West Indies announce playing XI for first Test against England

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has encouraged debutant Mikyle Louis to aim high as he prepares to face England at Lord's.

Louis, a 23-year-old batsman from St Kitts, will make history as the first cricketer from his island to play for the West Indies in Test cricket during the series opener at Lord's on Wednesday.

"Mikyle is a nice guy, a very joyful spirit. I know he'll do extremely well, playing international cricket for many years," Brathwaite, 31, told a pre-match press conference at Lord's on Tuesday as he announced his side.

"My advice to all the younger boys in the group, like Mikyle making his debut, is don't just expect to play for West Indies, expect to be the first to score 30 hundreds."

"I think they're young and exciting. The more games they play the better. They have a lot of talent and we are fully 100 per cent behind them."

Jason Holder, the former captain, returns to the lineup, batting at six after nearly a year away from Test cricket. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie complements the pace attack led by the impressive Shamar Joseph, who gained fame with a remarkable 7-68 performance against Australia in Brisbane despite a broken foot.

Reflecting on that match, Brathwaite noted, "That victory was significant for us as it showed our capability. Consistency is key. We had strong performances from both batsmen and bowlers, with Shamar being outstanding."

Looking ahead to the series, he added, "We need to focus on each match and believe in ourselves."

West Indies team: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva (wkt), Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales