CRICKET-Evin Lewis ends nine-year first-class hiatus, puts himself in frame for Test selection.

COUVA, Trinidad, CMC – Explosive opener Evin Lewis has thrown his hat into the ring for West Indies Test selection, declaring himself available for the longest format after nearly a decade away from First-Class cricket.

The 34-year-old left-hander, who starred for Marchin Patriots in the T&T Cricket Board Premier Division One this season, will don the Red Force whites for the first time in nine years when Trinidad & Tobago face the Leeward Islands in a three-match series starting Sunday, April 12 in Antigua.

Lewis announced the unveiling of the National Cricket Center in Balmain, Couva, which was christened the “Home of the Red Force.”

“I’m available, to be honest,” Lewis said. “I’ve always thought about playing Test cricket. I think now is the perfect opportunity to go there, execute, have some fun, and enjoy my cricket.”

The hard-hitting batsman has built a formidable limited-overs résumé, amassing 2,279 ODI runs at 36.75 and 1,799 T20 runs at 29.01.

But he now hopes to add Test figures to that record, beginning with a strong return to the red-ball arena.

Lewis enjoyed a prolific club season, scoring 655 runs, including three consecutive centuries and a monumental 232 not out against Merryboys.

That form, he believes, has given him the platform to pursue higher honors. For now, however, his focus is firmly on the Red Force’s upcoming campaign.

“I’m going to take it one step at a time,” Lewis said. “Most importantly, I want to have a good tournament to actually put a little more pressure on the selectors as well.”

Beyond his own ambitions, the veteran opener is embracing a mentorship role among younger players at the Marchin Patriots, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and the Red Force. His advice to the next generation is simple and direct.

“Whenever you step on the field, always give your best and never give the selectors a chance to drop you,” Lewis said. “Saturday and Sunday (club cricket) is the work. It’s a job we are doing and something we love and enjoy. So you always have to give 100% whether you’re on the field or off the field.”

With the Test door now ajar, Lewis’s return to First-Class cricket could not come at a more intriguing time for West Indies cricket.