Cricket West Indies’ chairman of selectors, Roger Harper, said yesterday that the 13-man squad picked for the first test against South Africa beginning tomorrow in St Lucia was selected on current form.
Harper was speaking at a media engagement yesterday via Zoom shortly after the 17-man squad was trimmed to 13.
Omitted are Darren Bravo, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton and Jomel Warrican.
Harper was grilled on the inclusion of the inexperienced fast bowler, Jayden Seales who has just one first-class match under his belt.
According to Harper, “I saw a young bowler perform where Test players and the best of our regional first-class players were playing and he performed exceedingly well, better than a number of players who have been playing first-class cricket over a number of years.”
He added, “The thing is the match was not named a first-class match but that was played with the best of our Regional first-class players and he performed exceedingly well so I would like to think if he can perform well against those players he has the potential to transfer that onto the Test series.”
In that match, Seales returned a match haul of 5-87 from 21.3 overs.
Harper was adamant that current form is a major consideration for the squad and a factor that gave Seales the edge over the rest of the bowlers contending for the spot.
“One of the things to consider is this, our policy speaks to current form as well and as far as current form, that is the reason Shai Hope was brought back into the team and that is the reason why we gave Jayden Seales the edge here because of current form,” Harper related.
The Chairman of Selectors reasoned, “We are in different times, opportunities are not the same, we have to create measures and opportunities to get to where we want to get and do that as best as possible. If we are picking an Olympic team and the guy in 2010 run 9.55 and just prior to selection run 11.2 are you going to pick him as well?”
Looking at the returning Hope, Harper said that he believes that it was his red-ball form was what merited his selection.
“Actually Shai was selected primarily because of his form in the red ball matches he has played leading up to this point. He played in the two-day game against Sri Lanka, he made 60-odd, he played in the Best v Best game here just prior and he made scores of 70-odd and a century which indicated that he is producing in red-ball cricket so that on the back of his excellent performance in the ODI format led us to draft him back into the squad,” Harper said.
Like Hope, Kieran Powell, who scored 22 and 95 in the Best v Best match, is also making a comeback to the side, having last featured in a Test back in 2018. Roston Chase, who bagged five wickets to add to his scores of 35 and 45 is also returning and is the second off-spinner in the side, joining Rakheem Cornwall.
Most of the squad comprises of players who have featured in West Indies’ last two series and will continue to be led by Kraigg Brathwaite with Jermaine Blackwood serving as his deputy.
Notably, Gabriel was left out due to injury while the likes of Bravo, Nial Smith and Keon Harding could not merit a spot in the squad.
Speaking on those left out, Harper explained that Bravo is always in consideration but those selected brought better performances and numbers to the table than the left-hander.
Of the two fast-bowlers, Smith and Harding, Harper said he noticed the potential in both but Seales would better serve West Indies’ purpose at this time.
SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales.