Vitel Lawes was part of the West Indies Under-19 World Cup squad earlier this year and had impressed many with his bowling.
The West Indies have picked 19-year-old Jamaican left-arm wrist-spinner Vitel Lawes in their ODI squad for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. Interestingly, Lawes hasn’t played a single game at the first-class, one-day or T20 level.
However, he was part of the West Indies Under-19 squad for the World Cup earlier this year. He impressed many with his variations and was his team's leading wicket-taker, with 10 scalps in five matches at an average of 22.7 and an economy of 4.93.
Before being picked in the West Indies Under-19 squad, Lawes had also played for Jamaica Under-17 and Under-19 teams. Though he is yet to play across formats at the senior level, the wrist-spinner has featured in 14 Youth ODIs for the West Indies, picking up 25 wickets at 21.36.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy stated that Lawes’ inclusion in the side is part of their long-term vision. The unit has also added Nikita Miller, who has worked closely with Lawes, to the support staff for the start of the New Zealand series.
“The inclusion of Vitel Lawes is strategic as we continue our long-term vision of exposing players who can complement the team in conditions that best suit their skill sets,” Sammy said.
In a way, Australia’s Adam Zampa has inspired Vitel Lawes to become a wrist-spinner. He watched Zampa bowl when he was four years old in his living room and has loved bowling since then. He stunned many at primary school with his left-arm spin, which was when a local umpire noticed him.
At that moment, everything changed for Vitel Lawes when he was taken to St Catherine Cricket Club, which has produced cricketers like Andre Russell and Rovman Powell, among others. He then impressed at the Regional Under-19 tournament, becoming the leading wicket-taker, to make his way into West Indies’ Under-19 squad.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
