Under the captaincy of Jason Holder, the Windies Cricket team are the underdogs to watch out for. In 2019, the team surprised many cricketing pundits by drawing a 5 match ODI series 2-2 against the number 1 ranked ODI side England.
5 Afghanistan players to watch out for in World Cup 2019
In the ongoing tri-series involving Ireland, Bangladesh and Windies. Windies rested their key players and have lost to Bangladesh twice. During the 2015 World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand, the two-time champion reached the quarterfinals losing to New Zealand.
5 Players to watch out for in Team Australia
5 Players to watch out for in the New Zealand Squad
Windies qualified for the World Cup 2019 by finishing in two top of ICC World Cup qualifiers played in Zimbabwe last year. Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine which would have strengthened their squad more.
5 players to watch out for in the Bangladesh squad
Here we look at the 5 Key Windies to the player to watch out for in ICC World Cup 2019
1. Chris Gayle
The explosive left-handed batsman from Jamaica, Chris Gayle was in sensational form during the home series against England in February 2019. He scored 424 runs from 4 matches with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries to help West Indies draw the series 2-2.
Meet The All-Time Fitness Enthusiast – Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle made his ODI debut for West Indies against India in 1999. With the experience of playing 289 matches (283 innings), he is among the leading runs scorer in ODI cricket with 10151 runs with an average of 38.16. After a layoff, Gayle made a comeback for West Indies in the squad and was in sensational form during the ODI series against England.
In the 2015 edition of the World Cup, Chris Gayle scored 340 runs from 6 matches (6 innings) with the best of 215 against Zimbabwe. Apart from that, he had an average tournament. At present Gayle is the leading run scorer in the World Cups.
VIDEO: Chris Gayle takes a one-handed stunner
Playing his last World Cup, Gayle would be hoping to carry the hopes of the country and help his team win the title.
2. Shai Hope
Shai Hope originally hailed from Barbados is one of the best batsmen in the current ODI setup of the team. He made his ODI debut for Windies against Sri Lanka on 16th November 2016. In his short career so far, Hope has played 53 matches (49 innings) and scored 2173 runs with the best score of 170.
He was in a sublime touch last year scoring 875 runs from 18 matches (18 innings) with the best score of 146* with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries.
In 2019, Hope has been in sensational form with 511 runs from 9 matches (8 innings) with the best score of 170 against Ireland. So far, he has scored 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in the series.
Heading into the World Cup, the form of Shai Hope and his ability to deliver consistently would be vital for the Windies.
3. Shimron Hetmyer
Shimron Hetymer left-handed batsman who made a mark for himself by his eye-catching ability to hit the ball big. He made his ODI debut for West Indies against New Zealand in 2017.
Here’s The Full Schedule of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
He has played so far 25 matches (24 innings) and scored 899 runs with 4 centuries and 2 half-centuries to his name.
In 2018, Hetymer was brilliant with his batting scoring 727 runs from 18 matches (18 innings) with 3 centuries and 2 half-centuries.
In February 2019, Hetymer scored the fastest century by a Windies batsman in ODI cricket off 82 balls. He has been named in the Windies ODI squad for the World Cup 2019.
Making his World Cup debut for Windies, the explosive left-handed batsman would be hoping to replicate his performances of last year. With hitting abilities, he possess, Hetymer can destroy any opponents on its day and help West Indies post big totals.
4. Andre Russell
Andre Russell is another explosive batsman in Windies batting order. In the 2019 IPL, Russell showed his power hitting abilities with 510 runs from 14 matches and with an amazing strike rate of 204.81. He hit 4 half-centuries in IPL 2019, with the best score of 80*.
He made his ODI debut for Windies against Ireland in 2011. In his 52 matches (44 innings) the Windies explosive batsman scored 998 runs with the best score of 92*. With the ball, he has taken 65 wickets from 52 matches (51 innings) with an economy of 5.86 runs per over.
He was a part of ODI squad in the 2015 edition of World Cup. Windies reached the quarterfinals in 2015 edition. The explosive all-rounder would be eager to show his power hitting and contribute to the team’s success.
5. Jason Holder
Jason Holder has been named as the captain for Windies in World Cup 2019. He made his ODI debut against Australia in 2013.
At the age of 23 Holder became the youngest Windies captain. He led Windies to the quarterfinals stage losing to New Zealand.
Holder has played 94 matches (77 innings) and scored 1574 runs with the best score of 99*. With the ball, he has taken 121 wickets with an economy of 5.53. Holder, with his all-round capabilities, is a leader by example and his form and leadership would be critical for the Windies to succeed in the World Cup