ICC World XI vs West Indies: Five West Indian players to watch out for

West Indies, the champions of World T20 2016, will take on a star-studded World XI team in a fund-raising T20 game at Lords on Thursday (May 31).

The funds collected through his venture will go into the rebuilding of the Carribean stadiums, Ronald Webster Park and Dominica's Windsor Park, which incurred damaged due to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in September last year.

The West Indian cricket team, who had to participate in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers to book their spot in the ODI tournament that will be held in England this year, have been down in the trenches in terms of their recent international performances. They will want to set things right against World XI on the day, more so because of the manner in which they lost their last T20 series to Pakistan and New Zealand.

Here are the five West Indian cricketers to watch out for in the game:

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#1 Chris Gayle

The big-hitting left-hander had a terrific start to his IPL 2018 campaign but tapered off in the latter stages of the tournament. However, he still showed that he has a lot of hitting prowess in him and that he is perfectly capable of ripping open any bowling attack on his day.

After wreaking havoc with his willow in domestic T20 leagues across the globe, Gayle will be rearing to don the maroon of his national side against the World XI. It will be an interesting contest between him and the likes of Mohamed Shami, Adil Rashid, and Rashid Khan on the day.

#2 Carlos Braithwaite

Braithwaite will be the captain of the West Indian team

Braithwaite, who will lead the current T20 champions on the day, will be one of the most important players for West Indies against the World XI. He came into his own in the latter part of his IPL 2018 campaign with the tournament finalists, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and showcased some tremendous hitting power with the bat.

Not to forget, it was the swashbuckling batting from this right-hander that powered West Indies to the World T20 title against England in Kolkata back in 2016.

His all-round performance will be crucial to his team's chances against Shahid Afridi and Co. at Lords on Thursday. His leadership qualities will also be under the scanner in the game, more so considering the fact that it is a rare, one-off match in the international cricketing scenario.

#3 Samuel Badree

Can the experienced campaigner find his lost form against the World XI?

The spearhead of the West Indian spin-bowling attack, Samuel Badree, will be the vital cog to their success against the World XI at Lords. The leg-spinner, who had a spell of indifferent performances in the T20 internationals against Pakistan in April, will want to get his form back before the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

Badree, who is World Number five in T20 cricket at the moment, would want to reclaim the top spot in the upcoming months. His spell will be crucial against right-handed batsmen like Sam Billings and Dinesh Karthik on Thursday. The turn in England is limited, but that might play in the hands of 37-year-old, who relies more on precision than anything else when bowling in international cricket.

#4 Andre Russell

Russell will take on his KKR skipper, Dinesh Karthik, at Lords

This all-rounder had a very impressive season with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, contributing immensely in their successful campaign against Karthik this year. He will now take on his IPL skipper for West Indies on Thursday, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in the swinging conditions at Lords on the day.

Russell has recently come out of the one-year ban that was imposed on him for doping violation. Now that he will join his national side in a special game like this, he will be rearing to put those months behind him and start afresh against the World XI.

#5 Evin Lewis

Will Lewis and Gayle form an all left-handed combination at the top of the order?

The left-handed batsman will be happy to be back in the West Indian team for the exhibition game. He had a fairly decent IPL campaign with the Mumbai Indians this year, especially in the start of the tournament. He scored 382 runs in 13 games for the defending Champions through the season, impressing one and all with his powerful batting performances.

If and when he gets a place in the starting XI on Thursday, it will be interesting to see how he tackles the conditions in England against the quality bowling line-up of the World XI. If he does open the innings with Gayle, a left-handed duo will start the proceedings for West Indies against Afridi and Co.