5 young West Indies domestic players who can be future Test greats

All is fine in West Indies cricket right now – the World T20 trophy safely in their cabinet, the world’s greatest freelance cricketers currently playing and spreading smiles in the Caribbean Premier League. Within ten days, however, they will be put into the format their country has almost washed their hands off, against Team India.

West Indies last won a Test match in May 2015, against England, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was still the middle order bedrock for them, and this has been their only Test win in the last twenty two months. In the same period, they have lost 9 Tests and drawn 3.

India have never managed to win more than a solitary Test in all their years of touring the Caribbean islands, but on current form, that looks likely to change. India have won 5 and lost only 1 Test in the last year, and are settled six spots above West Indies in the current ICC Test rankings, at second place.

However, it had been said by the erstwhile WICB chief that 2016 would be the year that West Indies would experience a revival in Test cricket. If that promise is to be turned into reality, a new generation of Test greats need to be found. Kraigg Brathwaite, Carlos Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood have just started their careers and can form the core of the team in years to come, and there are some domestic talents who can be counted among them within a year or so.

5 promising players from the West Indies who might be given a look-in for the India series –

Rahkeem Cornwall

The biggest cricketer around since Bermuda’s Dwayne Leverock, hailing from the land of Vivian Richards, Cornwall’s feats with both bat and ball have been central to the resurgence of Leeward Islands in the last two years, after having gone without a single win for four years. The all-rounder picks up five wicket hauls with regularity and scores at an aggressive strike rate when called upon to bat in the lower order.

With 48 wickets from 10 matches, he was the second highest wicket taker in the 2015/16 domestic season in West Indies. His six 5-wicket hauls was also the highest among bowlers in the league. With the bat in hand, he is an entertainer, having a FC strike rate of 70.

Cornwall has picked up 77 FC wickets already in 17 matches, at an average of 24.2. He has one century in the format as well. It is a matter of time before this 23-year-old’s potential is spotted and harnessed.

Shai Hope

Shai Hope marks his century against India in the practice match

Having a century against the Indian bowling attack of Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Amit Mishra in the first warm-up match at Warner Park is ample proof of the Test-match capabilities of 22-year-old Shai Hope, a top order batsman who can also double up as a wicketkeeper.

He remained unbeaten for one whole day, as seven wickets fell at the other end, finishing with 118*. Hope is no stranger to long patient knocks, he already has a double century under his belt. He had scored 628 runs in nine matches in the 2014/15 season, pushing for a Test debut last year. He scored 538 runs from six matches last season, with the highest batting average among all batsmen – 67.3.

With proof of his talent already evident, Hope has been played in 6 Tests for the country. He has not yet prospered on the international stage, only having managed a total of 171 runs, with a best attempt of 36. Like the best classical batsmen, once he gets a good start, Hope can be trusted to convert into a big score. The India series might be the launching pad for him.

Roston Chase

Roston Chase departs after failing to fire against India in the practice match

Another Barbados youngster like Hope, 24-year-old Roston Chase has also been racking up the runs in West Indies domestic cricket’s recent past. Chase has a total of 1672 runs from 29 Tests at an average of 42.9, having garnered the reputation of being one of the best middle order batsmen in the country.

Not only is his batting average one of the highest in the country, he scores runs very consistently. His highest score may only be 136, but he gets to fifties at great frequency. In the 2015/16 domestic season, he scored six half-centuries, the highest in the league.

Chase could not score much in the warm-up match against India, holing out to Amit Mishra for 3, but will be looking to make up in the second match, and perhaps earns a first Test cap.

Jomel Warrican

Jomel Warrican made an instant sensation on Test debut in Sri Lanka last year

If West Indies fast bowlers were the stuff of batsmen’s nightmares in the 1970s and 80s, in recent years that tag can be more appropriately put on the slower bowlers. Sunil Narine continues to be the most difficult spinner to face presently, and the architects of West Indies’ recent WT20 victory were 34-year-olds Samuel Badree and Suleiman Benn.

The leading name doing the rounds regarding young spinners in the West Indies is that of 24-year-old Jomel Warrican, who has recently added Virat Kohli to his list of scalps, a prestigous wicket picked up cheaply in the first practice match. Warrican’s left-arm spin accounted for the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane as well.

Warrican has enjoyed a great run of form in domestic cricket in the last two years, earning his debut Test cap last year. He has played 4 Tests since, picking up 11 wickets, and putting up an impressive show as part of an unimpressive bowling lineup. His best performance remains a 4/67 in Sri Lanka in his very first match. Warrican is almost a certainty to be picked in the West Indies Test squad for the India series.

In the 2015/16 domestic season, Warrican played only 5 matches, half as many as most others, but still managed to be the 10th highest wicket taker, with 28 scalps.

Gudakesh Motie

Gudakesh Motie in action during the 2014 U19 World Cup

The biggest splash in the most recent domestic season in the Caribbean islands was made by 21-year-old Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, a vital fixture in the champion team, Guyana. Bowling at an average of 13.5 and an economy rate of 2.2, the slow left-arm orthodox bowler has flummoxed all batsmen in the 7 FC matches that he has played.

He might have made his debut only in November, but Motie formed a good partnership since then with Veeraswamy Permaul, as both of them picked 40 wickets each in the season, bowling their team to the title. In only his second match, against Leeward Islands, he had figures of 6/20 and 5/85, the best individual bowling performance of the season.

It has not even been one year since he made his FC debut, so it is very unlikely that he shall be considered for the India series, but there is no doubt as to who the most exciting young bowler in the country is right now.