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Windies host Australia, South Africa for ODI series
West Indies will be without several of their top players for the triangular One-Day International tournament against South Africa and Australia as the region's cricket board sticks with a policy that ostensibly rewards players for competing domestically.
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Batsman Chris Gayle and all-rounders Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy, all members of the triumphant Twenty20 World Cup winning team of two months ago, will be missing from the event that starts tomorrow in Guyana.
Back in come, hard-hitting batting all-rounder Kieron Pollard, from injury, and Sunil Narine, the off-spinner who returns to the international fold after spending six months working on his bowling action after it was deemed illegal.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has adopted a policy of of selecting only players contracted to play in their domestic 50-over competition.
That, at least, is the theory, but Pollard and Narine also missed the domestic competition early this year and their selections for the tri-series unleashed a withering attack on the board from Gayle.
When it comes to West Indies cricket, politics and trading of accusations between players and officials is never far away. "@KieronPollard55 & #SunilNarine selected for WI Tri-Series. How is that possible @westindies?" Gayle tweeted recently.
While the likes of Gayle will be missed, World Cup heroes Marlon Samuels and Carlos Brathwaite, head a strong batting line-up that should keep opposition bowlers on their toes.
The West Indies take on South Africa in the opening match in Georgetown tomorrow, before they face Australia at the same venue on Sunday.
All 10 matches will be day-night affairs, a Caribbean first, in the international game.
For South Africa, the series will offer a chance of redemption for captain AB de Villiers, after a disappointing World Twenty20 campaign.
However, he roared back into form with a strong series of performances in the Indian Premier League competition, and will attempt to carry that over into the international arena.
Australia, meanwhile, rarely put a weak squad onto the field these days, and their latest team should be no exception.
Captain Steve Smith leads a line-up that includes hard-hitting batsman David Warner, fresh off from captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL championship.
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