The newly-picked West Indies selection panel has dropped Darren Bravo for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan in India next month. With Shannon Gabriel injured, his place was taken by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph who proved his fitness in the CPL recently.
Shai Hope, who had sustained a finger injury during the Tests against India, was picked too - including in the ODI squad - having proved his fitness in Barbados Tridents' run to the CPL title.
Bravo was dropped after managing a mere 47 runs in four innings at an average of 15.66 against India. His form hardly improved in the CPL thereafter, with 128 runs in seven innings, striking at 103.22, and only one half-century. Gabriel's recent form against India wasn't impressive either. He claimed just four wickets in the two Tests and averaged as much as 56.50 with a strike rate of 99. He then went to the UK last month to play county cricket for Gloucestershire, and took only two wickets in three innings there, with figures of 0 for 39, 2 for 20 and 0 for 121.
Wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton, who made his Test debut in the second game against India, was also left out of the Test squad. He got the chance against India after injuries to both Hope and Shane Dowrich, but with both fit to travel to India, there was no place for Hamilton this time.
Joseph, who returned to the CPL after an injury layoff, was picked for all three formats. He is yet to make his T20 international debut. He had injured his right arm while playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL in April and returned to the field after nearly five months to represent St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the CPL recently. He played nine matches to pick as many wickets and ended with an impressive economy rate of 7.75.
Apart from Joseph's return, the selectors picked left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and top-order batsman Sunil Ambris. Both Warrican and Ambris last played a Test in November 2018 against Bangladesh. While Ambris struck some form against India A recently in both four-day matches and one-dayers, Warricon impressed more while playing for Barbados in the domestic first-class competition at the beginning of the year.
The lone Test will be played after the T20Is and ODIs, starting November 27 in Dehradun.
Test squad: Jason Holder (capt), Shai Hope, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamrah Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Sunil Ambris, Jomel Warrican, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph