St John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board Selection Panel today announced that Devon Smith has been selected to replace Christopher Gayle in the West Indies Test squad to South Africa.

Gayle has been replaced due to injury.

Smith is in fine form, coming off a first innings century against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the third round of the Professional Cricket League Regional 4 Day Tournament. Smith scored 145 of the Windward Volcanoes 308 for 5 declared in the match being played in his native Grenada.

He has represented the West Indies in 33 Tests since debuting in 2003 against Australia in Guyana. The pugnacious left handed opener has scored one Test century and five half centuries and averages a shade under 37 in First Class cricket.

Cottrell confirmed to join squad


Fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell will depart the Caribbean on Friday to join the Test squad in South Africa. The Selection Panel had requested that Cottrell play in the third round of the PCL 4 Day to allow the Panel an opportunity to determine his match readiness after sustaining an injury on the West Indies A Team tour to Sri Lanka.

Cottrell took 5 for 42 for the Jamaica Franchise against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force as the Jamaicans took first innings points.

In reply to Andy99

Is this a bad joke?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

In reply to rudebway

Yea. Convienient injury when yuh doan wan play test cricket !!! Good fuh him.

At this rate, Gayle won't make the World Cup squad either.

In reply to rudebway
To go backwards like this to a perennial failure like Devon Smith shows how empty the cupboard is.

In reply to hubert



WICB should retire Gayle from ODI and Tests....let him focus on T20...

In reply to bobby

In reply to WestDem

I think they are planning to walk out agian.. Gayle probably knows stuff ahead of time

Bad choice of player....nuff said

In reply to hubert
Really Hubert?? If you think Gayle giving up World cup money then I got a bridge with chandeliers in Brooklyn to sell you.

In reply to hawk

but they are no good choice!

Devon should refuse to tour. Say he prioritising returning to form ahead of going out of form.

In reply to hubert

Gayle will crawl over that WC line. I think its at 650k USD guaranteed per player, plus WI usually dont last long.

That is back pain free money.

Gayle not wuking till the $35k business settle!

In reply to Commie



Yuh mean pull a Marlon?

In reply to carl0002

Money talks fi true..but can he even walk

In reply to Commie



You and Carl0002 are something else

In reply to hubert

He will walk at the appropriate time and probably even dance for that wc payday.

In reply to gvenkat

I agree something fishy going on here

In reply to carl0002

Indeed he will pass the fitness test with flying colors and if denied, Portia will again be put on notice to help a man eat ah food.

I hope this time she tax his rass.

In reply to rudebway

What is a bad joke is that Chris Gayle who clearly does not want to play for the West Indies as he has time for Ram Slam but immediately gets injured for West Indies. I just wish he would be reasonable enough to retire.


Right now he cherry picking but his Homies in charge so do't expect to hear much of this.

In reply to bobby

He made a Century did you not know? lol

Where is a youngster with guts and talent?????

In reply to bobby

In reply to bobby


Smith is an opener.There are no alternatives He will do well in South Africa. He will put licks on Steyn and Morkel andf the Saffies don't have a good offie.

In reply to voiceofreason
Dwayne Smith would be an okay replacement, he cannot do worse than Devon Smith.

Cyan't keep a good man down!!!

In reply to Larr Pullo



Look like yuh use yuh DCC hookup to get him on dat plane?

In reply to voiceofreason

There are no alternatives as everybody knows,the fact that Devon Smith didn't go in the first place was very surprising,I for one,is very pleased that Smith is going.I will bet that Smith will turn out the be a success.

In reply to anandgb

west indies just tun de conna

devon who?

In reply to Larr Pullo

In reply to Larr Pullo

In reply to voiceofreason

So let me ask u a easy question.... U would rather give Devon a game than try kieron Powell again?

In reply to Larr Pullo

I just saw the post on FB. And was like let me come see what Larr saying. Larr happier than a pig after heavy rains.

Devon Smith is the logical choice. If not him, who else?

Like Sammy, there is no alternative to him!!!

Watch the SA bowlers quake at the prospect of facing this world beater with his 24 runs batting average(Darren Ganga where are you?) after more than a decade of test cricket

In reply to bobby

Agreed

The Windies should pull the plug on Gayle and test cricket - yuh either in or out fuh good.

In reply to TheTrail

I think Gayle helping them...now if only a good opener can step forward to partner KB.

They should go with LJ as opener.

There are alternative to Smith, the selectors just made an uncreative chose, in my opinion. There is Kirk Edwards who averages over 30 runs per innings in Test and there is Simmonds who has scored relatively well in the ODI matches. I was expecting a change in practice with these new selectors.

In reply to dayne
This is for Tests so Simmonds out, Kirk has been miserable as an opener. I dont think Devon Smith faced RSA ever and they rely on out and out pace which he is comfortable with. Funnily his best Test scores are on fast bounciest pitches we have.

good pick

In reply to rudebway and dayne

The good news for Devon is that South Africa don't have any spinners....

Dwayne Smith has done eff-all with the bat for Barbados in the PCL, and Powell doesn't even want to play for the Leewards, so why should he get a game ahead of Devon?

No, there are clearly no other alternatives....

In reply to mikesiva

There is now

In reply to Cleg

"Robin Peterson, the left-arm spinner, has been recalled to the South Africa Test squad for the home series against West Indies later this month."

Like I said, South Africa don't have any spinners....

Well the decision cannot be reverse, so I wish Devon success, he is a good team guy. However, SA have spinners, but they are not well known because SA conditions do not favor spin bowlers, but Petersen and Dumminy can cause problems for some of the WI batsmen like Devon.

In reply to mikesiva