Windward Islands fast-bowler Kesrick Williams has been called up to replace the injured Shannon Gabriel for the final One Day International against Afghanistan tomorrow in St Lucia.
A Cricket West Indies release said Gabriel sustained a side strain in the second match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Sunday and is unavailable for selection for the third match.
After an impressive Twenty20 International series with the ball, the selectors have opted to call on Williams. In the three matches he played, the pacer took eight wickets.
Williams will have to continue with that form if the Windies are to not miss Gabriel, who has both taken wickets and contained the runs in the first two matches of the series.
However, the change in the bowling department doesn’t seem to bother Head Coach Stuart Law. The two teams will play on a new pitch tomorrow, and law told Cricket West Indies Media, “Our batters have to step up. Someone in the top six I’d like to go on and see score a hundred.” He further stated, “20s and 30s aren’t getting us many results we’d like. I’d like to see 80s to 100s to 120s.”
Meanwhile, when the Windies fly to England in August, they will be donning new kits after the board signed a three year deal with BLK to become the official kit supplier. The partnership covers the Windies senior men’s, women’s and youth sides (Under 19s) along with grassroots development cricket in the Caribbean.
The Windies Women will also play in BLK at the 2018 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2019 Cricket World Cup which is scheduled to take place in England and Wales.