3 reasons why West Indies need not worry despite Sunil Narine opting out of T20 World Cup

Senior cricketer Sunil Narine, who was considered one of the contenders in the West Indies side for the T20 World Cup at home, has opted out of the tournament.

Narine, who retired from international cricket in November last year, has been in exceptional all-round form in IPL 2024 while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

He is the eighth-highest run-getter in the tournament at the time of writing with 286 runs to his name. The off-spinner has also picked up nine wickets and features prominently in the leading wicket-takers list.

Sunil Narine came into contention when WI skipper Rovman Powell said that he had tried reaching out to the former for making a comeback to the West Indies' T20 side. The comments came after Narine smashed a breathtaking century against the Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens.

"For the last 12 months, I've been whispering in his (Narine's) ears, but he's blocked out everyone. I've asked [Kieron] Pollard, [Dwayne] Bravo, [Nicholas] Pooran. Hopefully, before they select the team, they can crack his code," Powell told host broadcasters.

Sunil Narine, however, said that he would not be a part of the tournament. In a statement released by the cricketer on Tuesday, he said:

"I hope this message finds you all well and in good health. I’m truly flattered and humbled that my performances recently have moved many people to publicly express their wish for me to come out of retirement and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"I have made peace with that decision and whilst I never wish to disappoint, that door is now closed and I will be supporting the guys who take the field in June for West Indies. Guys who have worked hard for the past few months and deserve to show our wonderful fans that they are capable of winning another title - I wish you all the best."

His presence would have given the West Indian side that failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup held in India last year a big fillip, but they are, in fact, not missing out on much.

In this listicle, we bring to you three reasons why the Windies need not worry despite Sunil Narine opting out of the T20 World Cup.

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#1 West Indies have a well-balanced squad

One of the biggest reasons why the Windies need not worry too much about Narine's absence is because they have a fairly well-balanced squad in the shortest format.

Sunil Narine's inclusion in the side would have bolstered them but since he has chosen to opt out of it, they must go back to their regulars.

Yes, there might be no one who can perform the exact role that Narine would have done for them had he been available, but then this gives the West Indies selectors just the challenge to pick the right men for this tournament.

It is one of the most prestigious tournaments in world cricket, and the West Indies cannot afford to miss out.

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#2 Sunil Narine may have been rusty at the international level

Despite Sunil Narine doing exceptionally well at the IPL this season both with the bat and ball, it has to be said that he last played at the international level in 2019.

It also needs to be said that the standard between the IPL and international cricket is significant and his good form in the former need not necessarily translate into the latter.

The pressure that comes when one represents their country, especially at an event as respectable as the T20 World Cup, is incomparable to that experienced in the IPL. Thus, Narine's good form in the IPL may not be the best indicator for him to be fit for the T20 World Cup.

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#3 This will allow them to give youngsters an opportunity

What Sunil Narine's opting out of the tournament does, in a vicarious way, is allow the Windies selectors to give opportunities to some promising youngsters in the islands.

Although it is difficult to replicate exactly what Narine offers to the team, as stated earlier, it will allow the said youngsters to showcase their skills under pressure in such a prestigious tournament.

The selectors will also get a good idea as to which of these youngsters have the temperament to get promoted into the ODI and perhaps even the Test side after their performances are noted at the T20 World Cup.