By Rajiv Bisnauth

LEFT-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, along with batsmen Vishaul Singh, Rajendra Chandrika and Leon Johnson, has been called by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for a week’s training camp ahead of the Test series against India. Information reaching Chronicle Sport, indicated that the four Guyanese are part of a 14-member training squad who will focus on spin bowling and batting under head coach Phil Simmons, at the High Performance Centre in Barbados.
“The camp is specifically for batsmen and spin bowlers. At this stage, we want the batsmen to focus on getting better against the slow bowlers,” Simmons was quoted on Cricinfo.
“We want bowlers to look at ways to improve their art of spin bowling. In the coming months we will have Test matches against India and Pakistan – two higher-ranked teams – so we know we will face a lot of spin and we will play against players who are good players of spin.
“The list of players for this camp does not mean that the players have already been selected to play the Test matches. The squads for the India and Pakistan matches will be named at a later date. We have chosen players to work on certain specific areas and to have a closer look at their techniques and skill sets, as we look to prepare for what is ahead of us,” Simmons concluded.
Motie, Singh and Johnson have all had extraordinary seasons in the 2015-16 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)/Professional Cricket League (PCL) Regional four-day tournament.
Motie has created an impression in his first season of first class cricket. The young left-arm spinner along with fellow Guyanese left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul finished joint-fourth on the list of wicket-takers with 40 wickets each.
Singh was the third highest run-scorer with 712 runs, including three centuries while Johnson is the only batsman with 800 runs during the season.
The 28-year-old stroked two centuries and five half-centuries in piling up 807 runs at an average of 57.
Johnson was overlooked by the West Indies selectors, despite averaging nearly 40 in Test cricket (39.28).
Johnson, who has played four Tests and six One Day Internationals, last represented the West Indies in both formats of the game against South Africa in January last year.
The solid left-handed batsman was overlooked for West Indies home series against England and Australia earlier last year, as well as the Sir Lanka series later that year.
On the other hand, Chandrika has played three Test matches.
West Indies are scheduled to play four Tests at home against India in July and August, after which they will take on Pakistan in three away Tests in September and October.
The players called up for the training camp are: Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajendra Chandrika, Shai Hope, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich, Leon Johnson, Vishaul Singh, Roston Chase, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Imran Khan, Gudakesh Motie, Damion Jacobs, Jomel Warrican.