West Indies name 15-member squad for Sri Lanka Tests; uncapped Jeremy Solozano called up

West Indies have called up uncapped Jeremy Solozano as they named a 15-member squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on Thursday, November 4. The 26-year-old has played 40 first-class and 10 List A matches, scoring around 2,000 runs with three tons and eight half-centuries.

The left-hander has come through the ranks since representing the Caribbean team in the 2014 U19 World Cup and also played for West Indies A. Recently, the Trinidad-born Solozano scored a 216-ball 74 in one of the two intra-squad “Best vs Best” matches in Antigua.

The youngster also conjured praises from Roger Harper, West Indies selector, who lauded him for his “application, patience and composure”.

Harper praises Solozano

“The Best v Best matches provided the opportunity for the players to spend some time in the middle honing their skills for this tour. The aim was to simulate as much as possible, the conditions that the team will likely face in Sri Lanka, so it was good to see the batsmen spending time at the crease while putting some scores together and the bowlers looking to build pressure and create wicket-taking opportunities,” Harper said.

“Jeremy played for the West Indies ‘A’ Team in 2019 (against India ‘A’) with success and in the Best v Best matches he displayed a sense of application, patience, and composure, while looking very comfortable against both pace and spin which encouraged the panel to invest in him at this point,” Harper added.

In the meantime, Rahkeem Cornwall, who didn’t get a chance in the Test series against Pakistan, has made the cut. Shannon Gabriel missed the series against Babar Azam and Co. due to a hamstring injury, but he has made his way back in the national squad.

There’s no place for fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and top-order batter Kieran Powell in the squad. Powell had played against South Africa earlier this year in June when Nkrumah Bonner suffered from concussion.

The two-match Test series starts on Sunday, November 21 with both games to be played at the Galle International Stadium.

West Indies Squad

Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Jermaine Blackwood (VC), Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jeremy Solozano, Jomel Warrican.