West Indies announces squad for World Cup qualifiers

West Indies has recalled all-rounder Keemo Paul and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie for the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June and July.

The poor performances of the Caribbean side, who have slipped to 10th in the ICC’s ODI rankings, mean that they must compete with six other teams for the two available places in the 2023 World Cup in India from October.

New ODI skipper Sai Hope will be able to call on Paul and Motie for the first time since last July’s ODI series against India in Trinidad.

Lead selector, former test opener Desmond Haynes, said he had high hopes for the returning pair.

“Paul is a three-dimensional player, who can bowl the new ball effectively, he’s dynamic in the outfield and he can also make vital runs. He is now fully recovered from injury and with his skill-set we see him as a potential match-winner for us,” he said.

“Motie was excellent in the Test matches in the Zimbabwe earlier this year, where he took 19 wickets, and we anticipate similar conditions for the qualifiers. We believe he will again relish the chance to bowl in those conditions,” he added.

The main omission from the squad is Guyanese batsman and T20 star Shimron Hetmyer who was dropped from the World Cup squad last year after a dispute over flights shortly before the tournament.

Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the Netherlands are the main rivals for West Indies in the battle for qualification for the main tournament.

Nepal, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are also competing for a chance to make it to India.

West Indies will play three ODI warm-ups against the United Arab Emirates without players performing in the Indian Premier League, who have been allowed rest time in the Caribbean before heading to Zimbabwe.