BREAKING: West Indies captain Brathwaite sends a shocking message to his teammate ahead the England test match
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has pushed debutant Mikyle Louis to set no limitations for himself as he prepares to face England at Lord’s.
Louis, a 23-year-old batsman, will become the first cricketer from his home island of St Kitts to play for the West Indies in Test cricket in 96 years when the series begins on Wednesday at Lord’s.
He joins a fairly inexperienced top order that includes Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, and Kavem Hodge, who have only nine caps combined.
However, Brathwaite, the team’s oldest player heading into his 90th Test, advised his teammates not to be intimidated by the ‘Home of Cricket’.
“Mikyle is a great guy with a really happy spirit. I’m confident he’ll do exceptionally well, having played international cricket for many years,” Brathwaite, 31, said a pre-match press conference at Lord’s on Tuesday, as he unveiled his team.
“My advice to all the younger boys in the group, like Mikyle making his debut, is don’t just expect to play for West Indies, expect to be the first to score 30 hundreds.”
That record has already been reached by two West Indies greats, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but Brathwaite added: “You have to think big, you know. Do not think too little.
“I believe they are young and intriguing. The more they play, the better. They have a lot of talent, and we are 100% behind them.
Jason Holder, Brathwaite’s predecessor as captain, will bat at six on his return to the side after nearly a year away from Test cricket, while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie provides a contrast to a pace attack that includes the intriguing Shamar Joseph.
Guyana Quick Joseph earned his name with a remarkable effort against Australia in January, scoring 7-68 despite a fractured foot to secure an upset victory in Brisbane.
“It was a big positive for us, to get a win, because it shows we could get the job done,” says Brathwaite. “The key for us as a group is to be consistent.
“We might learn a lot from that game as batters, because we have certain players performing well and some vital partnerships.
“Then the bowlers were fantastic. Shamar was the standout, but all of the bowlers put in a great effort, and we also caught well.
He went on to say, “We have to look forward to this (match), as well as the other two Test matches in this series. “We just need to believe in ourselves.”
West Indies team: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wicketkeeper), Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales
