Uncapped Athanaze, Jordan in WI squad for South Africa series

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) men’s selection panel named newcomers Alick Athanaze, 24, and Akeem Jordan, 28, in the 15-member squad for the upcoming two-match Test Series against South Africa.

Athanaze, a Dominican left-hand batsman, is the captain of Windward Islands Volcanoes while Jordan, the right-arm seam bowler, plays for Barbados Pride.

“Both have demonstrated good form in the first two rounds of the current four-day West Indies Championship,” a CWI media release said on Tuesday.

Athanaze had scores of 41 and 51 against TT Red Force in round one and followed up with a career-best 141 against Guyana Harpy Eagles in round two. He is a product of the West Indies Under-19 Rising Stars where he was one of the stand-out players at the 2018 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Jordan had match figures of 5/86 against Guyana and followed up with 7/113 against Jamaica Scorpions to be one of the leading wicket-takers in the West Indies Championship after two rounds.

Athanaze and Jordan will replace left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and batter Nkrumah Bonner who were part of the squad for the recently concluded series in Zimbabwe. Jayden Seales is unavailable for selection after a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while Anderson Phillip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.

The upcoming series is the final Test fixture for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship. West Indies are currently in sixth place and have the opportunity with a series win to move above South Africa, currently in fourth place.

West Indies are due to arrive in South Africa on Friday. They will face South Africa in two Test matches at SuperSport Park in Centurion and the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Following the Tests, West Indies will then play a three-match ODI series, followed by a three-match T20 series. The squads for those series will be named at a later date.

West Indies defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 in a two-match Test series which ended on Tuesday.

WI TEST SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Akeem Jordan, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

February 21-24: West Indies vs South Africa Invitational XI, Willowmoore Park, Benoni

February 28-March 4: 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion

March 8-12: 2nd Test at the Wanderers, Johannesburg

March 16: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

March 18: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

March 21: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

March 25: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion

March 26: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

March 28: 3rd T20I at the Wanderers, Johannesburg