PORT OF SPAIN, (Reuters) – Teenage batsman Adrian Barath said he was speechless after being informed of his call-up to the West Indies squad to face Bangladesh in the first test.
Trinidad and Tobago batsman Barath is in line to make his test debut in the opening match in St.Vincent starting tomorrow.
“When I started playing cricket, I had goals from the youth level to the first-class level. I gave myself before the age of 20 years to make the West Indies test team,” he told the Trinidad and Tobago Express yesterday.
“I think it’s something that I worked hard to achieve. It was a challenging road for me, especially this year, to be consistent,” he said.
Barath’s consistent run-scoring ensured he played his way into contention as he made 990 runs in 12 first-class matches, including 132 for West Indies A against England in January.
Despite being frequently tipped for a call-up, the teenager said it was still a shock when he received the formal call-up from chairman of selectors Clyde Butts.
“I got a great feeling, I couldn’t say much. I was speechless for a few moments when the chairman of selectors called and told me.”
The mini-series against Bangladesh includes two tests, three one-day games and a Twenty20 match.
Bangladesh are ranked lowest of all current test-playing nations, as relative newcomers to the format they first played in 2000.
“A lot of people don’t expect a lot from the Bangladesh team but I think they have a fairly good team. It’s just for me to make the most of the opportunity,” Barath said.
Barath was the latest young player from Trinidad to be given a chance in the full West Indies team recently following Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo, brother of test and one-day all-rounder Dwayne.
He is joined in the squad for the first test by compatriot and seamer Ravi Rampaul.
