Leading Windies cricketers opt for PSL over World Cup qualifiers

Leading West Indies cricketers have opted to play Pakistan Super League (PSL) edition 3 over 2019 World Cup qualifying tournament for the Caribbean side.  

The players include, all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, spinner Sunil Narine and batsman Darren Bravo. They all have decided to miss the qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which will run from March 4-25.

"We are pleased that Chris Gayle and [batsman] Marlon Samuels have indicated their full support and commitment to the cause," said Courtney Browne, the chairman of selector in West Indies.

"Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo and Andre Russell, however, indicated that they were unavailable to help us qualify as their priority was playing in PSL," he said in a statement.

The two-time title holders have failed to book direct spot in the world cup as they will now play the qualifiers to book their place in 2019 World Cup in England.

Jason Holder´s team will, however, be boosted by the presence of 38-year-old opener Gayle, who has scored 9,420 ODI runs, as well as experienced middle-order batsman Samuels and Gayle´s explosive opening partner Evin Lewis.

They are having to face qualifying after slipping to ninth in the ODI world rankings, with two teams from the qualifiers to join the world´s top eight countries at the 2019 tournament in England and Wales.

West Indies 15-man squad:

Jason Holder (captain), Jason Mohammed (vice-captain), Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Marlon Samuels, Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite, Rovman Powell, Ashley Nurse, Sheldon Cotterell, Nikita Miller, Kesrick Williams, Kemar Roach, Shimron Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo