CWI: Full-strength sides are expected for home trips

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – West Indies Cricket (CWI) does not anticipate that this year’s home tours will be hit with players being pulled out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that 10 first team players to opt out of The upcoming Bangladesh series is based on “unusual circumstances”.

Describing as “temporary” the current policy whereby players were allowed to opt out in light of the potential risks posed by the coronavirus, CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said he expects selectors to have the full slate of players to choose among them, following the Bangladesh tour. .

The West Indies are expected to host flights from Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan following the Regional Super50 Cup in February.

“We all have to accept that we all operate, work, live in very different times, under very different circumstances,” said Grave.

“We made it very clear to the public, fans and players that, at this unprecedented time, we would be playing in these unusual circumstances giving players the opportunity, if not felt safe, didn’t want to leave their families or had doubts that we would support their decision not to travel.

“We’ve had players do that for the England tour, in both men and women. We’ve had players pull out of New Zealand (and) we obviously have had more players[tynnuallano)Bangladeshond(maehynny’nrhannoloherwyddeinbodniwedicaelcyfnodmorhirochwaraecricedynyramgylcheddaubio-ddiogelhynmaehynny’nwahanoliawnacynanarferoliawnichwaraewyrynenwedigpanrydynni’ndisgwyliddynnhwfyndallanoflaenybydapherfformioareugorau”[pulloutof)Bangladeshbut(thatinpartisbecausewe’vehadsuchalongperiodofplayingcricketinthesebio-secureenvironmentsthatareverydifferentandveryunusualforplayersespeciallywhenwe’reexpectingthemtogooutinfrontoftheworldandperformattheirbest”[tynnuallano)Bangladeshond(maehynny’nrhannoloherwyddeinbodniwedicaelcyfnodmorhirochwaraecricedynyramgylcheddaubio-ddiogelhynmaehynny’nwahanoliawnacynanarferoliawnichwaraewyrynenwedigpanrydynni’ndisgwyliddynnhwfyndallanoflaenybydapherfformioareugorau”[pulloutof)Bangladeshbut(thatinpartisbecausewe’vehadsuchalongperiodofplayingcricketinthesebio-secureenvironmentsthatareverydifferentandveryunusualforplayersespeciallywhenwe’reexpectingthemtogooutinfrontoftheworldandperformattheirbest”

He continued: “This is not just confined to West Indies cricket and also, it is a temporary policy. It is not something that we anticipate will last forever. It’s all about the unusual circumstances, especially playing away from home.

“We do not expect this policy to continue after the Bangladesh tour as we have four home tours that follow, and we would expect all players to be available to play in the region.”

West Indies has been the most active international side since the global lockout process ended in July last year, making history with a three-Test tour of England the same month in cricket’s first ever biosecurity bubble .
Since then, the women’s side toured England for twenty -20 internationals while the men traveled to New Zealand for three T20s and two Tests spanning November and December.

The tour of Bangladesh, which will see a depleted unit consisting of three One-Day Internationals and two Tests during January and February, marks the third men’s side trip in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
And with Test captain Jason Holder – one of the players to opt out of the Bangladesh tour – referring to “bubble fatigue” following the series in New Zealand, Grave said CWI had gone to great lengths to provide the support psychological needed for players and support. staff.

“It taxes everyone’s mental health so we are very aware of that which is why we have introduced these types of supportive policies and put more people in to support the team,” Grave told radio show Mason and Guest Starcom Radio, adding that a security and compliance officer has been added to the touring party for Bangladesh.
“That is to do everything we can to make sure the players are safe and by default they are going to be less worried about it (safety), if we can give them more support and protection while they are there. ”
The West Indies have started leaving the region for the upcoming tour and are expected to arrive in Bangladesh today.

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