ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin’s 12-year international career was dangling by a thread after he and all-rounder Kieron Pollard were axed from the One-Day International squad for next month’s Tri-Nations Series in Zimbabwe.
Neither Trinidadian was named in the 15-man squad announced Wednesday by the West Indies Cricket Board for the tour which runs from November 12-27, and also features Sri Lanka.
Both players have paid the price for poor form during the 3-0 drubbing by Pakistan in the recent three-match ODI series in the United Arab Emirates.
Pollard’s form was perhaps the most glaring, as the right-hander managed just 42 runs from three innings at an average of 14 and produced precious little with the ball.
More striking, however, was Pollard’s lacklustre approach with the bat, which prompted Pakistani bowling legend Waqar Younis to call for his dropping ahead of the final ODI.
Pollard was only recalled to the West Indies ODI squad for last June’s Tri-Nations Series in the Caribbean involving Australia and South Africa, following a near two-year period of exile.
He marked his return with a match-winning unbeaten half-century against South Africa in Guyana, en route to averaging 41 in the series as West Indies reached the final.
The 31-year-old Ramdin, meanwhile, may feel hard done by especially after scores of 37 and 34 in the last two ODIs against Pakistan.
Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin … international career now in doubt.
While he managed just 79 runs in the series, only Marlon Samuels (116), Darren Bravo (90) and Kraigg Brathwaite (85) scored more, in what was a poor showing overall by the Windies batsmen.
During the Tri-Nations Series in June, Ramdin scored nearly 200 runs including a scintillating 91 against Australia in Bridgetown and 40 against the same side a few days later in a losing effort in the final.
Ramdin’s sacking from the ODI side comes four months after he was also dropped from the Test squad and just over a year after he was removed as Test captain, and it leaves his international career at the crossroads.
He is not currently a member of the Twenty20 set-up.
Barbadian stroke-maker Shai Hope has been called up to ODI duty for the first time as Ramdin’s replacement while all-rounder Rovman Powell, who failed to get a game in the recent T20 series against Pakistan, has come in for Pollard.
The 22-year-old Hope, who has played six Tests with little success, is currently a member of the Test squad preparing to face Pakistan in a three-Test series starting Thursday in UAE.
Hope and Powell are the only two changes to the squad that toured the UAE, and which will again by captained by Jason Holder.
West Indies open their series against Sri Lanka on November 16 in Harare.
SQUAD – Jason Holder (captain), Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels.
