Son of West Indies legend earns first Test call-up for Australia series
Kraigg Brathwaite will continue to captain the West Indies in a format in which they have excelled of late.
And there will be a new face on the plane to Australia, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of the great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, handed his first call-up to the squad.
🚨 West Indies name Test squad for tour of Australia
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) October 29, 2022
☑️ Tagenarine Chanderpaul earns first call-up
☑️ Recalls for Brooks and Chasehttps://t.co/A6o4GG9801 pic.twitter.com/eCU6rt1bqV
The 26-year-old left-hander is a useful opening batter, averaging 34.21 so far in his first-class career. And lead selector Desmond Haynes has explained why the decision has been made to call up the Guyana batter now.
“We have one newcomer to the team in Tagenarine Chanderpaul,” Haynes said.
“He equipped himself very well in the West Indies Championship four-day matches and also did a very good job at the top of the order against Bangladesh A in Saint Lucia this summer. He has what it takes to do well at the highest level.”
Chanderpaul’s selection comes after the end of John Campbell’s spell at the top of the order for West Indies.
The opener’s 20-match Test career had seen him average just 26.11, but a four-year ban for violation of an anti-doping rule earlier this month left a gap at the top of the West Indies batting line-up, which Chanderpaul has filled.
Other notable names to have made the cut are Roston Chase and Shamarh Brooks, with the pair returning to the Test set-up.
“Roston Chase has returned to the squad as an allrounder and we believe his experience and skill set will be beneficial, and Shamarh Brooks has also returned to bolster the middle-order batting,” Haynes said.
🗣 Lead Selector The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said:
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) October 29, 2022
“We have a core group of players who have been part of the Test squad and have performed well. We have played two series this year against England 🏴 and Bangladesh 🇧🇩– and won both.” https://t.co/x7x820dj7n pic.twitter.com/Z1HnuCg8Th
The West Indies will begin their visit to Australia with a warm-up game in Canberra against a Capital Territory and New South Wales combined XI.
And the tourists will also play a pink-ball warm-up game, also in Canberra, against a Prime Minister’s XI. The two-Test series starts on 30 November, with the final scheduled day’s play set for 12 December.
Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas
**17-19 November:**v ACT/NSW XI at Philip Oval, Canberra
23-26 November: v Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night)
30 November to 4 December: 1st Test at the Perth Stadium, Perth
8-12 December: 2nd Test at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)