Jason Mohammed to lead Windies on Pakistan tour

Mohammed will be leading in Brathwaite's absence. © Getty

A new-look Windies side will make their historic trip to Pakistan for three T20Is, starting April 1, under the captaincy of Jason Mohammed as a few players, including regular captain Carlos Brathwaite, have opted out due to security concerns. Chris Gayle is another big name that's missing from the 13-man squad that CWI announced on Friday (March 30).

"We had a few players that opted not to tour Pakistan, due to their or their families' security concerns and CWI have fully accepted their position. This series, therefore, provides opportunities for new players to state their claim for a regular place in the team, plus gain vital experience in different conditions. We expect the series to be highly competitive," Chairman of Cricket West Indies selection panel Courtney Browne said.

The squad has four uncapped T20I players, two of who - Andre McCarthy and Odean Smith - have been picked for the national side for the first time. Keemo Paul, the 20-year-old who made his ODI debut at the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe earlier this month, has been selected, as has left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul - who made his Test and ODI debut for West Indies way back in 2012. Browne was all praise for the quartet who will have three T20Is to showcase their talent.

"Smith and McCarthy are currently in our Windies 'A' programme and we believe this experience will be of benefit to them. Smith has good pace and has shown good potential as a fast bowler. McCarthy is a talented batsman who has made progress in white-ball cricket," Browne said.

"[Keemo] Paul has really grasped his opportunity following a strong showing in the Super50, the WINDIES 'A' series victories against England Lions and he has grabbed his opportunity at international level. His performances during the ICC World Cup Qualifiers were both exciting and composed and he gets a chance to build on these with his selection for Pakistan."

"Permaul has already had a few opportunities at international level, so he is no stranger to international cricket. He has never played T20Is however, and this will be a welcome opportunity for him to show another dimension to his game."

Browne also reckoned a selection on this tour will give wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin a chance to restart his career. The Windies squad already has Chadwick Walton, who kept wickets in the three T20Is on the New Zealand tour in January this year, as well as Andre Fletcher who can don the gloves behind the stumps.

"Denesh brings a lot of experience and an opportunity to restart his international career. While he will be the primary wicketkeeper in the squad, we also have available Chadwick Walton and Andre Fletcher as back up," Browne said.

The three fixtures will be played on April 1, 2 and 3 at the National stadium in Karachi.

Squad: Jason Mohammed (Captain), Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Andre McCarthy, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Odean Smith, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams