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Simmons wants to meet Windies’ IPL players

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Port of Spain (Trinidad): New West Indies head coach Phil Simmons wants to meet and discuss Test cricket with five West Indies players who were among the top performers in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

Simmons wants to hold talks with Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard to discuss their possible return to the Caribbean Test team. The players are expected back in the Caribbean following the conclusion of the IPL final, involving four West Indies cricketers, as per reports.

“I hope to sit down with them and discuss my, and the selectors’ vision for how we want West Indies to play Test cricket going forward and how they possibly fit into that. I can’t rule anybody in or out of consideration until I do so,” Simmons said.

Bravo and Lendl Simmons had announced their Test retirements while Pollard took an ‘indefinite break’ from first-class cricket earlier this year. Russell indicated he was not physically capable of playing the long form and Narine has been sidelined due to questions over his bowling action.

“Obviously everybody wants to see those guys playing Test cricket for the West Indies because they are certainly good enough to play that format. I’m not aware of Bravo’s statement but I haven’t spoken to any of them since I became coach,” said Simmons, who has been praised for inspiring the team to a gutsy come-from-behind home series draw against England.

Simmons, who was appointed coach in March, says he is eager to encourage a better relationship between the West Indies team and the region’s IPL participants.

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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