West Indies Test Squad For New Zealand: Sunil Ambris Replaces Kyle Hope

Antigua: Cricket West Indies on Monday included rookie batsman Sunil Ambris in place of Kyle Hope in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, starting November 25.

Ambris was the only change in the Jason Holder-led squad that beat Zimbabwe 1-0 in the Test series in Bulawayo earlier this month.

Hope was left out following a lean run since his debut in June 2017. His highest international score after 13 innings was 46, and he couldn't hit form on the tours of England and Zimbabwe. In three innings in Bulawayo, Hope managed only 60 runs.

Ambris on the other hand, had scored two hundreds in three first-class games against Sri Lanka A, aggregating 278 runs in five innings -- the highest in the series -- at an average of 55.60, even as West Indies A lost 1-2.

On the selection of Sunil Ambris, Chairman of the CWI selection panel, Courtney Browne said: "Sunil has replaced Kyle Hope in the squad, and this is on the basis of his consistent performances across formats and his outstanding returns for the Windies 'A' Team in the ‘Test' series against Sri Lanka ‘A'. This type of consistency is very welcomed by the panel.

"Kyle is encouraged to return to the first-class championship and turn in the strong performances his talent suggests he can deliver," he added.

The 24-year-old Ambris made his international debut in the One-day International (ODI) series against England recently and has played just one game.

The Caribbean team will prepare for the New Zealand tour with a training camp until November 21 in Brisbane.

They are scheduled to play a three-day tour match against New Zealand A in Lincoln, before the two Tests in Wellington (December 1-5) and Hamilton (December 9-13).

The three-match ODI series, which starts on December 20, includes a Boxing Day fixture in Christchurch and will be followed by three T20Is, between December 29 and January 3.

West Indies Test squad: Jason Holder (Captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-captain), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach

Reshmi AR

5:38 PM (2 hours ago)

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Team India Needs MS Dhoni At The Moment: Virendra Sehwag

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) Amid growing calls for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's ouster from the T20I side for failing to clobber the bowlers at the start of his innings, former India opener Virender Sehwag on Monday said the stumper should know his role in the team.

Sehwag said that the team management should make the Ranchi stumper understand his role after Dhoni failed to go hammer and tongs from the first ball while chasing a stiff 196-run target in the second T20 International against New Zealand at Rajkot.

Even though he scored 49 off 37 balls, the former two-time World Cup-winning captain failed to take India over the line and eventually lost by 40 runs.

"Dhoni should realise his role in the team. He has to change the momentum early while chasing a strong total. He has to score from ball one and the team management should make him understand this point," Sehwag told India TV news channel.

The 36-year-old Dhoni had a strike rate of 132 at the end of his innings, but the inability to rotate strike has prompted some to raise questions.

Sehwag, however, defended the stumper's place in the team saying: "Team India needs M.S. Dhoni at the moment, even in T20 cricket. He will step down at the right time. He will never block the way for any young cricketer.

The three-match series is levelled at 1-1, with the decider taking place at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.