Fabian Allen has made himself available for international selection again ahead of the T20 World Cup, six months since his last appearance in a West Indies shirt.
Allen, the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, declined a retainer contract with Cricket West Indies earlier this year and has been absent for “personal reasons” throughout West Indies’ home season.
He revealed in a statement that he had lost his father to cancer earlier this year, thanking CWI for their support throughout “a very difficult time for me and my family”, and confirmed that he is available for international selection.
“I’d like to thank my family, friends and fans for their support over the past four months,” Allen said. “As some of you may know, I recently lost my father to cancer this year and it has been a very difficult time for me and my family. He was my biggest fan and I’m happy he got [to] see me live my dream as a professional cricketer. I will continue to make him proud.
“As a professional athlete you learn to quickly put things behind you and move forward but it has been particularly difficult for me over the past couple [of] months. I’m very grateful to the Mumbai Indians franchise for allowing me the time to handle my personal arrangements and being flexible with my schedule.
“After laying my dad to rest I immediately had to turn my focus to the IPL. While it kept me busy and focused, I knew after the tournament was completed, I needed to take some time away from the game.”
Allen was the leading run-scorer in the inaugural season of the 6ixty last week and he will represent Jamaica Tallawahs at the CPL, where he will hope to push for a place in West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad.
“Cricket West Indies has been supportive throughout the entire process and I really want to thank Johnny Grave [chief executive] and Jimmy Adams [director of cricket] for their consideration. I want to use this opportunity to make it clear, I’ll always want to represent my country and the West Indies.
“Even though I did not necessarily make it clear why I made myself unavailable for selection during the recent summer schedule, it was important for me to finish my grieving process and spend some time with my family.
“Most importantly, I’ve been getting myself physically and mentally ready for the CPL and hopefully the T20 World Cup (if selected) later this year. The best of Fabian Allen is yet to come. I know I have the ability to be one of the best batting all-rounders in the world and I look forward to showcasing it for all to see.” (ESPNcricinfo)
