Romario Shepherd leaves West Indies camp for birth of second child

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2024 06:06 IST

West Indies are without their star all-rounder Romario Shepherd in their last T20 World Cup 2024 Group match against Afghanistan on Monday, June 17 (Tuesday, June 18 in India). Caribbean skipper Rovman Powell said that the 29-year-old Shepherd returned home since his wife Tia Terencia Joseph is set to give birth to their second child. The couple already has a son, named Romauldo Shepherd.

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Shepherd is expected to rejoin the co-hosts on Tuesday, June 18 (West Indies). Powell acknowledged his teammate’s responsibility towards his family and talked about the healthy culture in the West Indies team. “Romario is welcoming his child. That's what we embrace as a team, to let him go, since family is very important," Powell said.

Left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy replaced Shepherd in the playing XI. Shai Hope has also replaced Roston Chase as West Indies look to end the Group stage unbeaten and on top of the table.

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Afghanistan, on the other hand, went in with the same playing XI that took on Papua New Guinea. Rashid Khan and Co. has also won 3 matches in a row and have been one of the standout teams in the competition until now. Once they defeated New Zealand by 84 runs, the Afghans have not looked back.

Unbeaten until now, Rashid said that Afghanistan have tasted success due to the ability of their players to mould themselves as per the conditions in the West Indies and USA. “Beauty of our team has been to adjust according to conditions."

Playing XIs for WI vs AFG

West Indies: Brandon King, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran(w), Shai Hope, Rovman Powell(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan(c), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi