Shimron Hetmyer returns as West Indies announce squad for England ODIs

Shimron Hetmyer’s last ODI outing was in December 2023, also against England.

Left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer has been handed a recall to the West Indies squad as he has been named in the 15-man squad to host England in a three-match ODI series.

West Indies will host the Three Lions for three ODIs, starting October 31, followed by five T20Is.

Shimron Hetmyer will get another crack in the ODIs as he resumes his stop-start ODI career. He’s played some spectacular innings but those have been sporadic and the southpaw has missed consistency in this format.

In 53 ODIs, he averages 32 and has hit five centuries and four fifties. However, he has not managed to post a fifty-plus total since December 2019.

Shimron Hetmyer replaces Alick Athanaze in the squad that lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka recently. Hetmyer had finished the CPL 2024 as the fifth-highest run-scorer but missed the Sri Lanka tour due to personal reasons.

Opener Athanaze lost his spot to Evin Lewis in Sri Lanka after scores of 10 and 1. In the third ODI vs Sri Lanka, Lewis made his return to the ODI XI after over three years and blasted a match-winning century.

Shai Hope will continue to lead the West Indies in ODIs. Meanwhile, England will be without their regular skipper, Jos Buttler, for the ODI series as he recovers from a calf injury. Liam Livingstone will captain England in the ODIs against West Indies.

WI vs ENG: West Indies squad vs England for ODI series

Shai Hope (C), Alzarri Joseph, Jewel Andrew, Shimron Hetmyer, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr

West Indies white-ball team head coach Daren Sammy said, “Playing against England always provides a new challenge and reignites a rivalry that the players and the people of the Caribbean are eager for. Somehow, we West Indies always find a way to raise our game when we face England.”

“This rivalry goes back for decades, and after defeating them last year at home for the first time in a long time in an ODI series, we’re ready to face the challenge of a strong England squad again. It’s always special to play at home, where the local support brings energy and passion to every match. With our sights set on qualifying for the ICC Men’s World Cup in 2027, we’ve selected a balanced squad that will no doubt push and compete with one of the best teams in the world.”

The first and second ODIs will be played on 31 October and 2 November in Antigua, and the third ODI on 6 November in Barbados.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.