Marshall excited to be only WI newcomer

KINGSTON: Right-handed batsman Xavier Marshall said he was excited about being the only newcomer on the West Indies squad for next month’s tournament in Australia. The 18-year-old is from rural St Ann Parish in eastern Jamaica. “I hope I can go there and do my best,” he said. His selection for the Australia tour came after an impressive performance in three major tournaments this year.

In the ICC World Youth Cup in Bangladesh, Marshall scor-ed 335 runs, including 105 against South Africa. In the West Indies Under-19 competition, he tallied over 500 runs and was named “Player of the Tournament.” In November, Marshall was selected for Jamaica’s senior team for the regional one-day championship. He scored 303 runs including 125 against Guyana plus half-centuries versus the Leeward Islands and eventual champions Trinidad and Tobago. The West Indies Cricket Board named a 14-player squad on Friday after weeks of squabbling over a contract dispute.

The team is headed by coach Bennett King and captain Brian Lara, one of several players whose endorsement deals with Cable and Wireless is at the centre of the dispute. Cable and Wireless are  competitors of the cricket board’s official sponsor, Digicel. They leave on December 29 for a one-day tournament against Australia and Pakistan.