Simmonds to join Windies for Bangladesh ODIs

Barbadian Ramon Simmonds is one of two injury replacements drafted into the West Indies One Day International squad for the remaining matches against Bangladesh. Simmonds, along with Trinidadian left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein, replaced Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph and fellow Barbadian Jediah Blades, respectively.

According to an official statement from Cricket West Indies on their social media platforms, Blades has been “ruled out of the upcoming matches and the tour of New Zealand with a stress fracture to the lower back and will return home to undergo rehabilitation.”

Additionally, Shamar Joseph, who missed the West Indies Test tour of India due to injury, “reported some discomfort in his shoulder during the first training session ahead of the opening ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka.”

A subsequent scan led Joseph to leave the Windies camp to seek further consultation with a “specialist in England to start the rehabilitation process.”

The Windies are in need of inspiration in the series as they seek to gain valuable points on their path to qualifying for the 2027 One Day International World Cup in South Africa, having missed the tournament for the first time in 2023.

(QSJ)