KINGSTOWN: Rain has delayed the start of the eagerly-awaited opening Test between West Indies and Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex here on Thursday.
There is great interest in the Test from around the Caribbean after it appeared to be in serious doubt only 48 hours earlier.
The West Indies Cricket Board were forced into assembling a new-look side, after a contract dispute with players led to a boycott by the 13-member squad which was announced on Monday.
The 13 players, including regular captain Chris Gayle, vice-captain Denesh Ramdin, top batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, as well as key fast bowler Jerome Taylor are protesting outstanding payments and other issues.
But the WICB has been successful in finding 15 players willing to don the maroon cap, and have named a replacement squad to be captained by long-standing Barbadian left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer.
Darren Sammy has been named vice-captain, and is the only player that has commanded a regular place in the full-strength West Indies side over the last year.
Alongside Reifer and Sammy, fast bowler Tino Best, who earns a recall after four years in the cricket wilderness, and all-rounder Dave Bernard Jr, who featured in the recent home One-day International series against India, are the only other players to have played a Test.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach, who has appeared in two ODIs and one Twenty20 International, is also in the squad, as well as fellow fast bowler Nelon Pascal and opening batsman Dale Richards.
Pascal and Richards made the recent trip to England, but failed to break into either the Test or ODI sides.
The rest of the side is a hodge-podge of Test newcomers with varying levels of experience in West Indies domestic competitions which also includes schoolboy opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who will become the youngest West Indies Test player at the age of 16 years.
There is great interest in the Test from around the Caribbean after it appeared to be in serious doubt only 48 hours earlier.
The West Indies Cricket Board were forced into assembling a new-look side, after a contract dispute with players led to a boycott by the 13-member squad which was announced on Monday.
The 13 players, including regular captain Chris Gayle, vice-captain Denesh Ramdin, top batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, as well as key fast bowler Jerome Taylor are protesting outstanding payments and other issues.
But the WICB has been successful in finding 15 players willing to don the maroon cap, and have named a replacement squad to be captained by long-standing Barbadian left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer.
Darren Sammy has been named vice-captain, and is the only player that has commanded a regular place in the full-strength West Indies side over the last year.
Alongside Reifer and Sammy, fast bowler Tino Best, who earns a recall after four years in the cricket wilderness, and all-rounder Dave Bernard Jr, who featured in the recent home One-day International series against India, are the only other players to have played a Test.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach, who has appeared in two ODIs and one Twenty20 International, is also in the squad, as well as fellow fast bowler Nelon Pascal and opening batsman Dale Richards.
Pascal and Richards made the recent trip to England, but failed to break into either the Test or ODI sides.
The rest of the side is a hodge-podge of Test newcomers with varying levels of experience in West Indies domestic competitions which also includes schoolboy opener Kraigg Brathwaite, who will become the youngest West Indies Test player at the age of 16 years.
