Twenty-year-old Grenadian top order batsman Teddy Bishop and 27-year-old Guyanese wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach are in line to make their One Day International (ODI) debuts, after both were named in the West Indies squad to face Australia.
The duo was among five changes ordered by West Indies selectors, with 29-year-old Barbadian batsman Justin Greaves, 31-year-old Antiguan spinner Hayden Walsh Jr and 30-year-old Dominican allrounder Kavem Hodge also selected.
Imlach and Hodge are already in Australia with the Test team.
In contrast, the CWI Media noted that Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford were excused as they were “given the opportunity to take up T20 franchise contracts during this period” while Shimron Hetmyer and Yannic Cariah were omitted.
The selectors noted that Bishop, who represented West Indies in the 2022 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, earned selection through his performances for the West Indies Academy during the recent CG United Super 50 Cup and Academy series against Emerging Ireland.
Greaves, who amassed 403 runs from seven innings at an average of 80.59 for the Leeward Islands at the CG United Sup 50 Cup, rejoins the ODI team after shaking off a hamstring injury.
West Indies play three ODIs against Australia with the first in Melbourne on 2 February.
“On the back of a series win against England, we are expecting our ODI team to be very competitive in Australia,” West Indies chief selector Desmond Haynes told the CWI Media. “We have some new inclusions, who have impressed over a significant period and a couple of returning players, who we think will have an impact.”
There is only one change to the West Indies T20 International (T20I) team with the rested pacer Alzarri Joseph returning to replace Matthew Ford.
King and Rutherford made themselves available for the T20I series with Australia, along with Jason Holder and Kyle Myers who both ruled themselves out of the Test series.
Haynes said the three-game T20I series—to be played in Hobart, Adelaide and Perth on 9, 11 and 13 February—forms part of the team’s “crucial preparations” for the upcoming 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, which is co-hosted by West Indies and the United States.
“We are hoping to build on strong overall performances against India and England and to keep improving as we approach the major tournament,” said Haynes.
West Indies ODI squad:
Shai Hope (captain), Alzarri Joseph (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
West Indies T20I squad:
Rovman Powell (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas.