No Bravo for warm-up match against Black Caps

St. John’s (Antigua) - Stylish West Indies left-hander Darren Bravo appears to be in a race against time to be fit for the opening Test against New Zealand starting in just under two weeks.

The 23-year-old has failed to recover from the groin injury that ruled him out of the England tour, and was not named in a 12-man WICB President’s XI squad announced Saturday to face New Zealand in a three-day tour match starting next Friday, reports CMC.

Bravo has been one of the Windies’ leading run-scorers over the last year, amassing 949 runs in 10 Tests with three centuries at an average of nearly 50.

He struggled on the recent tour of England, however, with just 75 runs from four innings.

The Trinidadian since has not played competitive cricket in a month.

Meanwhile, Windies A team captain Veersammy Permaul will lead the squad which includes Test opener Adrian Barath, veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul and batsman Kirk Edwards who was vice-captain for the Windies’ England tour.

Edwards, especially, will try to impress selectors following a wretched England campaign where he scored 20 runs from eight innings including four noughts.

Left-handed Kieran Powell, who has been in superb form for the A team, is among the 12 along with Guyanese left-hander Assad Fudadin, who made his Test debut last month on the tour of England.

The three-day match will be played at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground and will be the only warm-up game for New Zealand ahead of the first Test at the same venue starting July 25.

West Indies Squad: Veerasammy Permaul (captain), Adrian Barath, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Assad Fudadin, Delorn Johnson, Kevin McClean, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford, Devon Thomas.

–IANS/CMC

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