Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph will depart early from the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe to prepare for the upcoming series against India in July-August
Jason Holder and Arzali Joseph have already withdrawn from the ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. They decided to leave early because they want to prepare for a series against India in July and August.
In the wake of his two Tests, three of his ODIs and five of his T20s in the
India Series, Holder and Joseph decided to return home from Zimbabwe early. With Yannick Kalia already retired with a facial injury, the squad has been reduced to 13 and a replacement has yet to be announced.
“Jason and Alzali are two of our best bowlers in any format,” said Desmond Haynes, quoted by ESPN Cricinfo. He recognized its importance and the need to manage that workload. Haynes is the lead selector for the West Indies team.
“We have a tight schedule for the next series with India, where the new ICC World Test Championship will begin, followed by the ODI and five T20Is. It’s time for all of us to leave Zimbabwe early,” he continued.
The highly anticipated series against India kicks off with two Tests with the first on 12 July and the second on 20 July, followed by three he ODIs and five T20Is. . The West Indies’ recent poor performances saw them miss out on the ODI World Cup for the first time in their history after losing to Scotland, Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, ending their ODI World Cup hopes.
Before the Indian Series begins, the West Indies will play Oman and Sri Lanka on July 5 and 7 respectively. The roster has yet to be finalized, but Holder and Joseph are expected to play key roles. In the Zimbabwe qualifiers, Holder contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 144 runs at an average of 36 and collecting 6 wickets at an average of 35.33. Joseph proved to be their best bowler, taking eight wickets in five matches and averaging 32.11.
As the West Indies prepare for a challenging series against India, the early return of Holder and Joseph will be crucial in strengthening their lineup. The team put their talents to the best of their ability and faced a hard-fought battle against an Indian side that would clearly prove to be a very difficult series for the West Indies, especially following their very poor recent performance. I’m going to try.
