West Indies have called in teenage opener, Kraigg Brathwaite, for the second and last Test of the two-match series against Pakistan starting at Warner Park on Friday, 20th May.
The 18-year-old top order batsman from Barbados was included in the 13-man squad, as a replacement for the left-handed Grenadian opening batsman, Devon Smith. Brathwaite is the only change in the squad, which prevailed in the series opener, by 40 runs, in Guyana last week.
While talking to reporters ahead of the second rubber, the home skipper, Darren Sammy said:
"We're confident. The victory in Guyana was a boost in confidence for the guys. The belief in the team is improving and everybody believes that they can go out there and win against Pakistan".
The 27-year old St. Lucia pacer said that they did right things in the Guyana Test and urged his men to emulate the performance in Saint Kitts as well. Sammy admitted that his side was not good against Pakistan’s spin attack and said that this is an area they need to improve.
West Indies 40-run win in the Guyana Test was their first Test match win at home in more than two years. Also they have not won a Test series in the Caribbean since March 2009 and the Guyana victory has given them hopes of winning their first Test series win in the past two years.
Their last Test series win at home was in March 2009 when they had won the Wisden Trophy by a 1-0 margin.
Sammy said: "As a team, when we met in Barbados before we departed for Sri Lanka last November, we had our plan for the next three years, where we want to be, and so far we're working very hard in achieving that target".
When asked whether they are looking forward to moving up in the ICC Test rakings, Sammy said that this undoubtedly is one of his team’s goals.
"Moving up the rankings is definitely one of our team goals,” said the all-rounder. “So we all know what's at stake. We have that at the back of our minds, which will be motivation for the guys. Winning a series at home against a higher-ranked team would be a massive boost".
Earlier, West Indies lost the five-match One Day International series 3-2 after winning the one-off Twenty20 International.
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