West Indies cricketers Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph have made the decision to leave the ongoing ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe early in order to manage their workload ahead of the highly anticipated home Test series against India. The West Indies' hopes of securing a spot in the ODI World Cup were shattered following their recent defeat to Scotland in a Super Six match of the qualifiers in Harare on July 1.
Although their chances of qualifying have been dashed, the Caribbean side still has two remaining matches against Oman and Sri Lanka scheduled for July 5 and July 7, respectively. However, Holder and Joseph will not participate in these matches as they will be returning to the Caribbean to focus on their preparation for the Test series against India.
Cricket West Indies announced the early departure of Holder and Joseph in a statement on Twitter, saying, "Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph will depart early from the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. They will miss the last two Super Six matches as they return to the Caribbean. This is with the view of managing their workloads ahead of the Test Series vs India."
The Test series against India is set to commence with the first of two matches in Roseau on July 12, followed by the second Test in Port of Spain starting from July 20. After the Test series, the two teams will engage in three ODIs on July 27, 29, and August 1, before moving on to a five-match T20I series from August 3 to 13. The final two T20Is will be played in Florida, USA.
With Holder being a key figure in the West Indies team and Joseph emerging as a talented fast bowler, their early departure from the ODI World Cup qualifiers highlights the importance placed on the upcoming Test series against India. The West Indies will be looking to put forth a strong performance against the formidable Indian team, and Holder and Joseph's early preparations demonstrate the team's commitment to success in the longest format of the game.