Andre Fletcher, who suffered a hamstring injury during West Indies’ shocking defeat at the hands of Afghanistan, last Sunday, has been replaced by Lendl Simmons ahead of Thursday’s semifinal clash against India. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC World Twenty20 made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday evening.
Simmons, who was originally withdrawn from the squad for the ICC World Twenty20 owing to a back injury, has already arrived in Mumbai.
Fletcher while opening his batting had pulled his hamstring in the fifth over of what turned out to be a futile chase in Nagpur. He duly made his way to the dugout. Even though he returned to the middle in the last over, he was visibly struggling to even walk during the three balls he spent in the middle towards the end.
Fletcher had also played a match-winning knock for the West Indies during its group game against Sri Lanka. His injury could well present Simmons with an opportunity to make a mark against India at the Wankhede Stadium, home of his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
Just before West Indies departed for India, Simmons was replaced in the squad by rookie Evin Lewis. The young batsman scored a seven-ball duck on debut against Afghanistan.
The 31-year-old Simmons has represented the West Indies in eight Tests, 68 ODIs and 34 T20Is. In the shortest version of the game, he has scored 761 runs a strike-rate of just under 114. Simmons was a member of the West Indies side which won the ICC World Twenty20, in Sri Lanka, in 2012 and last played a T20 for the team against South Africa in Durban last January.
Comments
SHARE