West Indies limited-overs captain, Kieron Pollard, has said the absence of talented batsman Shimron Hetmyer from the two white-ball squads certainly leaves a big void. But Pollard noted that the left-hander knows what he has to do in order to return.
Hetmyer, who scored 300 runs at an average of 50 in the recently concluded CG Insurance Super50 Cup, was not selected in the West Indies 50-over and T20I squads for the tour of Sri Lanka after failing to meet the minimum fitness standard.
In February 2020, he was also dropped from the 50-over squad ahead of West Indies tour to Sri Lanka for the said reason. The minimum fitness standard West Indies cricketers require is 40 on the yo-yo test.
Hetmyer has since reached that standard and is available for Test selection against Sri Lanka.
“A big void, there is no secret about,” Pollard stated at a Virtual presser on Tuesday.
“I think he knows exactly what he needs to do; he knows the reasons and the honesty as to why he is not here at this point in time and sometimes we need to be open, honest, and straightforward with each other from a different point of view rather just try to pamper certain situations all the way through.”
The captained added, “He has left a big void and we have expressed our disappointment on that and he knows what he needs to do in order to be on these white-ball teams.”
Recalls were given to 41-year-old batsman, Chris Gayle, and 39-year-old pacer Fidel Edwards.
Some felt the selectors could have gone for youth instead, however, the skipper said it is important to find that right balance, and that the youngsters must keep working and show consistency.
“Sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror and ask have I done enough or I have enough on a consistent basis to be on an international team or representing West Indies at this stage.”
Pollard went on to say, “If you have to pick guys scoring 150 to 200 runs all the time and there is no one sticking out their head…no one is scoring 500 to 600 runs and saying pick me, I deserve to be selected, it boils down to who you think is the best person at that time.”
The skipper praised Guyanese off-spinner Kevin Sinclair for his consistency over the past two Super50 tournaments and the Caribbean Premier League which has brought reward.
Sinclair and Akeal Hosein are the only two players in the 14-man squad without T20I experience. West Indies play three T20Is from Wednesday at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabien Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Rovman Powell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair.
