West Indies called up all-rounder Kimu Bol and left arm Gudaksh Moti for their World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June and July.
The poor performance of the West Indian side, which has slipped to 10th in the ICC ODI rankings, forces them to compete against six other teams for the two available places in the 2023 World Cup in India from October.
New ODI captain Sai Hope will be able to call up Paul and Motie for the first time since last July’s ODI series against India in Trinidad.
Head coach, former Test fly Desmond Haynes, said he had high hopes for the returning pair.
“Paul is a three-dimensional player, he can throw the fresh ball effectively, he is dynamic on the court and can also make vital shots. He is now fully recovered from the injury and with his skills we see him as a potential match-winner for us.”
He added, “Moti was excellent in the Test matches in Zimbabwe earlier this year, taking 19 wickets, and we expect similar conditions in the qualifiers. We think he will enjoy the opportunity to play under these conditions again.”
The main omission from the squad is Guyanese batsman and T20 star Shimron Hetmer who was left out of last year’s World Cup squad after a row over flights shortly before the tournament.
--Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Ireland and the Netherlands are the main rivals of the West Indies in the battle for qualification to the main tournament.
Nepal, Oman, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States are also vying for the chance to visit India.
The West Indies will play three ODI friendlies against the United Arab Emirates without players playing in the Indian Premier League, who have been given time off in the Caribbean before traveling to Zimbabwe.
West Indies World Cup Qualifiers:
Shay Hope (Captain), Roffman Powell (Vice-Captain), Shamara Brooks, Yannick Kariya, Casey Carty, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akil Hussain, Alzari Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Myers, Judakesh Moti, Kimo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romário Burger
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