Nicholas Pooran has decided to step down as captain of the West Indies white ball teams following a disastrous showing last month at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
Nicholas Pooran Steps Down as West Indies White-ball Captain
Nicholas Pooran debuted for the West Indies under-19s in October 2013, in a bilateral series against the Bangladesh under-19s, and went on to play at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup. In May 2022, Pooran was named the captain of the West Indies team for limited-overs cricket.
Nicholas Pooran was appointed as the full-time white-ball captain in May this year after Kieron Pollard retired from international cricket. He failed to turn around West Indies’ fortunes though, as they were knocked out in Round 1 of the T20 World Cup, after they finished bottom of Group B.
Stepping down as the skipper, Pooran said in a statement released by Cricket West Indies, “I have given the captaincy a great deal of thought since the enormous disappointment of the T20 World Cup. I took on the role with great pride and dedication and have given it absolutely everything over the past year
“The T20 World Cup is something that must not define us and I will readily get involved in the upcoming reviews. And whilst it will be several months until we reconvene as a squad, I want to give CWI plenty of time to prepare for the matches against South Africa in March and beyond.”
After West Indies’ early exit, a three-person panel was formed including Brian Lara, Mickey Arthur and Justice Patrick Thompson Jr to prepare a report for the board.
Now, Pooran has stepped down from his position, in what could be the first step towards some widespread changes in the West Indies white-ball setup.
Pooran thanked the board for showing faith in him, adding, “I am very thankful to CWI for the opportunity and the faith shown in me, and for the support that I have received by our devoted fans since taking the role, and to my teammates who have worked so hard as well. I know we have it in us to carry West Indies cricket forward and be proud.”
CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams also thanked Pooran for his contributions, stating, “On behalf of CWI I want to thank Nicholas for his time leading our white ball teams. Having spoken with him I know he remains fully committed to West Indies cricket and I am convinced he has a big role to play in our future.”
West Indies’ next white-ball assignment will come in 2023 in the form of a tour of South Africa, giving them plenty of time to name Pooran’s successor.
