Home  Sports Johnson, Nash named in squad
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Johnson, Nash named in squad |
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
Guyanese Leon Johnson and the Australia-born Jamaican all-rounder Brendan Nash are the only new faces in a 14-man West Indies squad named for the Tri-Nation series in Canada next week and the ICC Champions trophy in Pakistan next month.
Clyde Butts, chairman of West Indies selectors, announced Tuesday that Chris Gayle would lead the squad for the August 16-25 tournament in Greater Toronto before doing the same for the September 12-28 Champions Trophy.
Barbadian fast bowler Kemar Roach has been included for his first full tour while Jamaican wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh returns to West Indies colors after almost two years in the wilderness.
His presence means selectors have overlooked first choice keeper Denesh Ramdin and Barbadian Patrick Browne, who has deputized recently in Ramdin’s absence.
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo has not been considered for selection for either tour because of an injury ankle.
Prolific left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul has not been included for the Tri-Nation series in Canada but will join the team for the Champions Trophy.
Johnson and Nash, meanwhile, have been rewarded for very good recent regional seasons while Baugh comes back into the side mainly for his batting ability in the one-day format.
A 21-year-old left-hander who led the West Indies in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup, Johnson scored 427 runs from six matches in the last Carib Beer Series while Nash, who qualified to represent Jamaica because his father, a former Jamaican Olympic swimmer, made 305 runs in the last Carib Beer Series.
Nash has played the majority of his 36 first class for Australian team Queensland while Johnson, who made his first class debut in 2003, has only played eight first-class games.
The 30-year old Nash is the first Caucasian to play for the West Indies since Geoff Greenidge in 1973.
Baugh, who has not played for the regional side since November 2006, gets a chance to prove himself again and add to his 25 ODIs.
He replaces Trinidadian Ramdin who Butts said was short of runs despite being perhaps the most promising wicketkeeper in the region.
The former Test spinner explained that Browne had been tried but had not made the type of runs expected and also had problems against spin bowling.
There has been no room for Amit Jaggernauth who played one Test against Australia in May or Sulieman Benn, who has played two Tests and four ODIs.
Left-arm chinaman bowler Dave Mohammed and left-arm orthodox Nikita Miller will provide the spin options.
Butts said Chanderpaul, meanwhile, who averages 40.49 from 235 One-Day International matches, will miss the Canada leg of the tour because of his commitments with English County team Durham.
Chanderpaul, who turns 34 on Saturday, has been allowed to stay on in England before traveling to Pakistan for the more important of the two tournaments which involves the world’s top eight One-Day teams.
Predictably, the 28-year-old Ramnaresh Sarwan, who has the best One-Day International batting average (43.37) of all present West Indies batsmen, has been re-appointed vice-captain for the squad.
Gayle leads the squad after withdrawing his resignation from the post recently.
SQUAD: Chris Gayle (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Shiv Chanderpaul, Xavier Marshall, Shawn Findlay, Leon Johnson, Brendan Nash, Carlton Baugh, Dave Mohammed, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor.
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