Chadwick Walton prepares for a net session © Getty Images
Chadwick Walton and Sheldon Cottrell have been recalled into a 13-man West Indies squad to take on Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series beginning in St. Kitts on Tuesday, July 31.
Chris Gayle, 37, has been rested according to a Cricket West Indies media release. The left-handed opener scored 142 runs in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, including 73 off 66 balls in the third ODI to open what turned out to be an unsuccessful chase as Bangladesh’s 18-run win clinched a 2-1 series victory for the visitors. Walton has been brought back after being left out of the West Indies T20I squad for the one-off Hurricane Relief match against a World XI at Lord’s in May.
“We have rested Chris Gayle and have added left-arm pacer Sheldon Cottrell for variety to the bowling attack,” said Cricket West Indies selection chairman Courtney Browne. “The team reflects the last squad that performed well in the charity match in the UK.” Marlon Samuels, who missed the ODI series due to rehabilitation for a knee injury, retains his place in the T20I squad from Lord’s.
Cottrell was a part of the ODI squad against Bangladesh, playing the third ODI and taking figures of 1 for 59 in nine overs. He had been part of the squad for the three T20Is against Pakistan in April but was left out for the match against the World XI a month later. He comes back into the T20I squad in place of Rayad Emrit.
Immediately prior to the Bangladesh limited overs series, both Cottrell and Emrit competed in the Global T20 Canada. Emrit took seven wickets in six matches for Winnipeg Hawks at an average of 23.71 but Cottrell shined for the champion Vancouver Knights, finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 16 in eight matches at 14.25.
Walton also played for the Knights in the Global T20 Canada, finishing ninth overall in runs with 183 runs. Besides Cottrell and Walton, Evin Lewis and Andre Russell are other players in the West Indies T20I squad who also played for the champion Knights, a squad captained by Gayle.
After the first match in St. Kitts, the final two T20Is will be played on August 4 and 5 in Florida at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill. It is the third series visit to Lauderhill for West Indies, following matches there against New Zealand in 2012 and India in 2016, while Bangladesh will be making their Florida debut.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo