Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the 13-member squad for the upcoming first Test against England on Wednesday. The three-match series opener will start from March 08 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound in Antigua.
Opening batter John Campbell and middle-order specialist Shamarh Brooks have returned to the whites. Similarly, uncapped Trinidad & Tobago fast bowler Anderson Phillip has been named in the final thirteen.
Campbell was dropped from the home series against South Africa and Pakistan, followed by the Sri Lanka tour, but his recent performance in the domestic circuit have been noteworthy. He scored 213 runs at an average of 53.25 in the ongoing West Indies Championship, including 127 against Barbados Pride.
When it comes to the uncapped Anderson, he has only appeared for West Indies in one ODI in March 2021 against Sri Lanka, but his impressive outings in the domestic circuit have attracted the selectors to pick him. The 25-year-old speedster has so far played 16 First-Class games, where he has taken 64 wickets at an outstanding average of 20.14.
“Anderson Phillip bowled extremely well and was very impressive in the first two rounds of the West Indies Championship, and we decided to give him an opportunity in the Test squad to face England. He has been around the squad before in white-ball cricket, so he has some experience at the international level,” said Lead Selector Desmond Haynes, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“I expect us to be very competitive against England. This should be a very exciting series, with a lot of players who are out to make their mark. We have a squad that has some experienced players, as well as some exciting young players, and we expect them to equip themselves well and do the job,” he added.
West Indies squad:
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood (vc), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales
