Coming from Jamaica, Blackwood is now a 28-year-old middle-order batsman. Blackwood is a talent-endowed stroke maker who has played more than 100 first-class games throughout his career.
He was the top of players who scored most goals during the 2013-14 domestic first-class season in West Indies. In addition, Blackwood succeeded in gaining 63 scores for his Test debut taking place in June 2014, during the home Test series in competition with New Zealand team.
During the regular tour of playing for Zimbabwe in October 2017, he scored nine fifties and a hundred (against England, in 2015) but not long time after fell off the radar. He quickly scored 15 runs for his last five innings in the play and then was dropped by the side.
Impressive and outstanding performances in the domestic first-class system helped Blackwood to stand the chance of staying within close distance with the West Indies first XI. However, he still caused a shock to the whole cricket community as a concussion substitute against India in 2019, he did not succeed in making the team until the first Test against England in Southampton.
How did Blackwood make the cut for the first Test?
Before the whole 2020 first-class season was heavily affected by the outbreak and widespread of the pandemic, during its eight matches being held under normal condition, right-handed batsman Blackwood was the most successful scorer when he succeeded in pummelling 768 runs in 15 innings for Jamaica, which included a double hundred against Leeward Islands in the tournament’s last match.
Roger Harper who is the chairman of selectors in West India, expressed his opinion ahead of the tour that Blackwood marked a return to the side “on the sheer weight” of his first-class performances. Harper had also praised Blackwood for his great patience and consistency in 2020. But Blackwood might not make his appearance throughout the whole series at all, if it had not been for the decision made by Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo to not tour England.