St John’s (Antigua) March 12: Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite as the new Test captain ahead of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Brathwaite will take over from Jason Holder, who led the side in 37 Tests since 2015.
The opener is the 37th player to have been named the West Indies’ men’s Test captain and goes into the role having already led them seven times in the absence of Holder.
He most recently captained them to a 2-0 series win in Bangladesh and his next assignment will be defeating Sri Lanka in the Caribbean when their two-Test series starts later this month.
“It is a huge honour to be given the captaincy of the West Indies Test team. I feel extremely proud and humbled that the Board and selectors have given me the opportunity and responsibility to lead the team,” Brathwaite said.
“The recent Test series win in Bangladesh was a fantastic achievement and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and I’m excited about what I believe this team can achieve in the future,” he added.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Lead Selector Roger Harper pointed to the West Indies’ recent success in Bangladesh as evidence of Brathwaite’s suitability for the role.
Holder was thanked by Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, for everything he had achieved across his 37 Tests in charge. (UNI)
