Chief Selector, Roger Harper, yesterday dropped Shai Hope from the Test squad to tour New Zealand next month but persevered with opener John Campbell who has also been a failure recently in the Test arena.
Hope, 26, has been dropped after only averaging 19 runs from 17 tests over the last two-and-one-half years.
In 2017 Hope scored centuries in both innings of a test match on the tour of England but his form seems to have deserted him.
“Shai is a player who I think has a tremendous future in Test cricket but at the moment he needs to reorganize his Test match game and get his batting in the longest version, back to its best,” Harper said yesterday at a virtual press conference to announce the squad.
“Our batting has been under the microscope and a lot of questions were asked in England but as it regards to Shai Hope we would all agree that Shai Hope has not been at his best in Test cricket for a while, he’s performed very well in the 50-over version but in Test cricket he has not been anywhere close to his best and that has gone on for a while,” Harper added.
Harper pointed out that with the batting being questioned, the top three batsmen needed to be able to build partnerships and platforms for large totals.
The former off-spinner was quizzed on the inclusion of Kraigg Brathwaite despite a considerably poor run of late, but Harper was of a different opinion.
He stated, “Yes he had his struggles too but he was one of the better batsman on the team in England so naturally as one of the senior guys at the top he was given the opportunity.”
Like Kraigg Brathwaithe, Campbell was also given another chance in spite of his challenges to which Harper reckoned the panel had an extended debate over his inclusion.
Three players who opted not to tour England earlier this year because of coronavirus concerns Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Darren Bravo have been selected this time around.
Hetmyer and Paul were also both named in the T20I side.
“The return of Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul will bolster the team, I expect that Darren will solidify the top-order, hopefully making it more productive, while Shimron gives the squad more options in the middle-order and it is another opportunity for him to show how good a player he is. Keemo provides another wicket taking seam option.
Harper said the tour is another opportunity for the team to improve.
“The Test team has an opportunity to put into practice the learnings from the tour of England earlier this year. The team has good all-round depth and I expect them be very competitive. New Zealand is a very good team especially in New Zealand, so we need to be on the top of our game.”
Harper also spoke of the naming of teenage fast bowler Jayden Seales among the reserves.
“Jayden is a very talented young fast bowler, who is being given some exposure to the West Indies team environment on tour in an effort to fast track his development. He will have a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as a player as he trains and practices with the West Indies Test players under the guidance of Phil Simmons, the Head Coach, and his coaching staff.
Meanwhile, in the T20 side, Andre Fletcher is set to make a return to the side after a two-year hiatus. Fletcher will likely open the batting with Brandon King since Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis, two other opening batsmen, declined the offer.
Simmons cited his family’s disapproval while Lewis shared a similar explanation along with a troubling injury.
Also opting out of the tour was Andre Russell, who indicated a need to take some time away from the quarantine situation.
Speaking off the T20 squad, Harper said: “Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell are two very experienced T20 players who performed very well on the last tour of Sri Lanka and their absence will surely be noted. However, Andre Fletcher has another opportunity to show us what he can do and what he brings to the table.”
Harper added: “The T20I Team is now getting back into the groove after a nine-month absence from international competition. Fortunately, a number of players have been involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and before that the CPL, so they have had some competitive cricket leading up to this tour. The structure of the tour with the COVID-19 quarantine period, does not give the team any real opportunity for match practice as a team but there are a number of experienced players in the team so, hopefully, they can adapt quickly.
“In the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup, every T20I series is an important opportunity to fine tune the team, to get our personnel, our compositions and combinations right. For our players to become more attuned to their roles and the team to have a greater understanding of what works best in each situation. So, this is a very important series for us from that perspective and also in an effort to improve our rankings.”
The chief selector was grilled on the inclusion of several players who have failed to impress and are presently facing a rough patch but Harper insisted that the competition did not do much better to oust them of their places in the team while reiterating that current form is still a crucial factor as well as performance in the previous tour.
FULL SQUADS
Test Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach
Test Reserves: Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua DaSilva, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales
T20 International Squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kesrick Williams
