Cricket: West Indies name young squad for New Zealand tour

Shannon Gabriel in action for the West Indies. Photo / AP

The West Indies have backed a coterie of promising young batsmen to deliver in their two-test series in New Zealand next month.

The squad of 15 contains only one change from that which beat Zimbabwe 1-0 in another two-test rubber which finished a week ago.

Kyle Hope has paid for a poor run of 101 runs in his five tests and been replaced by Sunil Ambris, who has played just one ODI but showed good form in a series of matches against Sri Lanka A recently.

There is Hope for the West Indies, though, in the form of Kyle's brother Shai, who became the first player to score a pair of centuries in a first-class match at Leeds this year, carrying the West Indies to a remarkable win with his double of 147 and 118 not out.

He is part of a group of batsmen the West Indies fancy as the future of the test batting order, such as Barbados' Roston Chase, averaging 40.25 from 15 tests with three centuries; Jermaine Blackwood, the Jamaican who has racked up 27 tests but averages a still-lean 30; and Shai Hope.

The West Indies chairman of selectors, former international wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, said the Zimbabwe series win was a solid pointer not to play about with the squad.

"It was a strong team effort and highlighted by those players that did not do as well as expected on the recent tour of England, playing critical roles in the team's success," Browne said.

"Their success augurs well for the selection process and the philosophy of continuity, which has underpinned our selection for the tour of New Zealand, and not the chopping and changing mentality."

Allrounder Jason Holder, 25, will captain the West Indies, fresh from a second test century in Bulawayo and averaging 30 with the bat, but his 52 wickets have come at an expensive 37.3 each.

Stocky Kemar Roach and burly Shannon Gabriel will spearhead the pace attack, with the slippery 20-year-old Alzarri Joseph and Miguel Cummins as backup.

Cummins has been tried before but gets another chance on this tour.

The West Indies have a training camp in Brisbane until November 21 before a three-day fixture against New Zealand A in Lincoln later this month.

The two tests are at the Basin Reserve from December 1-5 and Hamilton's Seddon Park from December 9-13. Three ODIs and three T20s follow, for which the West Indies squad will be rejigged.

West Indies test squad for the New Zealand tour: Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach.