Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

1st Test: July 8-12, Ageas Bowl

2nd Test: July 16-20, Emirates Old Trafford

3rd Test: July 24-28, Emirates Old Trafford

Reports have emerged that the West Indies selectors have chosen a squad to play against England in a three-Test series in July. However, the squad will not include Darren Bravo, Keemo Paul or Shimron Hetmeyer who have all opted out of the three-Test match tour.

The squad is expected to depart from the Caribbean on June 8.

According to cricket commentator and talk show host Andrew Mason, the selectors had a hard time selecting a squad but in the end, came up with a squad that includes the recalled Jermaine Blackwood and Shannon Gabriel.

The names of the others who were selected also include Captain Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich, Roston Chase, Shemarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Nkrumah Bonner, Alzarri Joseph, Chemar Holder, John Campbell, Raymon Reifer and Kemar Roach.

Will they have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival?

How has the virus affected the Caribbean, if you don't mind me asking, Mike?

Yes, they'll have to quarantine for a fortnight, and undergo testing on arrival. It turns out that one of the main reasons the trio are not travelling to the UK is because they're scared of how widespread coronavirus is in England. They just don't want to take the risk. Here's the squad that will travel, including coronavirus reserves:

West Indies squad to tour England: Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder (captain), Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach

Reserve players: Sunil Ambris, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shane Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican

The British West Indian governments reacted in a more proactive way. They followed the WHO advice, and tried to copy South Korea as much as possible. They implemented state quarantine (none of this self-isolation nonsense), they then did contact tracing, and further state quarantine, they shut down infected communities with the use of the army, and they closed airports completely at a very early stage. As a result, the only badly affected Caribbean island was Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti). They're talking about cases, while in Europe and North America we're talking about numbers of daily deaths....

The latest....

Dominican Republic 17,285 cases - 502 deaths
Haiti 2,124 - 44
Cuba 2,045 - 83
Jamaica 586 - 9
French Guiana 499 - 1
Martinique 200 - 14
Guadeloupe 162 - 14
Guyana 153 - 12
Cayman 141 - 1
Bermuda 140 - 9
Trinidad 117 - 8
Bahamas 102 - 11
Aruba 101 - 3
Barbados 92 - 7
Sint Maarten 77 - 15
Saint Martin 41 - 3
Antigua/Barbuda 26 - 3
St Vincent & G 26 - 0
Suriname 23 - 1
Grenada 23 - 0
Curacao 19 - 1
Belize 18 - 2
St Lucia 18 - 0
Dominica 16 - 0
St Kitts/Nevis 15 - 0
Turks & Caicos 12 - 1
Montserrat 11 - 1

Better off playing this series in the Caribbean, or even the Channel Islands. The idea of players coming over, being forced to quarantine for 14 days and be in the same environment for several weeks is not healthy.

England didn't want to tour SL in the time of CV19 so it's possible that they still wouldn't tour. I don't think it's fair on the WI players to take this risk. I'm surprised this is going ahead.

I agree with both comments above....

But, here we are:

Moeen Ali is in line for his first Test appearance in almost a year, while Essex's Dan Lawrence could be given a chance to challenge for a place in England's middle order, after both men were named in a 30-man training squad that will prepare behind closed doors ahead of next month's Test series against West Indies.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id ... ning-squad

Hmmm. I thought England had moved on from Mo. He's always struck me as symptomatic of the flaws with the current England selection and set-up - not a bad player per se (although his recent form was shocking), but kinda adding up to a bit less than the sum of his parts. England seem to have gone down the path of 'picking XI players' rather than picking a team, so you end up trying to shoehorn Mo, Stokes, Woakes, Curran, Buttler and Bairstow into the side, and then end up with an unbalanced side, and wonder why we keep losing.

There's a reason the formula of 2 openers, 3 middle order, 1 allrounder, 1 wk and 4 bowlers keeps getting used. It works. Trying to play too many bits-and-pieces players just leaves you lacking in true quality. Players who can bowl 'a bit' and bat 'a bit' can work in T20 or even ODIs, where flaws are not so exposed and wickets are less important, but get found out in the long form.

Stokes is a better allrounder than Mo. So if he gets into the top 5 for his batting alone or is the best spinner he plays, and his other discipline is a bonus. Otherwise, leave him out and pick your best specialist for the position.

Moeen's reintroduction into the England test setup appears to have a sense of favouritism, whilst Leach and Bess have not put a foot wrong. If anything, Bess ability to dry up an end and being a more than capable bat has enhanced England's bowling and not weakened the batting.

The fitness of pace bowlers is going to be an area of concern and if Anderson breaks down again, having a spinner who can bowl a session non stop becomes invaluable. Bess than fulfil that role, Moeen does not have the control.

Shayne Moseley has potentially put his name in the frame for the Windies in this warm up match.

Was very much a travelling squad member but scores of 40 and 80 looks impressive.

Is this really going to start as per schedule.

Looks like it.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Looks like it.

Finally some international cricket. Hope players will be safe. Otherwise the decision to go ahead with this series may backfire.

Joshua Da Silva was the star for Holder's XI today with top score of 113* on another rain affected day

The second squad player to put a shift in during these warm up games.

Might be some commemoration in order for Everton Weekes. Died at 95.