Pacer Shannon Gabriel has made his return to the West Indies Test squad after more than one year for the Zimbabwe tour later this month. Spinners Jomel Warrican and Gudakesh Motie have also been picked for the series.

Gabriel's decline began after his visit to Bangladesh in February 2021. He took 6 wickets in 2 Tests on adverse wickets on that tour. Then he could take only 1 wicket in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. He took only 2 wickets in the next two Tests. Then, a side strain injury ruled him out for a long time.

Almost all of last year, he spent battling that injury. Although he was fit later, he was not included in the team for the tour of Australia. He last played in November 2021 in Sri Lanka. However, with Jayden Seales rehabilitating after knee surgery, Gabriel could be reunited with Kemar Roach and Jason Holder in the West Indies seam attack.

On the other hand, Warrican played the last Test also against Sri Lanka in 2021. This is an opportunity to give new momentum to the left-arm spinner's 13-match Test career. Motie, another left-arm spinner, played his only Test against Bangladesh last year.

"This is the start of the international calendar for 2023 and we will hope to start with a win. We appreciate it won't be an easy assignment as Zimbabwe, like most other teams in world cricket, play very well on their home soil on pitches that will support their style of play.

"We looked at the conditions we anticipate playing in, and have included two left-arm spinners who didn't go to Australia in Motie and Warrican. With our fast bowlers, Seales has done extremely well for us since he started back in 2021, but with him unavailable we have decided that Gabriel would be best able to fill that role. He [Gabriel] is an experienced bowler who has been at the international level for over 10 years and has knowledge of the conditions in Zimbabwe when we won there in 2017,” West Indies' lead selector Desmond Haynes said.

This series of two matches of West Indies against Zimbabwe will start with the Bulawayo Test on February 4.

West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Devon Thomas, Jomel Warrican.