Strong Pride unit for season opener

Test opener Kraigg Brathwaite leads a strong 13-man squad for Barbados Pride’s opening match of the Regional Four-Day Championship against Windward Islands Volcanoes next month.

The squad announced New Year’s Eve includes three other current Test players in batsman Shamarh Brooks, wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, along with Ashley Nurse and Jonathan Carter who have both played one-day cricket for West Indies.

Brathwaite is coming off a lean year for West Indies where he averaged just 16 from six Tests, and will be hoping to regain his form during the first class campaign.

Brooks, meanwhile, is coming off a maiden Test hundred against Afghanistan last month while Dowrich and Warrican also turned in decent performances in that match.

All-rounder Kyle Mayers, who returned to the Pride lineup for the first time in seven years for last month’s Super50, is also included in the squad.

The 27-year-old spent the last sev¬er¬al sea-sons rep¬re¬sent¬ing Wind¬ward Is¬lands Vol-ca¬noes but missed last year’s campaign.

Selectors have also included talented fast-bowling all-rounder Justin Greaves and speedster Keon Harding who are fresh from helping West Indies Emerging Players to the capture of the Super50 title.

Greaves hit three half-centuries during the competition while Harding was impressive in claiming 18 wickets.

Pride face Volcanoes at Arnos Vale in Kingstown from January 9-12.

SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Dominic Drakes, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Tevyn Walcott, Jomel Warrican.