West Indies will kick off their tour of New Zealand with a three-match T20I series against the Kiwis starting November 27. Their roster consists of some really exciting young players this time and here, we'll take a look at five of those young guns.

Shimron Hetmyer

The 23-year-old left-handed batsman is one of the most exciting prospects in world cricket right now. Hetmyer has already featured in 25 T20Is for West Indies and is coming into this series on the back of an impressive CPL and Indian T20 League season. While Hetmyer scored 268 runs at an average of 33.38 batting mostly in the top order during the CPL, he scored 185 runs at an average of 23.12 batting in the lower middle-order for Delhi in the Indian T20 League. He is expected to be back in the top four in the West Indies lineup during this series. The short boundaries and flat decks at the venues will suit his style of batting as well.

Nicholas Pooran

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who has already represented West Indies in 21 T20Is, is coming into this series on the back of a terrific Indian T20 League season with Punjab. Pooran scored 353 runs at an average of 35.30 and his strike-rate of 169.71 was the fourth-best in the season among batsmen who had scored at least 200 runs. He had an excellent CPL season prior to that as well, during which he amassed 245 runs at 27.22 and these runs included a century as well. Like Hetmyer, he is going to enjoy the conditions in New Zealand as well.

Fabian Allen

The 25-year-old is one of the most exciting all-rounders in the T20 format at present. Allen is not only an excellent lower-order power-hitter but an effective slow left-arm orthodox spinner as well. In his 25-game T20 career so far, Allen has scored a total of 404 runs at an excellent strike-rate of 164.89. His batting average of 25.25 shows he gives consistent returns as well. His bowling returns aren't bad either as he has 16 wickets to his name at a decent economy rate of 7.43. Allen is an excellent fielder too and he has already shown that in the limited number of matches he has played.

Keemo Paul

The 22-year-old has established himself as one of West Indies' best death-bowling resources in this format. Paul has good variations up his sleeves and his ability to bowl consistent and accurate yorkers makes him a valuable bowling asset. He has played 18 T20Is for West Indies till now and picked up 24 wickets in them at an excellent strike-rate of 16.20. He is quite a handy lower-order batsman as well and that just strengthens West Indies' batting unit further.

Oshane Thomas

He does have a lot to improve but the 23-year-old is already an imposing bowler due to the pace at which he bowls and the bounce he generates with his high point of delivery. Thomas does struggle with his inconsistent line and length sometimes but it is a treat to watch him at his best. He has featured in 12 T20Is so far and picked up 15 wickets in them at a strike-rate of 17.6. That includes best figures of 5/28 against Sri Lanka as well.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Randy Brooks

Just seven balls left for West Indies�?batting innings to end. Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman delivers the ball. Oshane Thomas misses. The keeper collects the ball. But, out of nowhere, the bails fall off.

Many a bizarre thing has happened in cricket but hit wicket dismissals have always psyched everyone’s interest over the years. A similar incident took place in the World Cup group stage match between West Indies and Bangladesh on Monday in Taunton.

After the initial bewilderment, when the players and the on-field umpires grasped what had happened, the latter decided to go upstairs to seek a third-umpire review. The replays, nonetheless, stole the show! It revealed Thomas lowering the bat after missing the ball and in the process knocking over the bails and standing as perplexed as the rest of the Bangladeshi players on the field.

However, the aspect that began debates across the cricketing fraternity was why the West Indian was not given an out? Third umpire Paul Wilson ruled out that possibility on the ground that the particular incident happened after he had completed the shot, and hence, was not out as per the laws of the game.

Lord’s Cricket ground also came out in support of the same, throwing further light on the scene.

The decision was correctly given as not out by the TV umpire because Oshane Thomas was no longer receiving the delivery. The ball had gone, his shot was completed and he was not attempting a run.

Find out more about the Laws of Cricket here ➡️ //t.co/0LyqeVOMKm#CWC19 //t.co/DtXyX31iWx

�?Lord's Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) June 17, 2019

Though Windies went on to put a solid score of 321/8 on the board for Bangladesh to chase, this amusing incident in the dying minutes of the innings did keep Twitter reeling. Here are some of the best reactions to the entire episode:

Oshane Thomas has cost the Windies at least 20 odd runs because of brainless bat swinging! #WIvBAN #CWC19

�?No clean sheets FC (@sull_noronha) June 17, 2019

Oshane Thomas just did a Mark Waugh.//t.co/XFEl7TmuHH#CWC19 #WIvBAN

�?Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) June 17, 2019

BIZARRE! Oshane Thomas has smashed his own wickets. The umpire deems rightly, it's ruled NOT OUT as he had completed his shot. One of the most bizarre moments of CWC 2019.

#BANvWI pic.twitter.com/F8MwK1N9ke

�?ZEE. (@iBleedGreenZEE) June 17, 2019

#WIvBAN Oshane Thomas hits wicket ,but not out? !.This umpiring decision should be given world cup.!

�?S.Balaji (@balajibands) June 17, 2019

Oshane Thomas is first WI bowler who bats like tailender #BANvWI

�?Mustafa (@Mustafa_JKh) June 17, 2019

Oshane Thomas survives in the weirdest of ways!

He finishes the swing of his bat and hits the bails, but he's through with the shot and the third umpire adjudges him to be not out. #WIvBAN | #CWC19

�?Cricket Afridi (@CktAfridi37) June 17, 2019

#OshaneThomas completes his shot. Knocks his stumps in follow through. Adjudged not-out. Takes a single of the last ball of penultimate over. @BCBtigers happy! #CWC19

�?rosh! (@roshinoz) June 17, 2019

Oshane Thomas is hilarious. Not often you get someone so incompetent with the bat these days... #CWC19 #bbccricket

�?Adam�?(@adinho85) June 17, 2019

Oshane Thomas has just won the World Cup. Hand the boy the trophy.

�?Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) June 17, 2019

Want to watch what actually happened? Click here.

Featured photo courtesy: ICC Cricket World Cup

England fast bowler Mark Wood says his side will "fight fire with fire" when they face the formidable West Indies pace attack. 

Friday's World Cup clash in Southampton is likely to be a bouncer barrage, with both teams boasting aggressive bowling line-ups.

The West Indies dismissed Pakistan for 105 at Trent Bridge, the lowest total of the tournament, by unleashing an array of bouncers from Oshane Thomas, Andre Russell and Sheldon Cottrell.

With Wood partnered by Barbados-born paceman Jofra Archer, and both having hit 95mph in the victory over Bangladesh, England are not likely to shrink from the battle.

"The Windies in this World Cup have come with a clear game plan and that is a lot of short stuff," Wood said.

"We got a taste of that in the Windies on the recent tour. But I can remember getting Darren Bravo and Hetmyer out to short balls so it is a good thing we can fight fire with fire.

"It could be like that, just landing blow after blow, back and forth, back and forth. The opposition batsmen don't get a break if there is pace from both ends and it'd be nice if we can continue that trend.

"When real pace bowling is on show it definitely ruffles a few feathers and changes the momentum of the game."

Speaking at the weekend Archer nominated himself as the quickest bowler in the England ranks and expressed surprise when told Wood had crept ahead of him with a delivery of 95.6mph - the fastest ball of the tournament.

That head-to-head will continue throughout the competition, with the Durham man not minded to back down.

"It is a good competition between us, a friendly one," he said.

"To have us both bowling at 94 and 95mph and have two guys from the England team at the top of that list is pretty good.

"It pushes us for sure. You're pushing each other to be the best you can be and to be as quick as you can be. You have banter about it for sure, but you're helping each other.

"I'm trying to bowl 0.1 mph quicker than Jofra and he's trying to bowl 0.1 faster than me."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Lindesy Parnaby

West Indies crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in a one-sided World Cup match at Trent Bridge on Friday, with the two-time champions showing they are a resurgent force in the one-day game.

Fast bowler Oshane Thomas took four wickets as Pakistan were bundled out for their second-lowest World Cup total of 105 in just 21.4 overs on the second day of the competition in England and Wales. West Indies cruised to victory in just 13.4 overs, Chris Gayle top-scoring with 50. He reached his half-century off 33 balls with three sixes and six fours before he was dismissed off the next ball he faced.

During his innings Gayle, who calls himself the "Universe Boss", broke the record for the most sixes hit in World Cup history. He now has 40 maximums, three more than retired South African batsman A B de Villiers.

Nicolas Pooran smashed paceman Wahab Riaz for a huge six over the square-leg boundary to give the 1975 and 1979 world champions an ideal start to their campaign.

"It was a good game. I think the bowlers were outstanding today," said Holder. "We kept our foot on the accelerator. We've eased off in the past, but it was good to see the killer instinct today. We wanted to be aggressive. It's the nature of our cricket with bat, ball and in the field. We've definitely come to win this World Cup, but I just want us to enjoy our cricket, play fearless cricket and make the fans back home proud."

The only positive for Pakistan was three wickets for paceman Mohammad Amir on his World Cup debut after he missed the 2011 and 2015 tournaments due to a spot-fixing ban of 2010. Amir had Shai Hope (11), Darren Bravo (0) and Gayle caught in an incisive six-over spell, but the batsmen had not put enough runs on the board to give the bowlers a chance.

Pakistan's sloppy and vulnerable batting was cruelly exposed by some short-pitched bowling by the West Indies pacemen on a Trent Bridge pitch famous for big totals.

Opener Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam were the joint top-scorers with 22 each in an abysmal display of batting. The only other batsmen to reach double figures were Riaz, who scored 18, and Mohammad Hafeez (16). Holder took three wickets and Andre Russell chipped in with two.

Pakistan's lowest World Cup score was 74, made against England at Adelaide on the way to their only World Cup title in 1992. Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, said: "Very disappointed at the batting. I was very confident before the match; batting was a key point, but we didn't apply it to the short ball.

"Credit to the West Indian bowlers, they bowled really well. We have to take time if the bowlers are bowling like that. We lose so many wickets and that's why we lost the match."

Hit-the-deck pacer Oshane Thomas has been added to the West Indies squad for the second Test against England scheduled to start on Thursday in Antigua. Thomas, who has played four ODIs and six T20s for the Windies thus far, has now been called Up to their Test squad as a back-up for Alzarri Joseph who has just recently returned from a back injury. 

 

Dibyangshu Sarkar/ AFP 

"Oshane Thomas was with us in Barbados as cover and he has been added to the squad as the 14th player and will remain with the team as an additional fast bowler. We were all extremely happy with the great result in the first Test. We want To see them put in another solid performance in the second match in Antigua, where we won last year," Courtney Browne, the chairman of selectors for the Windies said. 

Thomas has performed admirably in the shorter forms of the game, bowling at an average of 34.76 having picked up 17 wickets till now. He has impressed all with his blistering pace and bounce; and would hope to feature in the second Test to bolster the already Impressive Windies pace attack which helped the Caribbean team to a whopping 381 run victory in the first game. 

Squad:   Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (WK), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican