Phil Simmons Confirms Shannon Gabriel Is At 'Full Tilt'; Likely To Join The 15-Man Squad
Published - 23 Jun 2020, 07:10 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:30 AM
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has declared a piece of encouraging news about seamer Shannon Gabriel. Ahead of the next month’s three-Test series against England, Shannon Gabriel has regained full pace and fitness and is set to join the squad. Gabriel was recovering from an ankle injury, having featured in his last Test in August 2019 against India.
Also Read: Shane Dowrich Looking Forward To The Challenge In England; Affirms He Is Ready For It
The 32-year old arrived in England as one of the 11 reserve players that the Board named in case of emergencies. With the risk of COVID-19 pathogen lingering in the United Kingdom, the West Indies Cricket Board deemed it fit to name extra players. International cricket will return to the fold next month following its hiatus since March.
Simmons stated that Shannon Gabriel has been in tilt and looks fit. The right-arm seamer is also bowling as fast as ever witnessed and seems on track to play the first Test at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The tourists will also play two warm-up matches before the first Test, which begins on the 8th of July.
“The last week he’s been at full tilt and he looks fit. He’s bowling as fast as I’ve seen him for a while so he’s ready and close enough to the test match.” the Trinidad-born stated as quoted by Times of India.
Simmons to monitor Shannon Gabriel’s progress:
The 57-year old further admitted that since the bowler is coming back from an injury, they had to wait a bit more and see how he advances. The management would keep track of his progress and decide if Gabriel could join the 15-man squad. The Trinidad seamer has so far featured in 45 Tests, picking up 133 wickets. Manchester would host the final two games while the entire series would take place behind closed doors.
“Because of Shannon coming back from his injury, we had to let him get a little bit further and see how he is and then we’ll decide whether to make it a 15-member squad. After that, injuries might be the cause for changes,” Simmons added.
Also Read: Chris Gayle Rates Test Cricket As The ‘Ultimate’ Format
