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The Cricket West Indies (CWI) senior men's selection panel has announced the squad for the first Test match of the series against India, set to take place at Windsor Park in Dominica from July 12 to 16.
The squad comprises 13 members, with two additional traveling reserve players. Notably, left-handed batter Kirk McKenzie has received his first call-up to the senior team, alongside left-hander Alick Athanaze, who is also making his debut. The squad also sees the return of all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who last played a Test match in November 2021, and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who missed the previous tour of South Africa in February but was part of the squad that toured Zimbabwe.
Unfortunately, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is unavailable for selection due to ongoing rehabilitation from an injury.
Lead selector Dr. Desmond Haynes expressed his satisfaction with the batting performances of McKenzie and Athanaze during the recent 'A' Team tour of Bangladesh, citing their good scores and mature approach to the game as the reasons for their inclusion. He further added, "We were very impressed with the approach to batsmanship of McKenzie and Athanaze on the recent 'A' Team tour of Bangladesh. These are two young players who got good scores and played with great maturity, and we believe they deserve an opportunity."
Dr. Haynes also provided updates on the fitness of certain players. He mentioned that pacer Jayden Seales, who has been making good progress during his rehabilitation from surgery, is not yet ready for a return. Additionally, Kyle Mayers, although considered for selection, has some niggles, and the team management is hesitant to risk him in a demanding five-day match at this stage.
The West Indies squad, currently undergoing a pre-series camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, will travel to Dominica on Sunday. They will have training sessions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning to prepare for the upcoming match.
This Test series will mark the beginning of the new cycle of the ICC Test Match Championship for both West Indies and India. The first match, scheduled to start at 10am local time on Wednesday (9am in Jamaica and 7:30pm in India), will be followed by the historic 100th Test match between West Indies and India at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from July 20 to 24.
Here is the full squad for the first Test:
- Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
- Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)
- Alick Athanaze
- Tagenarine Chanderpaul
- Rahkeem Cornwall
- Joshua Da Silva
- Shannon Gabriel
- Jason Holder
- Alzarri Joseph
- Kirk McKenzie
- Raymon Reifer
- Kemar Roach
- Jomel Warrican
Traveling Reserves:
- Tevin Imlach
- Akeem Jordan
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