Powell in, Benn axed, Ambris snubbed for England ODIs

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(CMC) — Kieran Powell has been predictably recalled to the West Indies squad to face England in three One-Day Internationals next month but selectors have surprisingly excluded experienced left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and batsman Sunil Ambris for the Caribbean series despite their form in the recent Regional Super50.

The left-handed Powell, who returned to domestic competition last year following a controversial self-imposed two-year break, scored heavily in the just concluded Regional Super50 with a tournament-best aggregate of 513 runs at an average of 64.

He smashed three centuries and two half-centuries in helping lead Leeward Islands Hurricanes into the semi-finals, and is likely to find his way into the final XI especially with Johnson Charles no longer in contention.

However, chairman Courtney Browne and his panel has strangely overlooked Barbadian Benn who was one of the Super50’s leading spinners with 18 wickets, at an average of 10 and an economy rate of just under three.

He was especially brilliant in last Saturday’s Regional Super50 final in Antigua when he grabbed three for 33 from 10 overs, to help Barbados Pride beat Jamaica Scorpions by 59 runs.

The fiercely competitive Benn, a fixture in the squad last year, has taken 39 wickets from 47 ODIs.

Instead, selectors have opted for leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo who struggled during the Super50 campaign, taking 10 wickets at 28 runs apiece and with an economy rate of nearly five an over.

More in today’s Daily Observer.

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