Sammy praises Jamaican spinner Lawes after strong West Indies ODI debut

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has praised Jamaica's 19-year-old spinner Lawes for a standout bowling return on debut, even as the regional side slipped to a 3-2 One-Day International series defeat against New Zealand.

Lawes had not featured in a single senior fixture in any format before his surprise elevation. Across the five-match rubber he claimed eight wickets at an average of 28.5. Sammy, speaking after Tuesday's win in the fifth contest, said the selection stemmed from a deliberate development pathway steered by Nikita Miller rather than chance.

"Taking a chance on a kid who's never played at least a game, but in a region where you're not sure how fast a player will develop, and we didn't pick him just out of a hat," Sammy said. "The process that we followed in fast-tracking his development, a lot of people don't see that."

Questions followed the call-up, yet Sammy said he remained committed to giving the teenager an opportunity. He acknowledged the criticism around the selection, credited Miller and others who prepared the youngster, and said Lawes himself deserved recognition for reaching a standard the coaching group believed was ready for international cricket.

Sammy also told the left-arm wrist spinner after the series how pleased he was with the showing. "I'm really proud of him to come out eight wickets, looking like he belongs into the game, and especially us trying to develop players," he said, adding that he was proud of what Lawes produced on debut.

Lawes looked settled against top-level opposition, leaving Sammy encouraged about the progress of a young spinner still early in his international career.