West Indies tour to Bangladesh 2018
By Brandon Corlette
After an unsuccessful ODI and Test match series in India, West Indies will tour Bangladesh — from November 18 to December 22 — playing two Test, three One-Day International (ODI) and three T20 International matches.
The maroon-clad boys will kick start their tour with a two-day practice match on November 18, ahead of their first Test match on November 22. The Test squad to Bangladesh is likely to be announced soon. Since the Test matches are scheduled to begin before the white ball matches, Cricket West Indies (CWI) are expected to announce their Test squad promptly. The selectors will be hunting for batsmen, since the West Indies batters have struggled to score runs consistently.
West Indies suffered huge defeats in the two Test matches played in India. In the
first Test, they lost by an innings and 272 runs, and in the second Test, they lost by 10 wickets.
The top West Indian batsman in the India Test series was Roston Chase, who scored 185 runs at an average of 46.25, including a sensational century. This India series was dominated by the Indian batsmen, and Chase was the only West Indian to be featured on the list of the top 5 batsmen in this Test series. Kerian Powell was the only other West Indian batsman to score in excess of 100 runs, but he was inconsistent throughout the series, and his top score was 83.
Sunil Ambris got his opportunity in both Test matches, but failed miserably, scoring 12, 0, 18 and 38. The right-hander averaged 13 in Test matches, with 93 runs in eight innings in his brief Test career. Ambris will be hoping for another opportunity, but the likes of Jermaine Blackwood, Jonathan Carter, Raymond Reifer and Leon Johnson will be looking to return in West Indies colours.
The aggressive Jermaine Blackwood had an outstanding Regional Super 50 tournament, wherein he compiling 320 runs, which included a masterful century.
Jonathan Carter, the Super 50 leading run scorer with 351 runs, will be eager to book a spot on the Bangladesh Tour. This Barbadian left-hander (Carter) made his international debut in 2015, and played his last ODI in June 2017 against India in
Port of Spain.
The Jaguars’ duo of Raymond Reifer and Leon Johnson have also attracted the selectors with some brilliant performances in the recently concluded Regional Super 50 Tournament. Reifer in particular has been consistent, but Johnson reminded the selectors that he is still good enough to play for the West Indies with his scintillating century in the big semis against the Jamaica Scorpions.
The left-handed Reifer represented the West Indies in one Test match, in December 2017 against New Zealand.
The 31-year-old Leon Johnson has played nine Test matches and six One Day Internationals for the West Indies, and he will be hoping for an International return after two years’ absence.
The selectors may not make many adjustments to the ODI squad, but the big players may return for the World Cup in May 2019. Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer have proved themselves worthy in ODI cricket, and they will be eager to
