West Indies news – Shane Dowrich announces international retirement

West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Shane Dowrich has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. This means the 32-year-old, who was originally picked for West Indies’ upcoming home ODIs against England, has withdrawn from the squad. The CWI selection panel will not name a replacement for Dowrich for the three-match series, which begins on Sunday in Antigua.

Dowrich, whose sole previous ODI cap came against Bangladesh in 2019, had earned a recall on a back of strong returns in the Super50 Cup: 234 runs in five innings at an average of 78 and strike rate of 91.76. In the absence of Dowrich, Shai Hope will have to juggle captaincy and keeping, with Nicholas Pooran currently unavailable for selection for ODIs.

Dowrich was a more regular presence for West Indies in Test cricket, playing 35 matches from June 2015 to December 2020. He scored 1570 runs, including three centuries, and effected 90 dismissals. His career-best 125 not out fashioned a 226-run victory for West Indies against Sri Lanka in Port-of-Spain in June 2018. Then, in January 2019, Dowrich made an unbeaten 116 in an unbroken 295-run seventh-wicket stand with Jason Holder to help West Indies topple England in Bridgetown.

Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Director of Cricket, paid tribute to Dowrich. “We want to thank Shane for contribution when he played for West Indies,” he said. “He is a disciplined, hard-working cricketer who always gave his utmost in front and behind the stumps. He had a memorable series in 2019 when he made an outstanding Test century on home soil in Barbados to help us beat England and win the Wisden Trophy. We respect his decision to retire and appreciate it is not an easy one to make. We wish him all the best as he steps away from the international stage.”