CRICKET WEST INDIES

Opening batsmen Miles Bascombe and Johnson Charles along with all rounder Nkrumah Bonner and wicketkeeper Derwin Christian have been called to the West Indies Twenty20 squad to play against England in September.

Dwayne Smith, the Barbadian all rounder, makes a return to the Windies team while pacer Fidel Edwards gets a Twenty20 selection after returning to Test cricket earlier this year.
The Darren Sammy led 14 man squad will play two International Twenty20s on September 23rd and 25th at the Kia Oval in London.

Sammy, whose initial stint as West Indies Captain ended at the end of the West Indies v India Series, has been re-appointed Captain – in all forms of the game – for the two IT20s along with the tour to Bangladesh and India from October to December this year.
The 25 year old Bascombe, an aggressive Vincentian opener, plays for the Windward Islands and Combined Campuses and Colleges and has represented the West Indies A Team as well. Charles, the 22 year old St Lucian right handed top order batsman, plays for the Windward Islands and is also a Windies A selectee.

Bonner, the 22 year old CCC leg spinning all rounder from Jamaica, is also a student at the Sagicor High Performance Centre and a former West Indies Under 19 player.
Christian, the 28 year old Guyanese wicketkeeper/batsman is an explosive power hitter at the bottom of the order, particularly in the Twenty20 format.

Members of the Trinidad & Tobago Twenty20 squad were not considered for selection due to their participation in the Nokia Champions League in India.

Chairman of the WICB Selection Committee commented on the selections of the newcomers to the squad.

“Bascombe is a Twenty20 player who has shown signs that he can take apart bowling attacks at the top of the order while Charles has been consistent in the past two years and has shown that he is capable of understanding the requirements of batting in the opening position in the shortest format,” Butts noted.

“We have identified Bonner as someone who, because he is exciting with the bat, ball and in the field, is a developing player we are looking to give him some exposure at the highest level,” Butts explained.

“Nkrumah has also had excellent reports from the Sagicor HPC Batting Coach Carl Hooper,” Butts highlighted.

“Christian impressed the selectors during the last Caribbean Twenty20 when he batted with a cool head and won games for Guyana, he is a pugnacious batsman who we believe can be a match winner down the order,” Butts said.

Smith returns after last playing for the West Indies against Zimbabwe in an ODI in March last year. He has played 10 Tests and 77 ODIs and is expected to carry the batting burden along with experienced Jamaican middle order batsman, the stylish Marlon Samuels.

Samuels’ fellow Jamaican middle order batsman Danza Hyatt, fast rising all rounder Andre Russell and exciting Guyanese all rounder Christopher Barnwell are all expected to produce with the bat.

The bowling will be spearheaded by Edwards and leg spinner Devendra Bishoo with support from Sammy, Russell, Krishmar Santokie, spinner Ashley Nurse, Smith, Barnwell and Bonner.