New Zealand vs West Indies 2017/18: Five Windies players to watch out for in the ODI series

Despite the horrifying whitewash they suffered in the Test series, the West Indians will be looking to excel when they step on to the field for the ODI leg of the tour. Their last ODI series, against England, did not go according to plan. However, a few players excelled in the BPL which will give them the confidence to repeat those performances against the Kiwis.

Since the start of 2017, West Indies have only won three games out of 19, however, they will be looking to put that indifferent form behind them and put on a show against the Kiwis. Here, we look at five players from West Indies who will be itching to perform well in the upcoming ODI series:

#5 Jason Holder

The skipper was forced to sit out of the last Test match and will be looking to avail this opportunity to bowl economically and aggressively. He will share the new ball with Shannon Gabriel and look to get a few top-order batsmen cheaply.

He was in good form with the bat against the Englishmen earlier this year, scoring a good 41* and a 77 to follow that up. However, his bowling has suffered a dip and he will be looking to correct that in seamer-friendly conditions in New Zealand. As the captain, he will look to spur the team to victory following a whitewash in the Test series.

#4 Jason Mohammed

Coming off a first-class century should give him the confidence to score freely in New Zealand

With Marlon Samuels withdrawing from the squad due to an injured right hand, the middle order will be reliant on Jason Mohammed's performances. He did not have a great series against England earlier this year as he managed to score just 128 runs in four games with a top score of 46.

However, he recently hit a century while playing for Trinidad & Tobago in a first-class game in the West Indies. This innings should give him a morale boost to perform well against the Kiwis. He has not bowled a lot in international cricket but, if needed, his medium pace will come in handy in pressure situations.

#3 Shannon Gabriel

A prominent member of the Test squad, Gabriel will be looking to extend his form into the limited-overs series as well

Shannon Gabriel bowled exceptionally in the Test series against New Zealand and England which has made him a mainstay in the Test squad. However, he has not been able to carry the same form into ODIs. He has pace, bounce, and swing which will be of great use in seamer-friendly conditions.

He picked up six wickets in the Test series and looked threatening on quite a few occasions which should give him a lot of confidence to come out all guns blazing in the ODI series. With only 23 wickets from 15 ODI games, he will surely aim to better that record. There will be a competition for places in the team as Sheldon Cottrell, the left arm quick, will also be looking to grab this opportunity in the absence of Alzarri Joseph.

#2 Evin Lewis

Lewis needs to carry the inexperienced Windies batting line-up on his shoulders

Just like his hero, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis loves to hit big sixes. This was witnessed in the mammoth 176* he hit against England before a freak injury forced him to retire hurt. He had a great BPL season with a lot of runs at the top of the order for the Dhaka Dynamites. He has also had immense success at the T20I level, even managing a century against India in Florida.

It will be interesting to see him against the likes of Trent Boult and Adam Milne who will test his technique on good, seaming pitches. His form will be crucial to West Indies' chances in this series as the middle order is not too experienced.

#1 Chris Gayle

Gayle needs to fire on all cylinders at the top of the order

This man needs no introduction after his heroics in the 2017 BPL. His mammoth innings of 146* and 126* will be remembered for a long time in the history of the league.

His last international series, against England, was a great one for him as he ended up the second highest run-scorer for West Indies after Evin Lewis. He scored a 94 and got a few good starts in the series, and will be looking to come back into full swing against the Kiwis.

The powerful duo at the top of the order will provide West Indies with good, quick starts and hopefully long partnerships. While he is in the midst of a purple patch, Gayle will need to take into account the fact that international cricket is different from the BPL. He will also be responsible for guiding young Evin Lewis at the top of the order.