Chase elevated to Test vice-captain for NZ Tour

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Roston Chase has been appointed West Indies Test vice-captain for the Tour of New Zealand, the Daily Nation newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper reported that Chase had replaced compatriot and long-serving opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite in the position for the Test series against the Black Caps.

“When I got the call from head coach Phil Simmons, he told me that he had a chat with the selectors and the board, and they agreed that I was the player for the vice captaincy role for the Tour,” he told the newspaper.

“At first, I was a bit shocked because I was never in that vice captaincy capacity. Not even in a Barbados team, I was never a vice captain, and I thought there were players in the team that have held those positions.

“I captained West Indies ‘A’ in a One-day series previously, so I guess they took it from there to nominate me for the position.”

Chase, a 28-year-old batsman and part-time off-spinner, has played 35 Tests for the Windies over the last four years, scoring 1,852 runs at an average of 30.86 and taking 69 wickets at 41.15 apiece.

He said he was looking forward to working closer with compatriot and Test captain Jason Holder, and head coach Phil Simmons on the Tour in an effort to help the Windies end their winless streak in Tests in New Zealand.

The Caribbean side have not won a Test series, let alone a Test, in New Zealand, since Courtney Walsh’s side brushed aside Ken Rutherford’s men 25 years ago at the Basin Reserve.

“I am happy about getting the position,” Chase said. “It is a real honour to be in a position like this, where there have been many greats that have held this position before. It is for me to carry on that legacy, what the legends have done before and see if I can achieve what they have done or even greater heights.

“Jason and I have a good relationship, as well as coach Phil, so I do not think it will be a problem for me to come in and be accepted in the leadership group by those two. It is just for me to support Jason and work with the best strategies going forward.”

The newspaper also reported that left-hander Nicholas Pooran will continue to be the deputy to compatriot Kieron Pollard for the Twenty20 International squad, a role to which he was elevated on the Tour to Sri Lanka in March this year.

The Windies will play three T20Is and two Tests on the Tour, which also includes matches against New Zealand “A” for the Test team reserves.

CMC