Shannon Gabriel has now been drafted into the 15-strong frontline squad:
The predictions of Shannon Gabriel of playing against England in the series opener, which is going to be held next week at Southampton enhanced after he was officially included to the West Indies Test team on Thursday. Initially, the experienced pace bowler was among the traveling reserve players but now he has been added into the 15 numbers strong frontline team after giving his fitness following his ankle operation with encouraging displays in the two intra-team warm-up games at Old Trafford.
Roger Harper, the lead selector of West Indies said “I am very much happy that we can include Shannon to the Test team. He has shown he is ready and fit, he will include experience, potency, and firepower to the bowling department.”
In the warm-up matches, Gabriel has claimed eight wickets at an average of only 15 apiece.
Shannon is a seasoned Test player, who has taken 133 numbers of wickets in 45 matches since his first match at Lord’s in the year 2012 and he helped the West Indies team to get the Wisden Trophy at the time of their 2-1 series victory in the Caribbean over England last year.
West Indies team played their second and final warm-up match on Thursday with coach Phil Simmons formally including the squad after his –ve coronavirus test.
Jason Holder, captain of the West Indies team tried to get some time in the middle of the match by promoting himself to be the opener for the team he was leading against Kraigg Brathwaite XI.
But the all-rounders of the team could only get two off 15 balls and Holder scored only seven runs in the warm-up matches.
For Gabriel, there was better news who claimed four wickets for 42 runs as the whole team of Brathwaite XI were dismissed for 178 runs in a drawn encounter after scoring 112 runs for seven.
After going out from the bubble to be present at his father-in-law’s funeral, now Simmons had been self-isolating in his hotel room at Old Trafford.
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