Pooran: WI captaincy is 'the highlight of my career'
T&T Newsday Reports.
NEW West Indies T20 and ODI captain Nicholas Pooran said he feels honoured to be handed control of the limited-overs teams.
Pooran succeeds his Trinidadian compatriot Kieron Pollard who resigned from international cricket last month.
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.”
His first outing as 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.
CWI president Ricky Skerritt congratulated Pooran on his appointment 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.”
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Nicholas Pooran named West Indies limited-overs captain
by Cricbuzz Staff
Nicholas Pooran has been named as the replacement of Kieron Pollard, who retired recently, as the new captain of West Indies' ODI and T20I teams. Pooran had already served as Pollard's deputy over the last year and has also been a stand-in captain leading West Indies against Australia in a T20I series in 2021.
"Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team," said a statement from Cricket West Indies (CWI).
Commenting on the appointment, Pooran was quoted as saying, "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."
Pooran will take over full-time captaincy from West Indies' tour of Netherlands later this month. His appointment was also backed by Jimmy Adams, CWI's Director of Cricket.
"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."
