Barbados’ captain Kirk Edwards has been recalled to the West Indies’ senior team, while injured Jamaican fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell has earned his first call-up.
Both were named in a 15-man squad to tour India later this month.
However, a glaring omission was that of mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine, who has repeatedly mesmerized batsmen playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where the conditions tend to favour his bowling.
While Edwards, who is in India captaining the West Indies “A”, side has been given the nod, there was no such luck for fellow Barbadian Kraigg Brathwaite.
Despite scores of 92 and 34 in the unofficial first “Test”, and 82 in the first innings of the ongoing second “Test”, the 20-year-old opening batsman was overlooked, with Chris Gayle and Kieron Powell as the only two openers selected.
Cottrell, a powerfully built left-arm fast bowler who has taken 40 first class wickets in 18 matches at an average of 26.72, was also a member of the “A” team tour but was forced to return home after suffering a knee injury.
He did not feature in any of the three ODIs or the lone Twenty20 match prior to his departure but the West?Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said in a release yesterday that his participation was “subject to him being passed as fit by the WICB’s Medical Panel to go on the tour”.
If fit, Cottrell, who impressed during the inaugural Caribbean Premier?League (CPL) will form part of a fast bowling trio, which also includes Barbadians Kemar Roach and Tino Best.
Cottrell has been preferred to the experienced Fidel Edwards (165 wickets in 55 Tests at 37.87), Ravi Rampaul (49 wickets in 18 Tests at 34.79) and the pacy Shannon Gabriel, whose 10 wickets in three Tests have been claimed at just 17 runs each.
In the spinning department, Shane Shillingford, who has 48 wickets in 10 Tests at 31.22 and Veersammy Permaul, eight in two Tests at 31.62, have been chosen, leaving no room for Narine, who has taken 15 wickets in five Tests at 48.06 runs apiece.
For the first time in recent history, two wicketkeepers have been selected: Denesh Ramdin and Chadwick Walton.
In India, the West Indies will play two Test matches with the first from November 6 to 10 and the second, November 14 to 18. There will also be three One-Day Internationals on November 21, 24 and 27.
Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sheldon Cottrell, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Veersammy Permaul, Kieron Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Shane Shillingford, Chadwick Walton.
