07 June,2012 09:10 AM IST | | Agencies
West Indies will unleash a unique talent on England if, as expected, mystery spinner Sunil Narine makes his Test debut at Edgbaston today.
Captain Darren Sammy confirmed, between the downpours in Birmingham this afternoon, that Narine is likely to be selected as the Windies bid to avoid a 3-0 series whitewash.
Ready to impress: West Indies spinner Sunil Narine at the Edgbaston nets. PIC/Getty Imagesu00a0
Expectations are great of the impact the 24-year-old may make at the highest level, thanks to his exploits so far in just a handful of first-class matches and in the high-profile Indian Premier League.
It is hard to recall a potential Test debutant - save perhaps England's Kevin Pietersen, and before him Graeme Hick - being the subject of quite the hype which surrounds Narine.
His ability to complement conventional off-spin with a disguised delivery which turns away from the right-hander make him an enticing prospect for all but the batsmen who must face him.
England, meanwhile, can hardly profess confidence about handling Narine after their hapless performances against Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal - a bowler of similar ilk, albeit in very different conditions - in the United Arab Emirates last winter.
Darren Sammy
"He has got every chance of playing," Sammy said of Narine, absent from the first two Tests but shipped in following his IPL stint for Kolkata as injuries mounted for the Windies. "Everyone is calling him the mystery spinner, and he could come in and make an impact for us.
"It's a difficult place for spinners to make their debut. But he has a lot up his sleeve, and we're backing him to make an impact. He has five-wicket hauls in seven or so first-class games he has played this year and he is a good inclusion in the squad for us.
"We hope this is the start of something that could be a great Test career."
Sammy himself remembers dealing with the threat of Narine on a personal level, when the pair met in domestic cricket. "He opened the bowling, and he got 10 wickets in the match. But I got 88 in that match as well," he said.
