West Indies captain Roston Chase has confirmed the inclusion of attacking left-hander Alick Athanaze as the lone change to their team for the final Test against New Zealand. Athanaze will replace seamer Ojay Shields for the Bay Oval Test, which begins later on Wednesday. 

Chase believes there is enough bowling cover in the team, as Shields was one of five seamers in the visiting side’s XI in the previous game. “Shields has an injury,” he said. “We thought that was the best way to go, to add strength to the batting.”

Vice-captain and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, who is yet to feature in the series, was among the options to come in for the West Indies. Before the start of the series, the Bay Oval looked like Warrican’s best chance at forcing his way into the team. An early assessment of the wicket, however, has led the Caribbean side to forgo a specialist spinner, as they did in the previous two Tests.

“Initially, we thought that this pitch would have been more suitable for spinners, especially seeing New Zealand bringing in Ajaz Patel,” Chase said. “But having looked at it, I don't think there will be much spin. I could be wrong. But we think that seam will be a bit more dangerous on the wicket.”

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@CaribbeanCricket.com

There was a bowler I believe from Antigua who got injured and never make it back into the WI team, I hope that this will not be the case for Shields. For he has already demonstrated his enormous talent and apt for taking difficult wickets.

@Slipfeeler

agreed that Shields has made it clear that he should be part of a larger squad although difficult to see him in a final XI if Joseph x 2 are both fit. i am happy for him that he has seized his chance and made it count

@Slipfeeler

If it was not for Sammy he would still be at Trelawny High running jumping-jack drills with teenagers. JCA ignored him and yet you want to go-it alone when you are ignoring young talents like Shields who is now 29 near 30. You should be ashamed of yourself. How many more have been ignored?

@PalsofMine

A batsman who averages mid 20s for a pace bowler.

Hmm.

This XI looks light on bowling, and the longer batting line up still has too many passengers.

This team lacks balance.

I never like the idea of playing the extra batter, what tends to happen is if the opposing team makes 500 runs the WI will collapse anyway because of fatigue. It is better to play the regular amount of bowlers and try to restrict the other team.

@voiceofreason

Why you like to chat shyt? Not because you lick so much of it!

@PalsofMine

@Slipfeeler

what a quandary convenient injuries to Tage and Shields while the VC a spin bowler cannot make the team even though NZ brought in a spinner. Our cappo a spinner or good slow-bowlet once upon a time cannot buy a Wkt nor contribute a one in a dozen innings 50!

@dayne

The strategy of padding the batting at the expense of the bowlers has already predictably backfired.

@mikesiva

Imlach is the Problem on the team, he is just occupying space. Hope should keep and bat like every keeper in Test cricket.

Once we could make 1000 runs in two days we will win

Next match we will play ten batsmen and aim for 1500 runs

@Edrich

So, do you seriously think Imlach is the only player with a batting problem in this side?

We have a lot of batsmen who average 25 or under in this side.

Campbell 25

King 20

Hodge 23

Athanaze 24

Chase 24

They're all a problem!

Including one more under performing batsman at the expense of a bowler makes no sense.

@mikesiva

Yes, it is happening again, and Sammy is a data follower, he should have known better. Now, the man with the highest batting average on the team will have to bowl many overs, let's see if he still has the stamina to bat long.

I bet you warrican would have gotten more runs than athanaze you cant keep devalueing the bowling because these batsmen cant bat properly

@mikesiva

watch the ride we not going to see the benefits of Athanaze