PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
Left-handers Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis could find themselves in with a chance of redemption shortly, after failed fitness assessments ruled them out of this month’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka.
Cricket West Indies chief executive, Johnny Grave, revealed Monday that fitness assessments were conducted on a biannual basis with the next one scheduled for June, but players who failed assessments could also be reappraised.
“In our strength and conditioning policy, they’re tested twice every year. Obviously, players will be retested if they fail,” Grave told the Newsday publication here.
“The next testing is due in June. Players have to be at a minimum standard in order to be considered for selection.”
In announcing the 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka series on Monday, chief selector Roger Harper said both Hetmyer and Lewis had “come up short in the fitness test”.
He added: “Hetmyer appeared to be getting his act together and was an integral part of the team’s batting group.”
If Hetmyer was forced to wait until June for the second fitness assessment, he would almost certainly miss out on West Indies’ three-Test tour of England from June 4-29.
The 23-year-old has been a fixture in the Test squad ever since making his debut two and a half years ago, playing 16 matches and hitting five half-centuries.
Both he and Lewis featured in the Ireland series last month with contrasting success but then failed fitness tests conducted last week by Windies men’s team strength and conditioning coach, Ronald Rogers and CWI’s sports science and medicine manager, Dr Oba Gulston.
Lewis emerged as Man-of-the-Series following the Ireland ODIs but Hetmyer was dropped after failing in the two opening matches in Bridgetown, though he retained his spot for the three T20 Internationals which followed.
And with West Indies set to undertake a hectic itinerary this year – including the T20 World Cup in October – both players will be under pressure to prove their fitness under the new minimum requirements.
Grave said the fitness assessments were a critical component of the selection process and stressed the importance of players meeting the required standards.
“The fitness tests do two things. One, [it makes] sure that you fit the minimum standards required for selection. The other one [is that] every player has a personal target to hit,” the Englishman explained.
