Pooran aims to “lead from the front” as he assumed Captaincy of the West Indies white-ball squad
West Indies' new white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran plans to rely on his instinct as he takes over leadership of the squad from Kieron Pollard who recently retired.
The West Indies arrived in Amsterdam earlier this week, where they will play three ODIs against hosts Netherlands.
Their first match is slated for May 31 while the remaining two will be held on June 2 and 4.
Captain Nicholas Pooran spoke on his new leadership role in the squad.
“I’ll try my best to lead from the front. I want to talk the talk and walk the walk. I’m very instinctive. On the field I like to make decisions on how I feel you know.”
The 26-year-old was recently appointed to lead the squad following the abrupt retirement of fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard last month. Pooran is also one of the white-ball unit’s leading batsmen.
This tour of Netherlands is the first-ever ODI Series between the two teams and will be played at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen.
This series, and the following series in Pakistan from June 8 to 12, form part of the ICC ODI Super League, where teams will have the opportunity to earn points to secure one of the top seven places, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Pooran went on to urge the team to work hard ahead of the upcoming tours.
“The end goal is obviously to win. We want to win cricket games, we want to win tournaments and win championships. But obviously there’s a process for that. It’s a new time for us and I believe that a lot of talented players we have here but we need to work hard.”
Although they are now unlikely to directly qualify for the 2023 World Cup, the series are worth Super League points and Pooran will want to make an immediate impact as leader.
Pooran leads a relatively inexperienced squad on both tours with all-rounder Jason Holder rested, Guyanese Shimron Hetmyer unavailable and Evin Lewis not considered for selection after failing a fitness test.
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE
West Indies tour of Netherlands
May 31: 1st ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen
June 2: 2nd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen
June 4: 3rd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen
(CWI, ESPN Cric Info)
