Cricket West Indies’ (CWI’s) Interim Selection Committee has named Miguel Cummins to replace Keemo Paul for the first Test match of the MyTeam11 Series, which is co-sponsored by Skoda and KEI.
It was a monumental moment for Cummins when he took six wickets against India in 2016
In this first Test, the West Indies will face India at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua during the period August 22-26, but Paul, the livewire all-rounder, has a left ankle injury and will miss the match. He will, however, remain in Antigua to continue his rehabilitation.
The 21-year-old Paul has been replaced in the 13-member squad by experienced fast bowler Miguel Cummins, 28, who made his debut three years ago against India in Jamaica. He had a memorable second match in Saint Lucia, when he had match figures of 9-102, including a career-best 6-48 in the 2nd innings.
Interim Head Coach Floyd Reifer said: “With Keemo ruled out for this match, it’s good to have someone with Miguel’s quality back in the squad, as he brings experience to the team. Watching him in the last ‘A’ Team series against India ‘A’ and (in) the training sessions, his lengths have improved. He’s a very hard worker and (he’s) a wicket-taker. I’m sure, if given the opportunity to play, he will make a valuable contribution in our bid to win this series.”
The Barbadian fast bowler is no stranger to Test matches. He has played 13 of them and has taken 27 wickets, with his best bowling figure being 6-48 against India back in the 2016 tour to the Caribbean.
This occurred in the third Test, which India won by 237 runs, but Cummins made a name for himself by bagging three wickets in the first innings, and followed this up by taking six in the second innings, including top guns Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravi Ashwin who was in red hot form in the 2016 series.
This match marks the start of the ICC World Test Championship for both teams, as it represents the new two-year Test league to find out the best Test team in the world. In this Series, each team can earn 60 points for a win or 20 points for a draw, and this is the first of six Test Series which West Indies will play.
