ST JOHN'S, Antigua - (CMC) -Picking for the five-match, One-day International cricket series against South Africa with a number of players nursing injuries, the West Indies selection panel named Kurt Wilkinson and Ian Bradshaw as the only complete newcomers in a 15-member squad.
Wilkinson, a stylish 22-year-old batsman, and Bradshaw, a hardworking 28-year-old left hand all-rounder, distinguished themselves with noteworthy performances in a 10-wicket win for their native Barbados over Guyana in the opening round matches of the Carib Beer 2004 Cricket Series.
Wilkinson hit his third regional first-class hundred of 116 to underline his promise, while Bradshaw gave a timely reminder of his all-round skills with a six-wicket match haul and a polished, undefeated 65 in the first innings.
The two have been touted as West Indies material long before however, after making a name for themselves in the annual West Indies youth championship. Wilkinson was looking forward to establishing himself in this year Carib Beer Series after a poor run last year and it has long been felt that Bradshaw should have worn West Indies colours.
Dwayne Smith, who cracked an unbeaten century in his debut Test against the South Africans at Cape Town, as well as Bradshaw and Wilkinson are the only players not to have represented West Indies in an ODI.
Bradshaw and Wilkinson, along with compatriot Ryan Hurley and the Jamaican-born Ricardo Powell, who now plays for Trinidad & Tobago in the West Indies first-class championship, will join up with the remaining members of the squad later this week.
Hurley earns a recall after playing four matches in the home series against Australia and Sri Lanka, while ODI specialists Powell comes back into the side after playing in the five matches on the preceding tour of Zimbabwe.
Surprisingly, fast bowler Ravi Rampaul has maintained his place in the touring party, although it had earlier been stated that he would leave after the Test series to join fellow members of the Young West Indies team preparing for the ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh next month.
Derrick Nicholas, operations officer of the WICB, informed CMC Sports that Rampaul would leave South Africa and join the YWI squad in Bangladesh on February 5, six days before the team's opening match of the YWC.
As expected, Daren Ganga will return to captain Trinidad & Tobago in the Carib Beer Series and Carlton Baugh, Jr. for Jamaica, while T&T's Dave Mohammed and Leeward Islands' Adam Sanford, late replacements in the Test side for the injured pair of Omari Banks and Jerome Taylor, will also return to play in the regional championship.
West Indies face South Africa in ODIs at Cape Town on January 25 in the first of four day/night contests in the series, Port Elizabeth (January 28, d/n), Durban (January 30, d/n), Centurion (February 1), and Johannesburg (February 4).
SQUAD:
Brian Lara (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan (vice-captain), Ian Bradshaw, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hurley, Ridley Jacobs, Ricardo Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne Smith, Kurt Wilkinson.