GCB hails five Guyanese named in West Indies World T20 squad

Press Release from the Guyana Cricket Board

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has hailed its five players for making the final cut, following the release of the West Indies T20 World Cup team.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) named the strong 15-man squad, which features among some key T20 players, five Guyanese players who broke new grounds for both Guyana and Windies cricket.

Fast-bowler Shamar Joseph, all-rounders Romario Shepherd and Sherfane Rutherford, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and batsman Shimron Hetmyer will put Guyana and the Caribbean on their backs as they look to help their team become the first T20 hosts to capture a title.

After winning last year’s CPL title, the five players have gone on to different things, like Joseph inspiring a historic Test win over Australia in the last Test series.

Meanwhile, the two most notable players in Motie and Shepherd have been mainstays in the Windies team across most formats recently and will play key roles in helping West Indies become the first host nation to lift the T20 World Cup.

The GCB executives sent their best wishes to the entire team, a team that looks well balanced and is full of match-winners.

Friday’s press conference saw Windies Men’s Chief Selector and former opening batsman Desmond Haynes and Head Coach and two-time T20 World Cup winning skipper Daren Sammy, making the announcement.

Also, Haynes outlined that the reserves will be announced in the near future, as players will look to gel as quickly as possible ahead of the World Cup’s start.

The team will be led by Rovman Powell and features seasoned T20 players like Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Andre Russell and Brandon King.

The Caribbean boys will be gearing up for their first battle on June 2 versus Papua New Guinea (PNG) at the National Stadium, Providence.

West Indies T20 World Cup squad: Rovman Powell (captain), Alzarri Joseph (vice-captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd