Cricket West Indies (CWI) appoint Shai Hope and Rovman Powell as ODI and T20I captain

Cricket West Indies (CWI) have announced new white-ball captains for their upcoming assignments in the format, with hard-hitting batter Rovman Powell appointed to lead the Windies in T20I cricket. Wicketkeeper batter Shai Hope will lead the team in the 50-over format.

The pair will succeed Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the role after West Indies' disastrous T20 World Cup campaign in Australia last year. The two-time champions lost to Scotland and Ireland in the first round, leading to their elimination from the tournament. The left-handed batter quit the captaincy with the intent of doing his best as a player.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

CWI announces new captains for White-Ball formats.

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Hope spoke about his appointment as ODI captain and thanked the board as he considers it a position of privilege. The Barbadian said he trusts his teammates to support him in the mission of navigating West Indies cricket in the right direction.

As quoted by their official website, he said:

"It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child. I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity."

"To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my teammates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team."

The 29-year-old became the vice-captain for the second time in 2022 after demonstrating leadership skills on and off the field over several series. In 104 ODIs, Hope averages a healthy 49 and was selected in the ICC ODI Team of the Year of 2022.

"I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front" - Rovman Powell

Meanwhile, Powell described receiving the T20I captaincy as the greatest honor of his career so far and promised to give his 100 per cent in the build-up to the T20 World Cup next year. Powell, who was the vice-captain during the 2022 T20 World Cup, said:

"I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 per cent."

Century for Rovman Powell 👏

He becomes only the third West Indian to score a T20I hundred after Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle.

#WIvENG https://t.co/0nPmX8vZua

The first assignment for both captains will be the upcoming series against South Africa, comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is. Their tour of South Africa begins on February 28.