Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Akeem Jordan, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas
The Windward Islands’ skipper Alick Athanaze and Barbados’ Akeem Jordan, a pace bowler, have received their first calls to the West Indies’ 15-man team for the forthcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, which gets underway in Centurion on February 28. Athanaze has 1154 runs at an average of 31.18 in first-class cricket after first gaining notoriety during the Under-19 World Cup contested in New Zealand in 2017–18 with an average of 104.50. Along with his career-high 141 against Guyana, he has also been in excellent form during the four-day West Indies Championship, scoring 41 and 51 against Trinidad and Tobago.
Andre Coley has been appointed as West Indies Coach for the upcoming series against South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In first-class cricket, Jordan has taken 24 wickets at an outstanding average of 17.62. He grabbed five wickets against Guyana in the current first-class season before taking seven for 113 against Jamaica. Jomel Warrican, a left-arm orthodox spinner, and Nkrumah Bonner, a hitter, have both been excluded. Due to a knee injury, Jayden Seales is not available for selection; the paceman is also undergoing surgery. Anderson Phillip, a fellow pacer, is not match-fit despite having picked up training again.
Athanaze is one of the young players we have invested in, and he performed admirably for the “A Team” and CWI President’s XI, according to lead selector Desmond Haynes. He made a lot of progress in the CG United Super50 last year before scoring his first hundred last week in the West Indies Championship. We think that at this level, he deserves a chance. As the Windwards’ captain at the beginning of this season, he has also demonstrated leadership.
Jordan has continued to bowl well and has been outstanding in the first two games of this season, continuing his strong performance from last year. He can bowl the new ball very well and strives to place the ball in the proper spots. He also plays excellent close-to-the-wicket catching and crisp fielding. This tour will be difficult. Test cricket away trips are never simple. Although South Africa has a strong team, he continued, I am confident that we will be up to the task and perform well in these two Test matches.
