Strong Windies A teams named

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Test batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase will lead a star-studded West Indies A on India A’s tour of the Caribbean starting next month, in preparation for the senior series to follow in August.

Brathwaite, the Test vice-captain, will be at the helm for the first two four-day “Tests” while Chase will take charge of the one-day squad for the five-match series.

Shamarh Brooks, meanwhile, will lead Windies A for the final four-day “Test”.

“As the incumbent vice-captain of the senior West Indies Test team, this will allow Kraigg to continue to get the opportunity to develop his leadership skills and he is best placed to galvanise the team during these vital games for our preparation,” interim chairman of selectors, Robert Haynes, said.

“Shamarh has been captaining the ‘A’ team for some time now and as such it would be best for continuity that he gains more exposure in this role.”

The “Test” squad will feature several members of the senior team including Chase, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, opener John Campbell, the recently discarded Jermaine Blackwood and fast bowler Miguel Cummins.

Fringe players Sunil Ambris, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jomel Warrican have all been included for the “Tests”.

Raymon Reifer has been selected to all the squads.

“It was felt that the regular Test players who are available should play the first and second Four-Day matches of this series,” Haynes explained.

“This would be part of their preparation for the upcoming senior team Tests against the Indian senior team, as they would have had limited red-ball match practice in recent times.”

He added: “As such, the squad for the third Four-Day match will have five replacement players. This will allow the regular Test players to gain recovery time before they enter the preparation camp for the Tests against the Indian senior team.”

Haynes also said the decision to appoint Chase captain of the one-day side was an attempt to further develop the leadership pool in West Indies cricket.

“The discussion was based on our desire to expose leadership in order to be able to have a wider pool of players with such experience,” he indicated.

“In our estimation, Roston is the right person to lead the team during this series as one of the players with significant international experience and we believe that the experience can be personally beneficial as well for his game.”

Irrepressible off-spinning all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall will feature in the one-day squad and the squad for the first two “Tests”.

Dowrich, Campbell and Ambris will also line up in the one-day squad along with impressive rookie Test all-rounder Keemo Paul.

The tour opens with the first one-dayer at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on July 11 with the next two matches scheduled for the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on July 14 and 16.

Coolidge will host the final two matches on July 19 and 21.

The first “Test” bowls off three days later at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, with the second match carded for Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad starting July 31.

The final “Test” is set for August 6 at the Brian Lara Academy also in Trinidad.

SQUADS: ONE-DAY – Roston Chase (captain), Sunil Ambris, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Akeem Jordan, Kjorn Ottley, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Devon Thomas.

1st & 2nd TEST – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jomel Warrican.

3rd TEST – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Miguel Cummins, Akim Frazer,
Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Chemar Holder, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Raymon Reifer, Jeremy Solozano, Jomel Warrican.