Nicholas Pooran, a left-handed batter, has been named the next West Indies captain in one-day internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, succeeding Kieron Pollard, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket.
The wicketkeeper/batter has an ODI century and eight half-centuries to his name. He also has eight T20I half-centuries to his name for the West Indies Senior Men’s side. He made his debut for the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2014 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, smashing 303 runs in six matches.
In IPL, Pooran has played 42 games and scored 786 runs with a devastating strike rate of 151.15. He averages 26.2 points per game and has three fifties in the tournament. The Orange Army acquired the southpaw during the IPL 2022 mega auction. He formerly played for the five-time champion Mumbai Indians and the Punjab Kings.
Nicholas Pooran in his statement said, “I am truly honored to be appointed captain of the West Indies team. I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket.”
“This is indeed a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together,” he said.
“To be named captain is indeed the highlight of my career so far and I want to drive the team forward to accomplish great things on the field for our fans and loyal supporters,” he added.
Pooran was previously the vice-captain when all-rounder Pollard led the side in the two limited overs formats.
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“Pooran will take over the captaincy for the West Indies ODI and T20I teams after being Pollard’s deputy over the last year. The appointment will include the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in October 2023,” the CWI statement said.
Shai Hope, a wicketkeeper-batter, has been named the new ODI vice-captain.
CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams was quoted as saying, “We believe Nicholas is ready for the challenge of leading our white ball teams given his experience, performances, and the respect he has within the playing group.”
“The Selection Panel believes that Nicholas has matured as a player and were impressed with his leadership of both teams when Kieron Pollard had been absent. The experience he has gathered playing in various franchise leagues around the world was also a factor in the decision to recommend him for the T20 captaincy,” he further said.
