(Reuters) – Kemar Roach was called up to the West Indies one-day squad for the first time in nearly two-and-half years on Wednesday with the fast bowler returning for next month’s three-match series against India, Cricket West Indies said.
The 33-year-old from Barbados has been a regular in West Indies test squads but played the last of his 92 one-dayers against India at Port of Spain in August 2019.
“Kemar Roach is one of our leading fast bowlers and we believe we need bowlers upfront to get early wicket,” newly-appointed chief selector Desmond Haynes said in a statement.
“…Kemar, with an economy rate of five, is certainly good enough to play.”
West Indies also recalled opener Brandon King and middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner in their 15-member squad led by all-rounder Kieron Pollard.
“We want to have competition for places. We want to reach a stage where we have a lot of players fighting for positions,” former test stalwart Haynes said.
“We want to broaden the pool of players we have to choose from. The team we have selected is a very good side and we are looking at this tour as part of the preparations for the World Cup in India in 2023.”
Beginning on Feb. 6, West Indies will play three one-dayers in Ahmedabad to be followed by an equal number of Twenty20 Internationals in Kolkata.
The Twenty20 squad will be announced on Friday.
Squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
