BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Captain Kraigg Brathwaite says his side will be high on confidence when West Indies President’s XI take on the powerful South Africans in their warm-up match on Sunday.
The 23-year-old opener will lead the Windies hopefuls in the 50-over contest under lights at Queen’s Park Oval – the only pre-tournament match for the Proteas before they head to Guyana to face West Indies and Australia in the Tri Nation ODI Series from June 3-26.
“I’m really looking forward to this match. I’m looking to grab this opportunity and make the most of this match against the South Africans,” Brathwaite said.
“We have a good mixture of young players and some experienced players so everyone should know what’s required. It’s a well-balanced team and it’s really good to see the inclusion of the players from the West Indies Under-19 team.”
Among the West Indies President’s XI are left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who were the leading performers in the West Indies Under-19 team which won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh last February.
Also included are players with international experience in batsmen Jermaine Blackwood and Jason Mohammed; wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich; left-arm
spinner Nikita Miller and all-rounder Rayad Emrit.
“It will be a great experience, I’m sure, playing against one of the best team in the world in this format,” the Test star said.
“But we also have some good players in our team and we are confident of doing well against them. The main thing is to gain experience and learning something from the game. It promises to be a big occasion, so the key will be to focus on what we have to do and what is ahead of us.”
Brathwaite has fond memories of playing against the Proteas. Back in December 2014, he made a well-compiled century in the second Test match in Port Elizabeth.
“I enjoyed that knock and it was a good boost for my career. Even thought it was a different format I will take that with me when I play this match and look to see how I can carry that with me,” Brathwaite added.
SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Shimron Hetmyer, Jermaine Blackwood, Damion Jacobs, Shane Dowrich, Jason Mohammed, Evin Lewis, Alzarri Joseph, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Nikita Miller, Rayad Emrit, Delorn Johnson.
