FOMER national Coach Junior Bennett believes Jamaican pacers Oshane Thomas and Marquino Mindley possess qualities which could make them successful if they get the chance to feature in the three-Test series versus England.

The 23-year-old Thomas and Mindley, 26, are among 11 reserve players named alongside the 14-member West Indies squad which was scheduled to depart the Caribbean yesterday.

Both are yet to make their Test debut.

The towering Thomas, whose deliveries have consistently been clocked in the range of 150 kilometres per hour, is arguably the fastest bowler in the region currently.

The fiery speedster has only played eight first class matches despite a fairy-tale start at Sabina Park in November 2016, claiming the prized wicket of Windward Islands Volcanoes batsman Devon Smith with his first ball in regional four-day cricket.

Thomas did not participate in last season’s four-day tournament due to West Indies commitments.

He has played 20 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 12 Twenty20 (T20) matches for West Indies. During his most recent outing — a T20 series away to Sri Lanka in early March before the coronavirus pandemic halted major sporting events — he captured 5-28 in the opening match as West Indies swept to a 2-0 victory.

“Based on the rules of the [series against England] nobody can go in or out, so any injury or anything like that and they [Thomas and Mindley] could be given the opportunity to make their Test debut,” Bennett told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“He [Thomas] is pacy and young and a good investment. He [will] be a surprise package if given the opportunity to play because of his pace and height and ability to extract bounce on almost any surface,” the Jamaica Scorpions’ chairman of selectors continued.

The slim-framed Mindley lacks that explosive pace but moves the ball both 

ways and can be deceptively quick. He was also terrific on first class debut, grabbing 5-35 against the Windwards in November 2014.

During the most recent four-day competition he led the Scorpions’ bowling attack with 24 wickets from six matches at 22.66, including a best of 5-65.

The season’s haul is his best in the tournament, and if in similar form on the England tour, he is expected to thrive in conditions which generally offer seam movement and swing through the air.

“If given the opportunity, he [Mindley] will do well based on how the bowls — he always keeps an upright seam, so once there is any assistance he will get some lateral movement,” Bennett, one of the most successful coaches in the history of regional cricket, explained.

Three Jamaican batsmen — John Campbell, Jermaine Blackwood and Nkrumah Bonner — made the cut in the front line squad captained by Jason Holder. Bonner is the only one of the trio without Test experience.

West Indies are holders of the Wisden Trophy after defeating the Englishmen 2-1 in the Caribbean last year.

The return tour to England was originally set to run from May to June but was postponed due to the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease.

The rescheduled matches are to be played behind closed doors in biosecure facilities, to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus which has taken over 40,000 lives in the United Kingdom (UK) and approximately 400,000 globally.

West Indies players and staff will be quarantined for two weeks before the opening Test, set to begin July 8 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The second and third matches are to be staged at Old Trafford in Manchester, starting July 16 and 24, respectively.

The Caribbean team has arranged to travel with as many as 25 players to allow for internal preparation matches and to ensure replacements are readily available in the event of illness or injury.

Squad – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Chemar Holder, Nkrumah Bonner, Alzarri Joseph, Raymon Reifer.

Reserves – Sunil Ambris, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Anderson Phillip, Oshane Thomas, Jomel Warrican.