BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Rookies Andre Russell and Devon Thomas have caught the eye of West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson.
The duo, picked in the 15-man Test squad for Sri Lanka, have been working hard in the Windies training camp at the 3Ws Oval for the last few days, in preparation for their first tour of duty with the regional squad.
Russell, a 22-year-old fast bowling all-rounder, impressed on the Windies A tour of England earlier this year and also shone in the recent WICB One-Day Championship in Jamaica.
“Russell is picked on bags and bags of potential. He’s come here and fitted in well. He is enjoying himself,” said Gibson.
“He’s the kind of player who brings energy to the team and he’s a good, young player to work with … a good listener and someone willing to do the hard work.
“My role at this stage is to try him to improve what he’s good at and look to learn a few new ideas as well.”
Thomas, meanwhile, who played two One-Day Internationals in a weakened Windies side against Bangladesh last year, has also impressed.
The 21-year-old wicketkeeper, who has turned out for the West Indies Under-19s, has been on the fringe of selection for some time now.
“Young Thomas is the same. He’s a little bit of a workaholic which is not a bad thing at all,” Gibson pointed out.
“Sometimes we have to tell him ‘that’s enough now’ and stuff like that, but I like his enthusiasm for the game. I hope that as he goes through his journey into international cricket, that doesn’t dwindle. The sky is the limit for him.”
Russell and Thomas are two of three uncapped players in the squad with left-handed stroke-maker Darren Bravo also included.
Bravo, the younger brother of seasoned all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, has already played 10 ODIs for West Indies but is yet to contest the longer form of the game.
“He has had a taste of international cricket and has done pretty well. He too has a lot of potential and is a player we expect to do very well as we look at the future of West Indies cricket,” Gibson noted.
“He has been working hard in the nets and putting in a lot of work and I also expect good things from him as well.”
West Indies were put through a light training session on the final day of the camp on Wednesday, due to the state funeral for Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson.
The squad leaves for Sri Lanka in two batches today and tomorrow.
