Chanderpaul, Bishoo in Windies first Test squad

Apr 11, 2015 Sports

No place for Johnson or Permaul

By Sean Devers
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday announced a 14-member squad on for the first Test

Shivnarine Chanderpaul. (File Pic/AFP)

against England, starting on Monday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua but there was no space in the squad for Guyana Captain Leon Johnson or left-arm Spinner Veerasammy Permaul, who took a record 67 wickets in the 2015 First-Class Franchise tournament.
Shiv Chanderpaul, the 40-year-old veteran and 29-year-old leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, who ended the Regional season with 61 wickets, are the only Guyanese in the 14-man squad.
Chanderpaul, the most capped West Indian Test player need another 178 runs to overtake Brian Lara as the West Indian with the most Test runs and is expected to be the glue that holds the West Indies innings together in this three-Test series.
Bishoo makes his return to the Test side for the first since he played against Australia in Barbados in April 2012 after taking 40 wickets from 11 Tests. He strengthened his claim for selection with a six-wicket haul in the practice match in Antigua this week. The support staff is almost as large as the squad with 10 members.
Commenting on the squad, Convenor of Selectors Clive Lloyd said it was great to see there

Devendra Bishoo played the last of his 11 Tests in April 2012 © AFP

were a number of players contending for a place in the squad.
“It is always good when there is strong competition for places,” he said. “A few players have been rewarded for the work which they have done, like Shai Hope, Carlos Brathwaite and Devendra Bishoo, but it will take some time to reach the standard of consistency that we all desire to see from our side.”
Lloyd added: “We have a new coach and we have to give him as much help as possible. He is a very positive guy, he has been successful and he is one of us. We had a good chat after he was appointed and we have spent the last few days in further discussions about a number of things, so we are looking forward to see how it all works out.”
The 21-year-old Hope, a talented wicketkeeper, batsman, and Carlos Brathwaite, a 26-year-old fast bowler, both Bajans, are the only uncapped players in the team.
Squad: Denesh Ramdin (Captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (Vice Captain), Sulieman Benn, Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Braithwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor
Team Management Unit: Phil Simmons (Head Coach), Sir Richie Richardson (Manager), Stuart Williams (Assistant Coach), Sir Curtly Ambrose (Bowling Consultant), Andre Coley (Assistant Coach), C.J. Clark (Physiotherapist), Hector Martinez Charles (Fitness Coordinator), Richard Berridge (Video Analyst), Fitzbert Alleyne (Massage Therapist), Philip Spooner (Media Relations Manager)