Hayden Walsh West Indies: Why is Ravi Rampaul not playing today’s T20 World Cup 2021 match between Australia and West Indies?

Ravi Rampaul not playing: West Indies have made a solitary change to their Playing XI for their last ICC T20 World Cup 2021 match.

During the 38th match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2021 between Australia and West Indies in Abu Dhabi, Australia captain Aaron Finch has won the toss and chose to field.

“We will bowl. It looks like a really good wicket and won’t change throughout the 40 overs, will try to do some early damage with the ball. If you have to win the tournament then you have to win both ways. But on this surface if there’s any kind of moisture then it will be first up. We won’t think about it [NRR]. We have come here to take two points,” Finch said at the toss.

Australia, who would want to win this match to further bolster their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals, haven’t made any change to their Playing XI.

Why is Ravi Rampaul not playing vs Australia?

West Indies captain Kieron Pollard considered this as an unfortunate situation wherein they have been knocked out of the tournament  in the presence of some archetype T20 superstars and despite being the defending champions.

“Obviously these guys, all of us have done over the last decade or so for the T20 game is just amazing. It is unfortunate that we couldn’t get that one last hurrah in terms of getting to the next phase of the tournament. But today is another opportunity, it will be emotional for some but the important thing is to try and win the cricket game to salvage something,” Pollard said at the toss.

Walsh Jr. Comes in to replace Rampaul in our final T20I of the #T20WorldCup #MissionMaroon #WIvAUS pic.twitter.com/IKHCzSa5uJ

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 6, 2021

Playing their last match of the tournament, West Indies have given an opportunity to spinner Hayden Walsh in place of pacer Ravi Rampaul. A primary reason behind Walsh’s inclusion is him being their highest T20I wicket-taker against Australia picking 12 wickets at an average and strike rate of 11.67 and 10 respectively.

In the four T20Is that Rampaul has played in this tournament, he has played two wickets at an average of 49, an economy rate of 7.53 and a strike rate of 39.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

Read More