CRICINFO.COM/T&T EXPRESS – Dominican offspinner Shane Shillingford is the only new face in the West Indies squad for the first Test against South Africa that gets underway in Trinidad from June 10.
“Right now, I am really elated at the prospect of representing the West Indies team,” Shillingford said.
“It is an opportunity that I have always longed for and now that it is here, I am really excited. I intend to grab the opportunity with both hands and to make myself and my country proud.”
Shillingford forced his way into reckoning with outstanding performances in recent regional first class seasons for the Windward Islands and backed this up with a solid tour of Bangladesh last month with West Indies A. The right-armer, who travelled with the West Indies team to Trinidad ahead of the fifth and final One-Day International on Thursday, said that he would try to maximise the opportunity he had been granted.
“It was really hard to get selected and it will be even harder to maintain my place in the team,” he pointed out.
“I must say that the support that I have received from the Dominican public is overwhelming and I want to thank them for that support.
“It has been a while since a Dominican has been included in the West Indies team so that is even more motivation for me to perform once I get in.”
If Shillingford is selected for the first Test, he will join Irving and Grayson Shillingford, Norbert Phillip and Adam Sanford as Dominicans who have represented West Indies.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Bravo will be Chris Gayle’s deputy in the side, which also includes Sulieman Benn, who was controversially sent off the field by Gayle after a difference of opinion during the fourth match of the ODI series which the hosts lost 0-5.
Jerome Taylor, who injured his hip and left the field in the closing stages of the final ODI, has returned to Jamaica for rehabilitation, and was not considered. Adrian Barath, who scored an impressive debut century in Brisbane, was dropped from the Test side. He had earlier opted out of the A tour to Bangladesh citing a hamstring injury. Ramnaresh Sarwan is yet to recover from the left hamstring strain that curtailed his participation in the ODI series.
Grenadian fast-bowler Nelon Pascal, who toured with the side to England and was a member of the depleted squad that hosted Bangladesh last year, was recalled. The selectors will send a replacement to take his place in the A squad in England. Darren Bravo, Dwayne’s half-brother who has represented West Indies in the limited-overs formats, was also included for the Test.
Shillingford, 27, had struggled on the sidelines with an action that was deemed suspect in 2001. After overcoming the problem, he has surged into the selectors’ radar, most recently with impressive performances for the West Indies A team during the home series against Zimbabwe and the tour to Bangladesh that followed.
The second and third Tests of the series will be played in St Kitts and Barbados respectively.
Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-capt), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Nelon Pascal, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Shane Shillingford.
My brother Shane. Congrats! it is sad that they had to wait until u 27 to give u your dues. That part of the discrimination against small islands specially d/ca. this does not encourage younstaers attall. anyway doh give dem no excuse to sideline u again. Practise round de clock, and doh go partying and liming like the other WI players, dem man bread well buttered. This is your one and only chance so give it your best shot.
Hey Shane congrats boy!! I remember every time your sis mentioned u and your love for cricket, and your accomplishmenst in sport, I visualized you being on the WestIndies team.. The oportunity now lay in your hands.. Congrats.. I saw this potential in you a long time ago and ofcourse I know you did also. Continue making our Dominica proud, moreover the Caribbean. Remember it is we the youth that will make the diffence for the positive. Put God first in all you do.. blessings
WAY TO GO SHANE CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS STAY POSITIVE THINK POSITIVE MOVE POSITIVE AND SUCCESS WILL BE YOURS YOU WILL BE PRODUCTIVE AND MULTIPLY GREATLY NOT FORGETTING TO PUT THE GREAT GOD OF THE UNIVERSE FIRST IN EVERY THING YOU DO CONGRATS AGAIN I SAY TO YOU
congrats shane, all the best
Shane, I am so proud of you. Please go there, put all complacency in a cell and never ever let it out.
Take this opportunity and soar higher than an eagle with it. YOU CAN.
Shane needs all the prayers my DA peeps, so let us lift him up.
Stay humble and wise. God’s speed and blessings are what I wish for you Shane.
Yes DA flag flying high..
all the best shane u make us proud concentrate.
Shane, you have now arrived after a long while. Congratulations
god blessings to you friend,keep the faith and do you thing, god is good all the time, all the time god is good.
There is atime for everything under the sun. This moment is yours Shane, please take every opportunity to shine. Wishing you all the best and most of all cement your place on this team. Go out there and make Dominica and your family proud. Forget about the glamour, women and lajan seche, do it for the love of the game and see it as your way to give back to the land that has made you who and what you are. Congratulations Shane!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU SHANE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY SO MAKE GOOD USE OF IT. REMEMBER TO THANK GOD FIRST. THE DIE HARD CRICKET LOVERS OF DUBLANC/BIOCHE AND THE PEOPLE OF DA. WHO ARE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY. ANOTHER SON OF THE SOIL OF DUBLANC IS ONCE AGAIN ON THE WEST INDIES TEAM.
WAY TO GO DUBLANC!!! YOU ROCK!
No one drove Wayne Phillip to alcohol-so blaming the West Indies board is ludicrous. Life is about choices, Wayne made a choice to drink. I remember looking at Wayne in what we can call his “hey’ days and it is clear that he could not deal with his success. It is very important that young sportsmen are taught how to deal with their success. I felt sorry the last time I saw Wayne, but having been a national athlete myself, I know that one cannot allow a sport to define him/her. What I do hope will happen in time is that sports men /women will have someone (sports pyschologist) available to him/her to help him/her remain grounded. We need to stop blaming other sources for our failure because as long as we continue to do this, we will never identify our part in our failure and do something to right the wrong.
Best Wishes to Shane. Please do not allow cricket to define you. Be humble and grateful that God gave you the talent and now the opportunity to make yourself and your country proud. Hopefully your performance will open the way for other young cricketers to be given consideration by the WI board in the future.
Congrats to Shane make the urself , dublanc, west coast and Dominica proud – all in that order. Calibishie man no one push Wayne to alcohol he wanted to drink.. If someone have respect for themselves and is ambitious they don’t self-destroy themselves. Stop passing Blame
congrat sot shane on his selection.left up to the windwards management team he would not have gone so far.we should have had another dominican in the ranks in the name of wayne phillips but the windward board and selectors frustrated the guy and pushed him towards alcohol.
Praise the Lord,Congratulation to Mr.Shillingford,when your opportunity comes make the most of it,and always remember playing for the West Indies is a privilege,not a right.You’re not only representing your Island,but the whole Caribbean.The best of luck.
Always remember discipline is one of the key to success in life,You’re in my prayers,God bless you.
Rev.
You guys must have lost your mind to be talking up Liam. Liam has not gotten to any noticeable level yet, and I doubt he will. The guy who should have been in there longtime was Wayne Philip, ala Alan Knott, but he squandered his opportunity that he will never see again. Free cheers for Shane Shillingford and pick one wicket for Kaleb Laurent.
Proud to be a Dominican
Congrats to Shane but it’s still not clear if we will see him in action. Either way DA is behind him. As long as Shane remains disciplined and focused on the game he will become one of the pillars of the W.I. cricket team. Let’s pray that he does not follow the bad habits of many of the existing plays who think that the W.I. team is all about partying and looking flashy.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Shane. He has been working hard and has been putting some very performances over the past 3 or 4 years. Keep working hard always trying to improve your game both with the ball and the bat. All Dominicans are behind you 20 percent. Make us proud. Keep your mind simple and humble. Good things come to those who wait. This is your chance, we wish you success.
what happen to Liam?
I don’t know who is LIAM, but people be happy for who is in. Liam will have his day
Do you follow regional cricket?
Liam S is out of the picture for good. No coming back for him.