West Indies have entered a new era with wicketkeeper batsman Nicholas Pooran as their white-ball captain following Kieron Pollard's retirement from international cricket.
The departure of Pollard leaves a huge void in the team but also provides Pooran an opportunity to mould a young squad into a competitive outfit.
Pooran, however, will have to manage with limited resources for now. Star all-rounder Jason Holder and batsman Shimron Hetmyer were given a break from the recent tour of the Netherlands and the ongoing ODI series in Pakistan.
But having the chance to work with a bunch of young players is an opportunity Pooran is more than happy to embrace.
"At the end of the day, you want to win. Doesn't matter whether you have an experienced team or not. Everyone wants to win and have a happy dressing room," Pooran told The National from Pakistan.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Pooran is not completely new to the job. He led the team to a 4-1 T20 series win against Australia at home ahead of the T20 World Cup last year. For the left-hander, having a cohesive dressing room is the main aim.
"Obviously, it is unexpected that 'Polly' gave up the captaincy. But it is also important to not make any excuses. I feel like I have enough experience now, and it's just about getting the guys together and trying to go in the right direction.
"I learnt that togetherness is key, and respect. Team plans helped us win against Australia last year and that's something we want to continue, getting good plans and trying our best to execute. If we don't, fine. We will review and go again."
It is a critical white-ball cycle for all teams, with the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year and the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023. Finding and developing the right white-ball players is key, given the specific demands of limited-overs cricket. Pooran is happy to have found one such special talent - Alzarri Joseph.
The right-arm quick has made steady progress in all formats since his debut in 2016, but took a massive leap forward during this year's Indian Premier League.
Playing for title winners Gujarat Titans, the 25-year-old quick impressed with the pace he generated during the nine matches he played, consistently clocking speeds of up to 150kph.
The Antiguan has already played 20 Test matches, and his new-found pace fills Pooran with confidence, especially as the T20 World Cup will be played in Australia where extra pace will be a potent weapon.
Joseph is the leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket among top teams over the last three years, with 49 wickets before the start of the Pakistan series. Now, he can provide the lethal edge in T20 cricket too.
As wicketkeeper of Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the IPL, Pooran saw first hand what extreme pace does. After all, he kept to and faced young pace sensation Umran Malik for months. Pooran is just glad to have someone similar in the Windies side.
"Umran Malik was wonderful to see. Being there, seeing someone bowl at 156, 157 [kph] consistently at a young age was wonderful. But also seeing Alzarri Joseph go about the way he did was impressive," Pooran said.
"Getting his speed up to 150 consistently ... we want to see Alzarri being consistent for us as well. Since the last ODI World Cup Alzarri has been tremendous for us. I think he is one of the leading fast bowlers in the world in ODI cricket and he continues to prove himself. I am very happy to have him in our team and looking forward this year to see how he goes about winning game for us and giving us the energy and momentum."
What Pooran will have to also contend with is an unflattering record in ODI cricket in the current cycle - eight wins and 10 losses. Automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup will be quite a task, with only the top eight teams earning direct entry to the 2023 World Cup in India. But he is not thinking that far ahead.
"I am not really thinking about qualification. We got ourselves in this position. Now we need to work harder to get into the World Cup. It's not a weight on my shoulders. That's also good for us a team. If we want to be in a World Cup, we need to work really hard and that will get us closer as a unit."
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pakistan Test squad
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
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Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
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AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
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World Cup warm-up fixtures
Friday, May 24:
- Pakistan v Afghanistan (Bristol)
- Sri Lanka v South Africa (Cardiff)
Saturday, May 25
- England v Australia (Southampton)
- India v New Zealand (The Oval, London)
Sunday, May 26
- South Africa v West Indies (Bristol)
- Pakistan v Bangladesh (Cardiff)
Monday, May 27
- Australia v Sri Lanka (Southampton)
- England v Afghanistan (The Oval, London)
Tuesday, May 28
- West Indies v New Zealand (Bristol)
- Bangladesh v India (Cardiff)
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Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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