Brandon King expressed his excitement about leading the West Indies cricket team, even on an interim basis, emphasizing how special it is to do so on home soil.
The 29-year-old was named interim captain for the Caribbean side for the three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa this week, marking the return of international cricket to Sabina Park in his native Jamaica.
The hosts will be without their regular captain, Rovman Powell, and his deputy, Alzarri Joseph, as both are still participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL). King welcomed the opportunity to showcase his leadership potential against a South African team also affected by IPL absences.
An honour to lead West Indies in any capacity
“It could not have been scripted any better,” King said. “It’s an honour to lead West Indies in any capacity, and it’s even much more special for me to do it at home. I am always excited to play at home – the last time I think I did was against New Zealand three years ago – so it is good that we have got some matches leading up to the World Cup and that will create a little bit of excitement for the fans – and I am happy about it.”
The three T20Is will serve as a crucial dress rehearsal for the West Indies before they embark on their quest to win a third ICC Men’s T20I World Cup, starting June 1 in the Caribbean and the United States. King echoed the sentiments of lead selector Desmond Haynes, noting that the matches against South Africa will provide the World Cup squad members a final chance to get in the right frame of mind for the tournament, and offer others a chance to impress.
“This series is a vital part of our preparation,” King said. “Match practice is something that you cannot replicate in training. Obviously, we are coming from a training camp [in Antigua], and this is an opportunity to put those plans and skills in place, so we are very much looking forward to it.”
Still involved with the IPL
In addition to Powell and Joseph, three other World Cup squad members – Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, and Sherfane Rutherford – are still involved with the IPL. Cricket West Indies also announced that Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope, recently back from the IPL, will be rested for the matches against South Africa.
“The communication has been clear about how we want to play,” King added. “The whole group knows how we want to play, and the guys that are here, we are looking to implement that in this series and see how it goes. Obviously, we are looking to win the series, but everybody has their roles, and we are looking for them to perform.”
The three matches against South Africa will also offer players left out of the World Cup squad – namely Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Matthew Forde, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, and Hayden Walsh Jr – a final chance to impress Haynes and head coach Daren Sammy. All teams have until Saturday to make changes to their provisional World Cup squads, after which any alterations will require approval from the event’s technical committee, giving omitted players a chance to shine.
