Keiron Pollard returns as captain of both limited-overs squads, while previous T20I skipper Carlos Brathwaite is absent from all three squads. Test and former ODI captain Jason Holder finds a place in all three squads.

Andre Russell and Chris Gayle are the two other notable absentees from the white-ball squads, with the latter’s international future the subject of ongoing debate, while Darren Bravo, who has played all five of West Indies’ Tests this year having not previously featured since 2016, and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, have both missed out on Test selection.

West Indies will play three T20Is, three ODIs, and a Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun in India between November 5 and December 1.

T20I squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Denesh Ramdin, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph.

ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sunil Ambris, Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd.

Test squad: Jason Holder (c), Shai Hope, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamrah Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Sunil Ambris, Jomel Warrican, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1453307

 

[sweep_shot]

This is a great opportunity for Afghanistan to get a Test victory over West Indies. I say Afghans are favorites to win.

 

[MenInG]

Following their last-place finish at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, where they finished winless after nine matches, Afghanistan have revamped their one-day international squad for the three-match series against West Indies, making as many as seven changes to a 16-man contingent announced on Friday, 25 October.

In addition to the suspended duo of Mohammad Shahzad and Aftab Alam, there was no place for the fast-bowling duo of Dawlat Zadran and Hamid Hassan, and Hashmatullah Shahidi, Noor Ali Zadran and Samiullah Shinwari. Replacing them were Javed Ahmadi, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Ibrahim Zadran, Yamin Ahmadzai and Naveen-ul-Haq.

The changes mark yet another instance of an overhaul of the national team in the aftermath of the World Cup, which first began with the replacement of Gulbadin Naib with Rashid Khan, who took over as captain for all three formats.

The T20I squad had five changes. As was the case in the ODI team, Dawlat was left out, while Ibrahim, Ahmadzai and Ahmadi made the cut. Batsmen Fazal Niazai, Najeeb Tarakai and Shafiqullah, and uncapped 20-year-old leg-spinner Shahidullah, who was named in the T20I squad for the Bangladesh series but did not play in a game, were the others to be left out. Left-arm pacer Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, who joined the World Cup squad midway through the tournament, as replacement for Alam, and played one match, against West Indies in Leeds, was named.

While this will be Afghanistan’s first ODI assignment after the World Cup, they’ve been a lot busier in the T20I scene, taking part in the Bangladesh Twenty20 tri-series, also featuring Zimbabwe, where they picked up a win each against the two opposing nations, before sharing the trophy with the home team, following a washed out final.

Afghanistan’s series against West Indies will kick off with a three-match T20I series, with the first game taking place on 5 November. That will be followed by three ODIs, before the tour concludes with a one-off Test. All the matches will take place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1465940

 

[Bhaijaan]

Glad that Afghanistan can play its home cricket in India

Lots of love to Afghans from your Indian brothers.

May you keep growing.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Afghanistan have the potential to surprise Windies on turning wickets. Windies are seriously lacking when it comes to playing spin, as evidenced by the India and Bangladesh tours last year and they don't have a single good spinner either

 

[MenInG]

Gearing up for next month’s T20 series, West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford on Friday said his team has been trying to adapt to the Indian pitches and would look to put up a good show against India. The three-match T20 series starts in Hyderabad on December 6, followed by games in Thiruvananthapuram (December 8) and Mumbai (December 11).

“I am happy to get the opportunity. Preparation have been coming along well, we had a lot of time to train and to get some work done. So over the past few days we have been putting in some hard work and are looking forward to give our best against India,” Rutherford told reporters.

“Most of the Indian pitches are good wickets to bat on. We have been working on adapting to the pitches so we can improve our game. I don’t think players are thinking too much about the World Cup or IPL, it’s just about performance and everything else will follow from there.” The West Indies team has been based in India for the last one month, playing their bilateral series against Afghanistan which featured three ODIs, three T20s and a one-off Test.

Rutherford, who was part of the T20 series against Afghanistan, said he has been taking batting tips from skipper Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell. “My role in the middle order is similar (to that of Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell). I have been working with them, talking to them and learning a lot. My game is about adapting and learning,” said the 21-year-old left-handed batsman.

Pollard was named as the skipper for the limited over series against India with Nicholas Pooran as his deputy in the shorter format and Shai Hope taking over the role of the vice-captain in the ODIs. Talking about his skipper, Rutherford said: “KP (Pollard) is such a cool leader. He’s somebody you can talk to. Someone, who would listen to you always. (He) brings a different energy to training sessions and the guys look up to him.”

The T20 World Cup will be held next year in Australia but Rutherford said he is not thinking that far and would like to take one step at a time. “T20 World Cup is a while from now but every series we look to take something out of it. We look to give our best and take it one step at a time,” he said.

Rutherford, who has played three T20Is, said he is keen to play all the three formats and is putting in the hard yards. “Bowling is something that I like to do. Now I’m comfortable bowling but its something comes after my batting but it gives me confidence,” he said.

“I want to play all three formats but everything is (about the right) timing so I am doing the hard work and hopefully I will get my opportunity when I deserve it.” The 21-year-old also batted for franchise cricket, saying it provides a platform for all those players who fail to make it to the national team. “I have not been in a situation where I had any problem with the management style but I think franchise cricket is good because not everyone might play for West Indies or their countries. So I think franchise cricket helps a lot of players, especially players that cannot make it to the national team,” Rutherford said.

“I don’t see any problems with franchise cricket. May be sometimes it gets a bit frustrating as you may not stay as much free as you want to but I think it’s good and in everything you have to make sacrifices,” he added. The all-rounder also heaped praise on the West Indies Test team, who thrashed Afghanistan by nine-wickets in the one-off Test at Lucknow.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-rutherford/story-IQ0WEY4PvydZOMik0RkusJ.html