BASSETERRE – Barbadian teenage batting prodigy Kraigg Brathwaite has been selected to make his Test debut as Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat on the opening day of the second Digicel cricket Test against the West Indies at Warner Park here today.
At 18 years, 169 days, Brathwaite becomes the fifth youngest ever West Indian Test cricketer.
Only his fellow Combermerian, the late Derek Sealy (17 years, 122 days), Sir Garfield Sobers (17 years, 245 days), Robin Bynoe (18 years, 31 days) – all Barbadians – and the late Trinidadian opener Jeffrey Stollmeyer (18 years, 90 days) were younger when they made their Test debut in 1930, 1954, 1959 and 1939 respectively.
The right-handed Brathwaite, an opening batsman, who comes in the team at the expense of dropped opener Devon Smith.
The West Indies, who lead the two-match series 1-0, suffered a major blow when the experienced middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul had to pull out of the team with a sore shoulder.
Chanderpaul has been replaced by middle order batsman Marlon Samuels.
Pakistan has made one change to the team which lost the first Test in Guyana by 40 runs, replacing fast bowler Umar Gul with Tanvir Ahmed.
TEAMS
WEST INDIES: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Kraigg Brathwaite, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Brendan Nash, Carlton Baugh, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo.
PAKISTAN: Misbah-ul- Haq (captain), Mohammed Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Salman, Abdul Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed.
OFFICIALS: On field umpires: Billy Bowden, Asoka De Silva; Television umpire: Tony Hill, 4th umpire: Peter Nero. Match referee: Alan Hurst.
