West Indies pace bowler Shannon Gabriel will have a good chance of featuring for the final Test squad against England if he can prove his fitness in the coming weeks.
The 32-year-old pace bowler was initially named as the 15th member to the official Test squad for the upcoming tour. Gabriel, one of the team’s lead strike bowlers, has not played cricket since September of last year after a brief spell with Gloucestershire. The player was sidelined after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery.
Head coach of the West Indies Phil Simmons, however, recently revealed the player had been training well and would be in contention for a spot in the final day Test squad.
“We have to put this in perspective. We selected 14, but Shannon, as we know, has come back from injury and being a senior member of the squad in the past two or three years we would have to look at him if he is up to that fitness level heading into the first Test,” Simmons told members of the media on a conference call on Saturday.
Gabriel claimed eight wickets and bowled with plenty of menace when the teams met in the Caribbean last year. The West Indies won the Test series 2-1. The player was, however, suspended for five One-Day internationals after a verbal exchange with England batsman Joe Root. (Sports Max)