Darren Bravo’s return to Test cricket will take a while longer as his name was not featured for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh starting next week in that country.
Bravo, T&T's left-handed batsman, has been out of the team since his disciplinary problems over a tweet two years ago this month but was recently selected for the T20 version of the Caribbean side recently concluded tour of Indian which the West Indies lost the series 3-0.
The Windies selectors named the team to play against Bangladesh in the Test series yesterday and it included just one T&T player in fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.
The burly pacer has been the main strike bowler for the Windies and will be needed in Bangladesh as a fast bowling all-rounder and skipper Jason Holder will be missing out.
Holder, the top Windies bowler over the past year, has a partial thickness tear of the subscapularis tendon in his shoulder and will undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation in Barbados. Sitting Vice Captain, Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the team in his absence.
Chairman of selectors Courtney Browne speaking on the selections for the Test team said, “After a tough tour of India, the selection panel kept faith with the current Test match squad as the panel believes that in developing a competitive team there is a lot to learn from these tough tours. The loss of captain Jason Holder will be heartfelt but the panel believes that the team still has the ability to do very well in Bangladesh. Kraigg Brathwaite will lead the team in Jason’s absence and Raymon Reifer’s all-around ability will give the squad additional options.”
Bravo was controversially sent home ahead of the Tri-Nation Series in Zimbabwe in November 2016 after the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) sensationally cancelled his match/tour contract over a contentious tweet deemed "disparaging" to President Dave Cameron.
When the Windies team line up against Bangladesh in the upcoming two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is series, Windies will have a winning record since these two teams have been playing each other.
Windies lead the Test contest 10 – 2; ODIs 20 -9 but are tied four matches a piece in the T20Is battle. The last time the teams met, WINDIES took the Test series 3-0; but lost both the ODIs and T20Is series 1-2 respectively.
The WINDIES will be after more positive results for this encounter.
WINDIES TEST SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite – Captain, Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Shermon Lewis, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican.
TOUR SCHEDULE
1st Test – November 22 – Chittagong
2nd Test – November 30 – Mirpur
1st ODI – December 9 – Mirpur
2nd ODI – December 11 – Mirpur
3rd ODI – December 14 – Sylhet
1st T20I – December 17 – Sylhet
2nd T20I – December 20 – Mirpur
3rd T20I – December 22 – Mirpur