Published: Jan 29, 2019, 10:54 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 29, 2019, 10:53 AM (IST)
Tearaway fast bowler Oshane Thomas has been added as the 14th member of West Indies’ Test squad for the Wisden Trophy. Thomas has been brought up as cover for Alzarri Joseph, who picked up a back injury during the Bridgetown game and remains a doubtful started for the second Test against England starting Thursday in Antigua.
“Oshane Thomas was with us in Barbados as cover and he has been added to the squad as the 14th player and will remain with the team as an additional fast bowler,” said chairman of selectors Courtney Browne. “We were all extremely happy with the great result in the first Test. We want to see them put in another solid performance in the second match in Antigua, where we won last year.”
Thomas is one of the youngest and quickest fast bowlers in the country and although he is yet to play Test cricket, the 21-year-old has represented West Indies in four ODIs and six T20s, taking 11 wickets combined. He garnered praise for his performance against India last year in the 1st T20 match in Kolkata, where he removed openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma cheaply to reduce India to 16 for 2, in a modest chase of 110.
Thomas has picked up 17 wickets from eight First-Class matches. Thomas’ fierce pace has made quite a few heads turn and has already impressed the likes of Chris Gayle and Tom Moody, who helped Joseph’s selection with CPL side Jamaica Tallawahs and BPL franchise Rangpur Riders. In a fine exhibition of fast bowling, Thomas, on his ODI debut in Guwahati last year, clocked 147kph, 147kph, 140kph, 149kph, 147kph and 147kph in his first over.
He was the highest wicket-taker among the fast bowlers in the Caribbean Premier League in 2018, including the wicket of Gayle, whom he cleaned up with a yorker at 150 km/h.
