CWI President expresses hope for Nicholas Pooran’s return to the Test cricket
Key Points(5)
- ST JOHN’S, Antigua — President of Cricket West Indies, Dr.
- Kishore Shallow, has expressed a passionate hope that some of the Caribbean’s brightest white-ball talents—chief among them Nicholas Pooran—will soon don the maroon cap in Test cricket.
- In a candid interview aired Thursday on WESN TV, Dr.
- Shallow reflected on the potential resurgence of the West Indies Test team, languishing at eighth in the ICC rankings, and emphasized the vital role that multi-format stars like Pooran and Shai Hope could play in reviving regional red-ball fortunes.
- “I’d love to see Nicky P playing Test cricket,” Shallow declared.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua — President of Cricket West Indies, Dr. Kishore Shallow, has expressed a passionate hope that some of the Caribbean’s brightest white-ball talents—chief among them Nicholas Pooran—will soon don the maroon cap in Test cricket.
In a candid interview aired Thursday on WESN TV, Dr. Shallow reflected on the potential resurgence of the West Indies Test team, languishing at eighth in the ICC rankings, and emphasized the vital role that multi-format stars like Pooran and Shai Hope could play in reviving regional red-ball fortunes.
“I’d love to see Nicky P playing Test cricket,” Shallow declared. “I think he has the potential and skillset to make a real difference.”
Pooran's T20 reign sets the stage
Pooran’s credentials speak for themselves. The 29-year-old Trinidadian left-hander was recently crowned Wisden’s Leading T20 Cricketer in the World for 2024, following a record-breaking campaign that saw him hammer 2,331 T20 runs at an average of 40—a feat no other player managed that season.
Even more astonishing was his demolition of boundaries: 139 sixes, surpassing the long-standing mark of 135 set by legendary compatriot Chris Gayle in 2015.
Yet, despite his dominance in the shortest format, Pooran has largely stayed away from the Test arena, a decision Shallow hopes will change.
“A good first step” – ODI comeback hopes
“I’m very hopeful that eventually Nicky P will be back in the One Day International setup as well,” Shallow noted. “That would be a good first step, and then the likes of Shai Hope and the others.”
Hope, who currently captains the ODI side, has also shown glimpses of Test quality, and Shallow believes these multi-format players can anchor a stronger, deeper talent pool—one that could elevate West Indies cricket back to international competitiveness.
Building depth through dialogue
According to Shallow, head coach Daren Sammy has initiated early discussions with top players, advocating for long-term planning and clearer commitments around player availability.
“I think they have all said to Daren Sammy that they would like to play Test cricket,” said Shallow. “Hopefully, we could see our talent pool expand as a result of that and it will have greater depth in terms of our players to choose from.”
He emphasized that inconsistent player availability has long hampered West Indies’ ability to climb the Test rankings—a gap Sammy is determined to close through strategic engagement.
With talent like Pooran blazing trails in T20 leagues worldwide, Shallow’s appeal is as much about rekindling national pride as it is about strategy. The return of elite white-ball players to the traditional format would not only boost performance—it would reignite belief in the region’s Test future.
