Kraigg Brathwaite: Warwickshire sign West Indies captain for Championship run-in

Image source, Gareth Copley - Getty Images

Image caption, Kraigg Brathwaite has made 12 Test centuries - three of them against England

Warwickshire have signed West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite for their four-game County Championship run-in.

The 30-year-old Barbados batter is in the Bears team for their meeting with Division One leaders Surrey at the Oval, which started on Sunday.

Brathwaite will open the batting, with regular openers Rob Yates (unwell) and Alex Davies (sore back) both missing.

He is no relation to fellow Barbadian Carlos Brathwaite, who played in the Blast for the Bears in 2021 and 2022.

"It's been quite a busy few days," said Brathwaite, who will be playing for his fifth county side after previous stints at Yorkshire (two games in 2017), Nottinghamshire (four games in 2018), Glamorgan (three games in 2019) and Gloucestershire (six games in 2021).

"But when I was asked if I'd be willing to join up with the Bears it was an easy decision. I feel in good form and having played in England previously, I'm ready to test myself in those conditions."

He will be facing West Indies team-mate Kemar Roach, who has returned to Surrey for their final three matches.

Brathwaite has scored 13,020 runs in 197 first-class matches, of which 5,479 have come in Test cricket, including 12 centuries, three of them against England.

He was named player of the series in England's tour of the West Indies in the spring of 2022.