http://guardian.co.tt/sports/cricket/2010/05/22/no-simmons-again-team-tourNo Simmons again for A team tourWest Indies selectors have once again overlooked T&T’s opening batsman Lendl Simmons, this time for the upcoming “A” Team tour to England and Ireland. Simmons, who played well during the ICC World T20 in England last year, was surprisingly left out of the regional team for the just-concluded 2010 ICC World T20 in the Caribbean. He last wore regional colours against Australia in January of this year. In the 2009 event, he scored 150 runs at an average of 30.00 with a best of 77.
He also took six wickets at an average of 9.16 with a best of 4/19 and had a good economy rate of 6.0. In addition, he took the most catches in a single match—three—which is still a T20 World Cup record. Despite this, he was also left out of the West Indies ‘A’ team for a home series against Zimbabwe and the current tour of Bangladesh. The regional selection board yesterday announced a 13-man squad which will play a three-day match against Glamorgan, two four-day matches against India A and two limited over matches against Ireland. The team will then participate in a Tri-nations One Day Series with England A and India A.
Windies senior players Kieron Pollard and Nikita Miller will replace T&T’s Justin Guillen and Odean Brown for this stage of the tour. Darren Bravo, who has been the Windies A’s leading run scorer on its present tour of Bangladesh, has retained his spot along with all-rounder Imran Khan. Also included in the squad is wicket keeper Andre Fletcher, who is presently in the senior squad which is facing South Africa in the Caribbean. Travis Dowlin, the present A Team captain, and offspinner Shane Shillingford have both been left out of the squad. Discarded senior team opening batsman Devon Smith will take over as captain with David Bernard serving as his deputy.
West Indies A 13-man SquadDevon Smith (Captain), David Bernard (Vice Captain), Omar Phillips, Lionel Baker, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Odean Brown, Kirk Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Justin Guillen, Imran Khan, Nelon Pascal, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton.