BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Lead West Indies selector Desmond Haynes admitted the Test squad for the Tour of Australia was short on experience. Still, he said it was an opportunity for the slew of untried and untested players to make a name for themselves against one of the sport’s most formidable opponents.
The selection panel led by Haynes named seven uncapped players in the 15-member squad to be led again by opener Kraigg Brathwaite, with pace spearhead Alzarri Joseph elevated to be his deputy.
The uncapped seven are batsman Zachary McCaskie, wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, and Kevin Sinclair, as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.
Of the squad, only Brathwaite (87), Joseph (30), long-serving pacer Kemar Roach (79), and wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva (24) have more than 20 Tests under their belts.
“The selection panel decided that it would give some opportunities to players who we have been looking at for the last couple of years,” Haynes said during a virtual news conference after the announcement of the 15-member squad on Wednesday.
“I know Australia is always a very rough tour, but when you go to places such as Australia, and you do well against an opposition like them, it is an excellent way to start your career, so I am hoping that the young players to whom we have given the opportunity can show us some promise.
“We have a Tour of England coming up after Australia and a home series against South Africa, so it will be good to see how these guys perform up against a tough opposition like this.”
All, except Greaves, of the seven uncapped players were a part of the West Indies A Team – under the guidance of senior team head coach and selector Andre Coley – that went on the Tour of South Africa that ended last week.
Haynes said he expected the players to build on their experience playing there.
“I think we could have done better in South Africa, but you must appreciate that these guys have been involved with the red-ball cricket playing against the South Africans on similar kinds of pitches that you will get in Australia,” he said.
“It was a situation where we have taken a few of the guys on A Team tours, and we believe it’s only right that we give them opportunities. Australia will always be a tough tour, but it’s a good way to show if these guys can go on and do well at this level. If you do well against Australia in Australia, it’s perfect and can set your career high.”
Haynes said the selection panel recognized that of the batters in the squad, only Brathwaite and Da Silva had played Tests in Australia previously. Still, the One-day and Twenty20 International series against England prevented them from exposing other players they may have considered on the A-Team Tour of South Africa in preparation.
“We had to also look at a situation where tours were overlapping,” he said. “We had players playing in the white-ball in the Caribbean against England, and you had a group of guys in the A squad in South Africa, so we were looking at players who were playing the red-ball cricket and getting enough red-ball practice that we believe could do a good job in Australia.
“We did consider that a lot of players selected (for Australia) are young and inexperienced, but we are hoping that they will perform well enough to set their careers high.”
Haynes said Shai Hope was considered for selection, but the West Indies One-day International captain felt he needed more time playing red-ball matches to get back in touch with the longer format of the sport.
The lead selector said he owed Jermaine Blackwood a call to explain fully the panel’s decision to omit him. Still, he stressed that players like the deposed vice-captain and compatriot Nkrumah Bonner had a chance to find themselves again in next season’s West Indies Championship.
Haynes also said Cricket West Indies’ director of cricket, Mile Bascombe, contacted Darren Bravo. Still, the discarded left-handed batsman was sticking to his well-publicized decision to take a break from the game.
Bravo decided after failing to make the side for the ongoing white-ball series against England following heavy scoring in the West Indies Super50 Cup in which he was the leading scorer and led Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to the title.
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