Former West Indies manager calls for Hosein’s inclusion in Test squad

OMAR KHAN, the former Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies and Guyana Amazon Warriors manager, is calling for the inclusion of left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the WI Test team.

Hosein has featured in both the One Day International and T20 teams since making his international debut during the 2021 tour of Bangladesh, but he is yet to earn a Test call-up.

In the past two years, the West Indies have used Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase (off-spinners); Jomel Warrican, Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie (left-armers) as main spin options, but none of those have been able to cement a place as the team’s go-to spinner.

The WI were swept 2-0 by hosts Australia a month ago, and they are set to play two Tests each away to Zimbabwe and South Africa, in February and March.

Fast bowler Jayden Seales will miss both trips due to an injured knee, but Khan does not fancy many changes to the squad who featured in Australia.

“I think definitely the nucleus of the Test team remains the same,” said Khan. “There is hardly any name popping up to take into consideration.”

However, Khan noted, “I would like to see a spinning option though. We didn’t carry a front-line spinner to Australia, which I totally disagreed with. We cannot say Roston Chase is your spinner.

“I would like to see Akeal Hosein be groomed as one of our front-line spinners in the Test team, in fact in all formats. He is doing well now, he’s bowling well, his confidence is high. He is a penetrative bowler. We're looking for penetrative bowlers now.”

He continued, “We don’t have any leg-spinners in the Caribbean that we can easily pinpoint. Hayden Walsh jnr has been in-and-out but, in terms of a spinner in Test cricket, who can take wickets and also contain, I think Akeal is a good choice.”

In terms of the batting, Khan commented, “Tagenarine Chanderpaul will continue to do well. He made a promising start in Australia.

“I would like to see, in the middle order, Jermaine Blackwood and these guys be more consistent but, unfortunately, they are not. Even if you look around, from the pool of players that we have, the young players, I can’t really see any name popping up that could say ‘I command a place on the team’.”