3 cricketers West Indies could groom for T20 World Cup 2022
The defending champions West Indies failed to get going in T20 World Cup 2021 despite the team being packed with experienced players who had tasted success in the past.
However, West Indies managed to win just one of their five games in the Super 12 phase and were knocked out of the tournament.
While Dwayne Bravo has already announced his retirement from international cricket, the likes of Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Roston Chase, Andre Russell and Ravi Rampaul failed to live up to expectations in T20 World Cup 2021.
The next T20 World Cup is less than a year away and West Indies could consider grooming a few young players for the said tournament.
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Here's a look at three such cricketers who could play a vital role for West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2022.
#1 Romario Shepherd
The 26-year-old fast bowling all-rounder has already made his debut for West Indies in ODIs as well as T20Is. However, he is yet to set the stage on fire in international cricket.
Romario Shepherd was one of the stars in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021, picking up 18 wickets in nine matches at an impressive average of 14.11, finishing as the second highest wicket taker in the tournament. He is also a clean striker of the ball and a useful batsman lower down the order. Shephard had an impressive strike rate of 165.15 in eight CPL innings with a highest score of 72*.
In domestic T20s, he boasts a strike rate of 162.29. He has been equally impressive with the ball, picking up 43 wickets in domestic T20s at an average of 19.55.
He has the potential to be one of the leading all-rounders for West Indies in T20Is and needs to be groomed by the team management.
#2 Kevin Sinclair
Kevin Sinclair has played six T20Is for West Indies, picking up four wickets at an average of 37.50. He made his T20I debut for West Indies against Sri Lanka in March 2021.
The 21-year-old off-spinner has played 16 List A matches, averaging 23.27 with the ball. In 14 domestic T20 matches, he has picked up 10 wickets at an average of 26.70.
In CPL 2021, he bowled 14 overs, taking five wickets at an average of 12.20 and an exceptional economy rate of 4.35.
Sinclair has shown a lot of maturity with the ball and could be the trump card for West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2022, considering the fact that not many teams have faced him before in international cricket.
#3 Sherfane Rutherford
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The 23-year-old middle-order batter has played six T20Is for West Indies so far. He did not create much of an impact and was subsequently left out of the team.
Rutherford has played in various T20 leagues around the world, tasting success in the process. He is an aggressive batter with a strike rate of 135.86 in 61 domestic T20 innings.
He can play the role of a finisher for West Indies and needs a consistent run in the playing XI to cement his place in the team. Rutherford had a successful CPL 2021 campaign, averaging 37.42 with the bat.
Rutherford, along with Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran, could form a formidable middle order for West Indies in the future.