West Indies legend Brian Lara has called for the return of stars Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo for next month’s One-day international tri-series against Australia and South Africa.
Both Pollard and Bravo have been overlooked for the ODI side by the selectors since the abandoned tour of India in October 2014, despite being chosen for Twenty20 Internationals.
"In terms of the tri-nations, I think it’s going to be a pretty exciting tri-nations series,” Lara said on Wednesday.
"And hopefully we can have the likes of Pollard and Bravo – some guys who have not played that form of the game (recently) – back in the team because they are integral of any West Indies team.
"Just to have them for the T20 version I think is doing a disservice to the West Indies cricket."
Bravo was part of the Windies’ World T20 title-winning eleven, while Pollard was initially selected in the squad for the tournament before being forced to pull out due as he was recovering from a knee injury, sustained in South Africa’s domestic T20 competition last November.
However, under the West Indies Cricket Board regulations, neither player is eligible for the tournament after failing to participate in January’s domestic Super50 competition.
Last month, West Indies coach Phil Simmons called upon the West Indies Cricket Board to review its policy on player availability ahead of the ODI series.
But unless the WICB changes its current stance, the likes of Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Andre Russell and Samuel Badree will also be unavailable for the June tri-series, having missed the domestic Super50 tournament in January, with many players competing in Australia’s KFC Big Bash League instead.
Simmons, who was suspended by the Board in September last year for publically questioning the make-up of the ODI squad, said the Windies would offer a stern test for the Australians and Proteas in June if the WICB changes its policy.
"There has been talk already that players who did not come back and play in the Super50 won't be selected (for ODI cricket)," the coach told ESPNCricinfo.
"But you are talking about seven or eight of the best players in the world.
"If you are not going to select them, then the other two teams coming into this tri-series are going to be smiling, because the challenge of playing against West Indies at home without Gayle, (Darren) Sammy, Russell, Bravo, Simmons seems easier.
"We have seen what all of them can do in the World T20 and we have seen what they can do in 50-over cricket.
"In order for us to not be scrambling to qualify for the next World Cup, we need to be winning and moving up the table.
" ... so going forward perhaps that is another area we can review," he said.
Image: West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard
Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images
