West Indies to start a three-week camp from 16 May to gear up for the series against South Africa
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is set to kick off a three-week high-performance training camp in St Lucia with a 30-member squad from 16 May. This camp is aimed at helping players get back into the groove for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, which begins on 10 June.
Two 'best v best' inter-squad matches will also be played during the camp. Talking about the same, head coach Phil Simmons said:
“This camp is very important for our preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa and for the rest of our busy and exciting summer. We will continue the work which we began last year in England, to further develop our Test team into a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.
"We welcome the good news of the rise to sixth in the ICC Test Rankings. However, this is just the beginning of our journey and we know we have lots of hard work ahead of us," said Simmons.
Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph are not a part of this training camp as they are currently playing the English County Championship.
If picked in the squad, the three players will return to the West Indies to join the other members of the team. It is also important to note that former West Indies captain Jason Holder hasn't been named in the training squad.
This camp is expected to help both established players and the newcomers in the squad. This will also be the first international training experience for the likes of Nial Smith, Paul Palmer, Keron Cottoy and Kieran Powell.
The red-ball specialists will be returning to a high-performance environment after a month-long break. West Indies last played Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series. With both the games ending in a draw.
West Indies training squad for the South Africa series
Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Keron Cottoy, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Jahmar Hamilton, Kavem Hodge, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Paul Palmer, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales, Nial Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr., Jomel Warrican