Hosein, Simmonds drafted for remaining ODIs - Hope urges WI teammates to be ‘adaptable’

MIRPUR, India:

Akeal Hosein and Ramon Simmonds been have named as replacements for the West Indies in the ongoing One Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced yesterday that Hosein and Simmonds will replace pacers Jediah Blades and Shamar Joseph for the remaining two matches.

The 23-year-old Blades, a left-arm medium pacer has been ruled out of the upcoming matches and the following tour of New Zealand with a stress fracture to the lower back and will return home to undergo rehabilitation.

DISCOMFORT

Meanwhile, Joseph, who missed the preceding tour of India, reported some discomfort in his shoulder during the first training session ahead of the opening ODI against Bangladesh on Saturday.

Following a subsequent scan, he has been recommended for consultation with a specialist in England to start the rehabilitation process.

The 24-year-old Simmonds made his debut for the senior side in the recently concluded T20I series against Nepal, where he took four wickets in two matches.

The West Indies trail the three-match ODI series 1-0 after losing the opening match on Saturday by 74 runs.

West Indies captain Shai Hope lamented the state of the pitch, and its impact.

GRIPPING WICKET

The match was played on a notably dark-coloured pitch, a characteristic in the subcontinent that often indicates a slow, gripping surface tailor-made for spinners.

The chief destroyer was Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain, who ripped through the West Indies batting lineup with career-best figures of six for 35.

His performance made him only the second leg-spinner in ODI history to take the opposition's first five wickets.

"We definitely found it difficult in the middle. That's just reality," Hope stated. "So we need to take the learnings from this game and find ways as batters to not let them settle. Maybe be a little bit more positive and try to take them off their lengths a bit more."

ADAPTABLE

Hope emphasised the need for his side to be adaptable, regardless of the surface prepared.

"We never know what we're going to get. You still have to assess and adapt when the bell rings next game. But if we do have something similar, then we'd have an understanding from this first game. So it can play into our minds a little bit better."

Ultimately, the West Indies skipper stressed a forward-looking approach, urging his team to focus on the game, not the pitch.

"We've got to play what we see in front of us and not focus too much on the surface. We've just got to put this game behind us and then come a lot stronger for the second one."

The second ODI is scheduled to be played on Tuesday.

- CMC