Nicholas Pooran appointed new captain for West Indies in white-ball cricket

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran as their new ODI and T20I skipper.

Pooran's appointment came in after ex-West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard surprisingly announced his retirement from international cricket.

Pollard had hinted in the past about his endorsement of Pooran to be skipper when he was serving as the team's vice-captain.

The flamboyant left-hander has already captained the 'Men in Maroon' in Pollard's absence, leading them to a T20I Series win at home against Australia in 2021.

Commenting on the appointment, Pooran said, "I am truly honoured to be appointed captain of the West Indies team. I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket."

"This is indeed a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together. To be named captain is indeed the highlight of my career so far, and I want to drive the team forward to accomplish great things on the field for our fans and loyal supporters," the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter further added.

Also, top-order batter Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team.

CWI President Ricky Skerritt congratulated Pooran on his new role by saying, "Nicholas Pooran is a specially gifted cricketer and the right person to take over the white ball captaincy. We are confident that he will continue to climb the leadership learning curve speedily, and successfully. I appeal to all West Indies cricket stakeholders to give Nicholas the support and encouragement that he deserves."

“We believe Nicholas is ready for the challenge of leading our white ball teams given his experience, performances, and the respect he has within the playing group.  The Selection Panel believes that Nicholas has matured as a player and were impressed with his leadership of both teams when Kieron Pollard had been absent. The experience he has gathered playing in various franchise leagues around the world was also a factor in the decision to recommend him for the T20 captaincy," CWI's Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams stated in the press release. 

Pooran first burst onto the scene representing the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2014 ICC Men's U19 World Cup. He smashed 303 runs from six matches in the tournament. After making his debut for West Indies in 2016, he has played 37 ODIs and 57 T20Is, scoring 1121 and 1193 runs, respectively.

The 26-year-old Trinidadian's first assignment as the full-time captain will be the three away ODIs against the Netherlands in Amstelveen starting May 31, which form part of the ICC World Cup Super League. 

(Inputs: Philip Spooner, Media & PR Manager, CWI)