- Alick Athanaze and Akeem Jordan have been picked to the 15-man West Indies team.
- Both have displayed promising potential in the four-day West Indies Championship.
- Desmond Haynes, the lead selection, highlighted the two prospective prospects.
Alick Athanaze of the Windward Islands Volcanoes and Akeem Jordan of the Barbados Pride were picked to the 15-man West Indies team for the forthcoming two-Test series in South Africa.
Jomel Warrican and Nkrumah Bonner, who were in the team for the just-completed Test series against Zimbabwe, were among those left out. After undergoing knee surgery for an injury, fast bowler Jayden Seales is still not available for selection. Anderson Phillip has resumed training but is not yet match-ready.
In the first two rounds of the four-day West Indies Championship, the incoming Athanaze and Jordan have displayed promising potential. Athanaze, who also captains Windward Islands, recorded 41 and 51 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force before scoring 141 against Guyana Harpy Eagles. Jordan scored 5-86 against Guyana before going on to score 7-113 against the Jamaica Scorpions. After two rounds of matches, he is the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies Championship.
Desmond Haynes, the lead selection, highlighted the two prospective prospects. “Athanaze is one of the young players in whom we have invested, and he performed admirably in the ‘A Team’ and the CWI President’s XI,” Haynes said of Athanaze. “He showed great promise in the CG United Super50 last year and then got his first century in the West Indies Championship last week. We believe he should be given the chance at this level. As captain of the Windwards at the start of this season, he has also demonstrated leadership.
“Jordan has been really remarkable from last year, he has continued to bowl effectively, and he has been brilliant in the first two matches this year,” Haynes said of Jordan. “He is quite skilled, can bowl the new ball, and looks to put the ball in the appropriate areas. He is also an excellent fielder and catcher close to the wicket. This will be a difficult tour. There is no such thing as an easy away tour in Test cricket. South Africa has a strong team, but I am confident that we will rise to the occasion and perform admirably in these two Test matches.”
South Africa is now in fourth place, while West Indies are sixth in the ICC World Test Championship standings. The West Indies may pass the Proteas in the standings with a series victory.
A white-ball series will come after the two tests. At a later time, the squads for the same will be named.
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