VETERAN fast bowler Ravi Rampaul and all-rounder Roston Chase have been included in the 15-man West Indies team for the ICC (International Cricket Council) T20 World Cup, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from October 17 to November 14.
The West Indies will be vying for a third T20 World Cup crown, having emerged victorious in 2012 (in Sri Lanka) and the last tournament in 2016 (in India).
However, the major talking point is the inclusion of the “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle, who will turn 42 on September 21.
Gayle is one of the legends of T20 cricket but, in the twilight of his 22-year international career, the lanky left-handed batsman has totalled 227 runs in 16 T20 Internationals this year (at home to Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan), with a top score of 67 and an average of 17.46.
During the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in St Kitts, Gayle, who is the stand-in captain for Dwayne Bravo at St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, has only scored 83 runs from five innings, with a top score of 42.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief selector Roger Harper, during a Zoom media conference on Thursday, said, “When you look at the stats in itself, they can’t be looked at in isolation.
“Of course, present form is important (and) performance is key, but I think, as well, we’ll look at the pedigree of the player, what the player brings to the team and, in Gayle’s case, all that was taken into consideration in terms of what he can offer the team, and whether being part of that squad would make it stronger,” he continued. “I think the selection panel was happy to answer yes to those questions, thus he’s been included in the squad.”
The 36-year-old Rampaul justified his recall with a haul of 17 wickets, from eight matches, during this year’s CPL, for the Trinbago Knight Riders, at Warner Park, St Kitts.
Rampaul, who was part of the 2012 team, last played a T20 International against Sri Lanka, in Colombo, on November 10, 2015 – the last time he donned the WI colours. Harper said, “Rampaul is a very experienced bowler, has a tremendous record and, whenever he plays in any tournament, he usually handles himself very well.
“There are areas in the team where we were looking to strengthen. He would add a bit of potency in the powerplays, as well as the ability to take wickets in the middle of the innings, and (he) can contribute to the death bowling. He provides a lot of options for the team.”
Chase is yet to play a T20 International, but he has been a consistent performer, during the 2021 CPL. For the St Lucia Kings (before Thursday evening’s match against Jamaica Tallawahs), he tallied 281 runs at an average of 70.25 and, with the ball, took seven wickets at an average of 22.28 with his off-breaks.
“Chase, by dint of his performance last year in the CPL, and this year, has shown that he can hold an innings together while scoring at a good strike-rate,” said Harper, former Guyana and West Indies off-spinning all-rounder. “He has earned his place on the team and it was a situatio
