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West Indies and England will lock horns in a five-match T20I series commencing 23rd January 2022. All five T20Is will be played at Bridgetown in Barbados.
The hosts struggled to put up consistent performances against Ireland in their recently concluded three-match ODI series, where they were beaten 2-1. Despite having many match-winners in their squad, the Indies have struggled recently, winning only one of their last eight T20I games.
In 19 T20I games against England, the Indies have won eight and lost 11. The Windies team for their T20I series against England is as follows:
Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hoesin, Jason Holder, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.
On that note, here is a detailed analysis of the West Windies squad for the T20I series:
#Strengths - An explosive middle and lower-middle order
The West Indies middle and lower-middle order is an explosive one in T20Is. To begin with, captain Kieron Pollard is one of the most dangerous batters in T20I cricket presently. On his day, he can tear any bowling lineup apart. He has a strike rate of 135.55 in T20I cricket, and is a dangerous batter, especially in the death overs.
Meanwhile, Jason Holder is capable of changing the course of a T20 game with the bat and smash huge sixes.
He has a strike rate of 123.63 in 21 T20I innings. He can hold one end up in the death overs, provide acceleration and play the role of a finisher in T20 cricket.
Fabian Allen, too, is an explosive batsman in the West Indies lower order. In 21 T20I innings, he has a strike rate of 138.89. He is a three-dimensional player, a useful batter lower down the order, an excellent fielder and a handy spinner.
Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith are fast bowlers whose primary job is to pick up wickets. However, the duo is more than capable of scoring runs in the lower middle order. Shepherd averages 56 in two T20I innings, and has an astonishing strike rate of 160. Smith has a strike rate of 155.56 in three T20I innings.
West Indies bat deep, and have match-winners with the bat even in their lower middle order.
#Weaknesses: Lack of experience and out-of-form top-order batters
West Indies' top order is a bit of a concern. Shai Hope averages just 20.77 in 13 T20Is. He has only played two games in the format for the West Indies in the last few years. It could be difficult for Hope to replicate the heroics of Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle at the top of the order.
Meanwhile, Brandon King has been in and out of the West Indies' T20I team due to his inconsistent performances with the bat. In 13 T20I innings, King has scored just 264 runs at an average of 20.31.
Darren Bravo has played just 22 T20Is in the 11 years since he made his T20I debut. He averages just 21.06, and has a strike rate of 107.98 in the format. He has failed to be a match-winner in the shortest format, and could be shown the doors if he fails to impress in the series against England.
Elsewhere, Nicholas Pooran has failed to put in consistent performances for the Indies in T20Is recently. In the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, he averaged just 20.60 in five innings. Pooran, being a senior batter in the team, has to take the responsibility of holding the innings together in the upcoming series against England.
#Opportunites - West Indies fringe players could make a mark
The West Indies T20I team is in a bit of a transition. The likes of Chris Gayle and Phil Simmons could have played their last T20Is for their nation.
Dwayne Bravo has retired from international cricket. The non-availability of Andre Russell, Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer provides an opportunity for fringe players to make their presence felt on the international stage. Brendon King could make the opener's position his own if he performs well in the five-match T20I series.
Bowling all-rounders like Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith will look to impress as well with both bat and the ball and establish their places in the playing XI. Meanwhile, Roston Chase has not made a mark in T20Is to date.
However, he is an experienced player and a handy all-rounder. He was the highest run-getter in the 2021 Caribbean Premier League, and could look to replicate their form in this series.
#Threats - Recent performances in T20I cricket and the quality of the opposition
West Indies have struggled to perform well as a unit in T20I cricket, especially recently. Meanwhile, England are a dangerous team in the shortest format, where they are the number one ranked team, while the Indies are tenth.
Though England have a few key players missing, their squad for the T20I series is an exciting one consisting of young and experienced players. The last time both teams played in T20Is, the West Indies were beaten comprehensively by six wickets in the 2021 ICC World T20.
The main challenge in this series for the young West Indies batters would be against the spin duo of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in the middle order. Both Ali and Rashid are experienced campaigns, and could relish playing on the slow and low pitches in the Caribbean.
Though England will start off as the clear favourites, one should write off the Windies at their own peril.
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