West Indies announce Test squad for Apex series

… “We are all in this together,” says Haynes

The West Indies have selected their squad for the Test series in the Caribbean under a new selection panel. The first Apex Test will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium from March 8-12, following the warm-up match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) from March 1-4.

The selection has seen a maiden call-up for fast bowler Anderson Phillip and a recall for opener John Campbell. Both players were impressive in the first two rounds of the current West Indies Championships, with 25-year-old Phillip from Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, taking 12 wickets at an average of 14.25 per wicket, with best figures of 5-82 against Jamaica Scorpions and 28-year-old Campbell from Jamaica Scorpions hitting 213 runs at an average of 53.25, including 127 against Barbados Pride.

Lead Selector Desmond Haynes when questioned on the selection of Campbell, who has already had a taste of Test cricket, said, “Regarding John Campbell, after consultation we believe that we should give him another go at it. That is the decision we have made and we believe it is the right one.”

Haynes also went on to comment on the exclusion of Roston Chase and Rakheem Cornwall from the squad. He stated that Chase was very vital, but has to do work on his batting, and the panel decided to go with a left-arm spinner this time in the form of Veerasammy Permaul as opposed to the right-armed Cornwall.
“We have to look at the wicket first before we start talking about the spinning options, we thought with the opportunity Permaul had in Sri Lanka getting five wickets, we thought we’d give him another chance,” Haynes explained.

Referring to performances in the ongoing West Indies Championships, Haynes reiterated that players such as Campbell, Phillip and Permaul, who have been selected, should be an example to everyone that once you perform, there is a place on the West Indies team. Haynes noted that is the message the panel is sending as he shed light on the inconsistent batting of the senior team in Test and limited overs cricket.
Haynes also mentioned that it is his personal belief that players who are playing for the West Indies can play in all formats for the West Indies. “If someone is doing well in Test cricket, I believe we need to introduce them to the 50 overs game or if we see a role for them in the T20 game as well. We got to look to base the cricketers on their ability and think on what we believe the job is at hand and the task we think they can do for us,” he posited.
In closing Haynes stated that they are there to encourage the players and not to stop them from performing at their best. He lamented that “we are all in this together”, and that the panel’s main focus is on what is best for West Indies cricket and making it better than it is defined.