T&T duo called for one-dayers

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

Trinidadians Jason Mohammed and Sunil Narine have been rewarded for their form in the recent Regional Super50 Series with spots in the West Indies 15-man squad for the five-match one-day international tour of India starting later this month.

The duo are the only new faces in the Darren Sammy-led squad which will square off with India in the shorter version of the game, starting November 30 in Cuttack.

Mohammed, a former Young Windies player, was the leading run-getter in the Super50 in Guyana, scoring 227 runs at an average of 56. He was voted player of the tournament.

"In the Super50, Jason showed maturity, guts and fight in the way he batted on some difficult pitches," West Indies Cricket Board selector Robert Haynes said.

"He scored vital runs to pull his team out of difficult situations, scored the most runs in the tournament and, as selectors, we also thought that with the pitches in Guyana not being very different to the pitches in India and Jason having done so well on those types of surface, it augured well for his selection to the ODI squad."

Wickets tally

Narine, meanwhile, finished on top the wickets tally with 15 scalps at 11 runs apiece and an economy rate of three.

Haynes said that while Narine's bowling was key, his handy lower-order batting made him an asset.

"Sunil bowled well in the Indian conditions in Champions League for Trinidad and Tobago, and then in the Super50 he was exceptional," Haynes noted

"Batsmen have difficulty reading him, and we thought that he is deserving of his selection to show his worth against international batsmen.

"He is also a capable lower-order batsman who can give the team 30 to 40 runs and overall. We are impressed with the way he approaches batting, both for Trinidad and Tobago and in the recent West Indies A Team match in St Lucia."

SQUAD

Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Danza Hyatt, Anthony Martin, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons.