Fast bowler Kemar Roach represents the most experienced figure in a West Indies Championship XI squad that includes a number of young prospects set to engage South Africa in a warm-up match from July 31 to August 3.

Roach, 36, who missed the just-concluded three-match Test series against England due to a knee injury, now has the opportunity to prove his fitness to possibly break back into the Kraigg Brathwaite-led team for the upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas scheduled to begin on August 7.

The same is true for the others, namely Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Justin Greaves, who fell out of favour for Test team selection following sub-par performances in Australia earlier this year, as the warm-up match will be their shot at redemption.

Following the Test series, West Indies and South Africa will cross swords in a three-match T20 series starting on August 23.

Cricket West Indies (CWI), in making the announcement, said the warm-up match is a crucial opportunity to also engage several talented players that have either demonstrated consistent performances over multiple seasons or have shown impressive emerging talent.

The selection of these players also forms part of CWI’s strategy to evaluate the readiness of potential squad members for the upcoming West Indies home Test Series against South Africa.

According to CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, the focus is on assessing their battle readiness and potential contributions to the men's Test team.

“We are excited to see these players in action against a formidable South African side. This fixture is a valuable opportunity to assess their readiness and gauge their potential for the upcoming Test series. Each player selected has shown significant promise, and we are eager to see how they perform on this stage,” Bascombe said.

He added that this match will serve as a significant test for these players, providing a platform to showcase their skills and further their case for inclusion in the senior team.

West Indies Championship XI: Justin Greaves (Captain), Keacy Carty (Vice Captain), Jediah Blades, Joshua Bishop, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Bryan Charles, Amir Jangoo, Anderson Phillip, Nial Smith, Jeremy Solozano, Shamar Springer, Isai Thorne, Kevin Wickham, Kemar Roach

Management: Floyd Reifer (Head coach), Ramesh Subasinge (Assistant coach), Jelani Baptise (Physiotherapist), Shayne Cooper (Strength & Conditioning coach), Keshavar Ramphal (Analyst)

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has expressed gratitude to  Desmond Haynes and Ann Browne-John, as their respective tenures as Lead Selectors ended on Jun 30.

The regional governing body believes Haynes, who was appointed to the role in January 2022, and Browne-John, appointed in October 2019, have both made significant contributions to the organization during their tenures.

CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, expressed appreciation for their services.

"We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Haynes and Mrs. Browne-John for their dedicated service as Lead Selectors. Their insights and commitment have been invaluable to our cricketing endeavors," Bascombe said.

While Haynes and Browne-John will no longer serve as Lead Selectors, Cricket West Indies is confident that their contributions in other areas to the sport will not waiver, and as such, will seek to utilize their expertise.

Ann Browne-John

CWI will continue the quest for excellence in the selection system with ongoing restructuring efforts, including the implementation of new and improved processes.

Bascombe elaborated on the new directions.

“We are committed to selection system that reflect the current needs of our cricketing landscape which will give us the best chance to identify and develop talent across all levels. The new system will have an increased focus on scouting, depth charting, alignment with cricket strategy, and human resource management. These decisions were taken following careful considerations by the Cricket Development and Performance Committee," he noted.

CWI further lauded Haynes and Browne-John for their service  as Lead Selectors, which it said have been marked by their unwavering dedication to the sport and their deep understanding of cricketing dynamics. West Indies teams have shown improvements in the ICC rankings for both Men and Women under their leadership. CWI acknowledges the pivotal roles that both individuals have played in this achievement.

It is anticipated that the new system will take effect following ratification at the upcoming CWI Board of Directors meeting that will take place later this month.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) director of cricket Miles Bascombe has confirmed that a new Caribbean T20 tournament is being planned for next year.

Bascombe pointed out that the tournament, which has the blessings of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) organizers, is aimed at unearthing a wider range of new talent and is being earmarked for next year May.

“There is some recognition that the CPL may not necessarily be where those stars would emerge, so we are working with CPL to have an emerging players regional T20 tournament,” Bascombe revealed during a CWI press conference in Barbados Monday.

“We recognise in terms of T20 cricket that we need a way to find our next crop of T20 players. We have had success in T20 cricket and I’m sure the head coach [Darren Sammy] is anticipating some more success as we play at home in this (T20) World Cup. But we generally still have to work hard at finding our next crop of emerging T20 stars," he added.

News of the tournament initially came to the fore last December when CWI vice-president Azim Bassarath and Caribbean Premier League CEO Pete Russell indicated that the two bodies were in discussions about a secondary T20 spectacle. Russell at that point hinted at the prospect that the emerging players tournament could come to fruition.

“We feel that’s an important part of any cricket system, even CPL. So, we want to support that in as big a way as possible," Russell said.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday confirmed the squads of the six regional teams participating in the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and Twenty20 (T20) Blaze. 

The CG United Super50 Cup matches will be played at three venues in St Kitts – Warner Park, Conaree Cricket Centre, and St Paul’s Sports Complex from March 4-25. Start time for the 50-over matches is 10:00am local time. 

Meanwhile, the T20 Blaze will feature five full days of entertainment for fans from March 17-25 at Warner Park. There will be three matches per day – starting at 10:00am, 2:30pm and 7:00pm (under lights). 

Barbados are defending champions in both the CG United Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze. 

West Indies Women’s and Barbados captain Hayley Matthews will miss the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze, as she has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the Women’s Premiere League in India.