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Cricket West Indies on Wednesday named Shai Hope and Rovman Powell as West Indies' ODI and T20I captains respectively.
West Indies Cricket confirmed that Hope and Powell will take over from Nicholas Pooran as captains of the Men's ODI and T20I teams for the upcoming tour of South Africa and beyond. Pooran stepped down as skipper in both white-ball formats after the West Indies' early exit at November's ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Shai Hope will replace him as the captain of the One Day International team, with a Cricket World Cup on the horizon later this year if West Indies are able to qualify. Meanwhile, Rovman Powell, who led them in New Zealand last year in a T20I for the first time, will take charge of the T20I side. Hope has played 104 times for West Indies in ODI cricket, vice-captaining the side on a number of occasions. And his excellent individual performances earned him a place in the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022. But, following three matches in South Africa in March, Hope is likely to have to lead his side at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June, with West Indies unlikely to qualify automatically as things stand. "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," Hope said in a statement released by Cricket West Indies. "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," Hope added. West Indies are co-hosting the next ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and Powell will hope to build a squad towards that tournament in 2024. "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. To be asked to 'carry the flag' for the people of the Caribbean, there's no bigger role in cricket in the region -- a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket," Powell said. "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," he added. The first assignments for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa in March where the West Indies face the Proteas in three ODIs and three T20Is from March 16 to 28, following two matches in the ICC World Test Championship. Each captain will be heavily involved in strategy and planning leading up to the next ICC World Tournaments. In ODI cricket, the West Indies are likely to need to qualify for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, with the qualifiers scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in June. In T20I cricket, the West Indies will be hosting the next ICC T20 World Cup with the USA in June 2024. (ANI)
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