KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Rookie fast bowler Oshane Thomas says he is thrilled by his call-up for the England tour and hopes it can lay the groundwork for a successful Test career.
“It was a feeling of joy when I was selected, because I want to play Test cricket,” the Gleaner quoted Thomas as saying.
“Being home not doing anything and just getting this opportunity to be in England even if I am not playing, I will be training and keeping fit, and so I am really happy for this.
“I was called up in the England Test tour of the Caribbean, before, but I didn’t get to make my debut, but hopefully I will soon, or even this time around, because I definitely want to play Test cricket for the West Indies.”
The 23-year-old Jamaican was last week named among 11 reserves which will act as support for a 14-man squad for the three-Test series against England, starting July 8.
However, Thomas has so far only featured in white-ball cricket for West Indies, taking 27 wickets from 20 One-Day Internationals and 15 wickets from 12 Twenty20 Internationals.
West Indies legend Michael Holding recently queried Thomas’s presence among the reserves, contending he should have been part of the 14-man squad.
Thomas, perhaps the fastest bowler in the region but who has played only eight first class matches, said he had already discussed the prospect of Test cricket with West Indies head coach Phil Simmons.
“Everyone kept beating it in my head that I can’t be bowling that fast and not playing Test cricket,” he explained.
“Me and the coach (Simmons) have had a lot of conversations about playing Test cricket, and so he always tells me that ‘you have to be in my team because you can’t be bowling that fast and not in the team’.”
Thomas is one six fast bowlers in the reserve squad for the series which will be the first set of international cricket to be played since COVID-19 pandemic forced the cessation of the sport globally.
