Cricket West Indies on Tuesday announced the West Indies 13-member squad for the first Test match against South Africa being played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on June 10-14. The Test squad includes one newcomer in Jayden Seales, the exciting 19-year-old fast bowler from Trinidad & Tobago and a former member of the West Indies Under-19 World Cup squad in 2020, who has been very impressive since he emerged on the scene.
The top-order batsman, Shai Hope is also included in the squad along with Kieran Powell, the experienced left-handed opener. Hope last played Test cricket in England in July last year, while Powell’s last Test appearance was in Bangladesh in December 2018.
Speaking on the squad selection, Roger Harper, the Lead Selector said, “Jayden Seales is young, very enthusiastic and has a big heart. In the ‘Best v Best’ matches, he bowled with pace, got movement and has displayed the ability to take wickets. We think he is capable of adding potency to the bowling attack.”
“Kieran Powell we know is a very capable batsman who we expect to add quality and depth to the batting department. He put himself in the mix with his performance in the Best v Best match. Shai Hope has performed very well in the red ball matches he has played, following on the back of his highly successful One-Day International series against Sri Lanka, so he has forced his way into the squad by performance,” he said.
“The aim is to continue to build on the performances of the last two-Test series and to keep improving as a Test team. We must continue the process of working hard, playing with great passion, playing with determination and a great desire to succeed. Doing that consistently will bring us the right results. The training camp gave the players the opportunity to prepare for the Betway Test series in all departments, considering that no real red-ball cricket has been played since the series against Sri Lanka in March,” Harper added.
West Indies squad for 1st Test against South Africa: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, and Jayden Seales.
