Windies call up Roston Chase for ODIs against Afghanistan

Antigua [West Indies], June 5 (ANI): West Indies all-rounder Roston Chase has earned his maiden ODI call-up for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan. Chase's inclusion into the 13-man squad can be seen as a reward for his consistent run in the three-match Test series against Pakistan. The 25-year-old made his international debut last year and has so far played 10 Test matches with 728 runs, including three centuries. "Roston Chase is the one new player in the squad. He was considered before for ODI selection, primarily because of his all-round ability. With his prolific run scoring in the last Test series and his continued steady all-round performances in the PCL we now feel it's time to introduce him to ODI cricket," Courtney Browne, Cricket West Indies' chairman of selectors, said. "He was not among the leading run scorers in the Super50 tournament earlier this year, but we believe with his skill set and the way he has been playing he could be an asset. His outstanding efforts with the bat could not be ignored any longer coupled with his useful bowling can only add value to our squad," he added. Despite Browne earlier hinting that the board would be revisiting the eligibility criteria for ODI selection, seniors players like Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard could not find a place in the squad. Currently, the West Indies Cricket Board follows a stringent policy of considering only those players who have featured in the domestic 50-over competition. Speaking about the bowling composition, the CWI chairman of selectors said, "Our bowling attack remains the same with four seamers and two specialist spinners. With Roston now adding an additional spinning option for the captain, this offers further variety to the bowling attack. This gives the team the option of playing an additional fast bowler if required." All three ODIs will be played at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, with the first game slated for June 9, followed by matches on June 11 and June 14. West Indies have already clinched the T20I series, with the final match to be played in St Kitts on Tuesday. Full Squad: Jason Holder (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell. (ANI)