– says Head Coach Rayon Griffith
By Brandon Corlette
West Indies “A” team Head Coach, the Guyanese Rayon Griffith, sees the upcoming “A” team matches against Bangladesh “A” as an opportunity for West Indies players to push for Test selection.
The men in maroon will play a Test series against India in July, and this red-ball series which starts on May 16 in Bangladesh is the golden opportunity for players to audition for a Test call-up.
In a comment invited by this daily publication moments after the team arrived in Bangladesh, Coach Griffith said: “I see it (the “A” team tour) as an opportunity for all players. It’s for them to be hungry and make progress on this tour. Most of the players were playing the tri- series in Antigua before coming to Bangladesh. This series is the time for players to better their performances and also help them push for a spot in the upcoming (India) series.”
Asked about team strengths, Griffith said: “There (are) many strengths surrounding this team. In the batting, we have couple experienced players (Test players), some exciting young players, and the spinners which will boost the middle-to-lower order. The bowling department, we have bowlers with different styles, which is a good mixture.”
Gudakesh Motie, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach and Tagenarine Chanderpaul are the four Guyanese players in the squad. Chanderpaul, the current West Indies Test opener, will be aiming to dominate this series and gather confidence ahead of the India series, while Motie would want to show fitness after his back injury.
Motie, who had the best figures by a West Indies spinner in the history of Test cricket, would also want to display dominance and head into the India series with confidence.
Alick Athanaze, who is on the cusp of receiving his maiden Test cap, would also want to extend the purple patch he had in regional cricket and head into his debut Test with runs under his belt.
West Indies “A” Team arrived in Bangladesh on May 11, and will play 3 four-day “Test” matches at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) in Sylhet. These matches will have full first-class status.
This “A” team tour reciprocates the Bangladesh “A” team tour of the West Indies in August 2022, when the teams drew both a two-match series of four-day first-class matches and also a three-match 50-over series at the Daren Sammy Stadium in Saint Lucia.
Full squad: Joshua DaSilva (Captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Brandon King, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Kirk McKenzie, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer and Kevin Sinclair.
MATCH SCHEDULE
All matches to be played at SICS, Sylhet
16-19 May: 1st “Test”
23-26 May: 2nd “Test”
30 May to 2 June: 3rd “Test”