West Indies batsman and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. This means the 32-year-old, who was originally picked for West Indies’ upcoming home ODIs against England, has withdrawn from the team. The CWI selection panel will not name a replacement for Dowrich for the three-match series, which begins on Sunday in Antigua.

Dowrich, whose only previous ODI international match was against Bangladesh in 2019, had earned a retirement thanks to his strong results in the Super50 Cup: 234 runs in five innings at an average of 78 and a strike rate of 91.76. In Dowrich’s absence, Shai Hope will have to juggle captaincy and keeping, with Nicholas Pooran currently unavailable for ODI selection.

Dowrich was a more regular presence for the West Indies in Test cricket, playing 35 matches from June 2015 to December 2020. He scored 1,570 runs, including three centuries, and made 90 dismissals. His career-best 125 was no better than a 226-run win for the West Indies against Sri Lanka in Port of Spain in June 2018. Then, in January 2019, Dowrich hit an unbeaten 116 in an unbroken 295-run stand. on the seventh ground. with Jason Holder to help the West Indies overthrow England at Bridgetown.

CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe paid tribute to Dowrich. “We want to thank Shane for his contribution when he played for the West Indies,” he said. “He is a disciplined and hardworking cricketer who always gave his all in front of and behind the stumps. He had a memorable series in 2019 when he made a superb Test century at home in Barbados to help us beat England and win the Wisden Trophy. “We respect his decision to retire and appreciate that it is not an easy one to make. We wish him all the best as he moves away from the international stage.”