3 players who can replace Nicholas Pooran as West Indies white-ball captain
Nicholas Pooran stepped down as West Indies white-ball captain on Monday (21 November). The wicketkeeper-batter took over as full-time captain from Kieron Pollard in April earlier this year.
In a statement, the former captain stated that he 'took on the role with great pride and dedication' and gave it a great deal of thought before relinquishing himself from the role.
Pooran's own form has taken a massive dip since he took over as captain as he only scored a single half-century in this period. The wicketkeeper-batter hopes to continue as a senior member of the team, playing his role in helping the team in any way he can.
Not easy to put this out as captaining @windiescricket has been an honour like no other, but rest assured my passion and commitment remains firmly intact. https://t.co/y502cfzoWB
Under Pooran's leadership, West Indies won just four out of 15 ODIs and four out of 15 T20Is. Those wins came in the series against Bangladesh and the Netherlands before the side suffered successive series defeats against Pakistan, New Zealand and India in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2022.
The first-round exit in the first round of the tournament was the death knell for the two-time champions and their captain had to pay the price for it. There's uncertainty around who might take over the role next.
We take a look at three potential replacements as West Indies captain for Nicholas Pooran.
#1 Rovman Powell
Rovman Powell is a senior member of the West Indies side and has been their vice-captain under Pooran's captaincy tenure. It's no surprise that he is one of the favorites to take over the role in the coming weeks.
The Jamaica Tallawahs captain had a successful Caribbean Premier League (CPL), leading the team to glory earlier this year. His team won seven of their 13 matches, including an unbeaten run from the Eliminator to the Finals to lift the trophy.
Powell is most likely to take over as white-ball captain but his form in ODI cricket in recent times might be a concern for the side. It's almost certain that he will take on the role in T20Is though.
#2 Jason Holder
Jason Holder has been a prominent figure in the West Indies team for a number of years now. Having been the youngest player to captain the West Indies, the all-rounder brings plenty of experience along in the leadership role.
Since then, the player relinquished the captaincy, wanting to focus on his personal form to help the team. He is still a natural leader and a senior figure in the side, and generally their crisis man in most situations.
Of course, a lot will depend on whether the Barbados all-rounder wants to take over the responsibility once more. If he does, the West Indies may not have to search for another captain anytime soon.
#3 Shai Hope
Shai Hope is another senior member of the West Indies national side who could be in contention to take over as captain. Already appointed as the vice-captain in the 50-over format, he might be the front-runner to take on the leadership role in the format.
That, of course, leaves the possibility of having two white-ball captains open for the Windies. Shai Hope isn't a regular member of the T20 setup while the same could be said about Powell's involvement in the 50-over format.
Since the two players will be relatively new captains on the big stage, a split captaincy might even allow them to split the burden, allowing both players to thrive.