‘Greatest honour of my career’ – Rovman Powell makes admission after being named West Indies T20 captain

Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday announced Powell, 29, as the new captain of the sports’ shortest international version, while Barbadian Shai Hope will lead the men’s One-Day International (ODI) squad.

Powell, a native of Old Harbour, Jamaica, has been given the tough task after skippering the Jamaica Tallawahs and the Jamaica Scorpions to the regional T20 and 50-over titles in September and November respectively last year.

Following the announcements by CWI, Powell said: “I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region — a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket. I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 percent.”

Since his international debut in 2016, Powell, a batting/all-rounder was in and out of the West Indies T20 squad before becoming a regular starter in the side. His game has matured immensely over these last few years with match-winning performances for Jamaica and franchise club teams around the globe a sign that the Old Harbour High School graduate has come of age.

From 55 T20I matches, Powell averages 23.42 with the bat at a strike rate of 134.64 inclusive of one century and four 50s. With the ball, the right-arm medium pacer has taken four wickets at an average of 33.00. as one of the most destructive power hitters of the modern game, Powell holds the record for the most runs (107) batting at #7 and is ranked 9th on the all-time list of most sixes (10) in an innings. 

His announcement also makes him the first Old Harbour native to captain a West Indies team at any level.

Meantime Hope is selected as ODI captain after demonstrating strong leadership on and off the field and experiencing the vice-captain role over a number of series since 2019. He became vice-captain for a second time in June 2022 and played his 100th ODI for the West Indies against India in July last year. Hope has played 104 ODIs and was recently selected in the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022.

Hope, a wicketkeeper/batsman said: “It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child. The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for, requires no intricate explanation. I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team.”

Both Powell and Hope have replaced Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the positions last November following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia where they performed poorly.

The first assignments for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa in March where the West Indies face the Proteas in three ODIs and three T20Is from 16 to 28 March, following two matches in the ICC World Test Championship. Each captain will be heavily involved in strategy and planning leading up to the next ICC world tournaments. In ODI cricket, the West Indies are likely to need to qualify for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, with the qualifiers scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in June.  In T20I cricket, the West Indies will be hosting the next ICC T20 World Cup with the USA in June 2024.