Windies announce 13-member Test squad against India: Details here
Windies have announced their 13-member squad for the upcoming Test series against India, slated to get underway from August 22. While the squad included mostly familiar faces, it has a rookie in the form of a 26-year-old bowling all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall. Meanwhile, the side would be led by regular skipper Jason Holder, in their first assignment for the ICC World Test Championship. Here's more.
According to a Windies statement, Cornwall impressive performance for Leeward Islands Hurricanes during the West Indies Championship, along with the 'A' team led to his call-up. Since making his First-Class debut in 2014, he has so far claimed 260 wickets in 55 matches at an average of 23.90. He is also a healthy lower-order batsman, having scored a century and 13 half-centuries in First-Class.
"We believe he can provide an attacking option to our bowling attack with his sharp turn and extra bounce. He can also lend a bit of depth to the batting, so we are looking forward to him making a valuable contribution," said selector Robert Haynes.
Meanwhile, as far as the rest of the squad is concerned, the selectors have put their faith in the players retained. These are the same players, who ensured a 2-1 series win over England at home, earlier this year. The only notable omissions from the squad were pacer Alzarri Joseph and spinner Jomel Warrican, who are nursing injuries.
Speaking on Alzarri's omission, Haynes said that he is currently undergoing remedial work, while his recovery is being monitored. And, since he is a key part of the Windies future, his comeback is not being rushed. "We have two important series coming up later in the year in India and we want to be very careful how his recovery is managed," added Haynes.
Windies 13-member squad for Tests against India: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rakheem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich (wicket-keeper), Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach.
