The West Indies cricket team will embark on a tour of Australia with one of their least experienced Test squads due to the unavailability of several key players, including former captain Jason Holder.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has named a 15-member squad for the tour, which will be led by opener Kraigg Brathwaite, with fast bowler Alzarri Joseph appointed as his deputy.
The squad includes seven uncapped players, namely batsman Zachary McCaskie, wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, and Kevin Sinclair, as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.
Out of the 15-member squad, only Brathwaite (87), Joseph (30), long-serving pacer Kemar Roach (79), and wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva (24) have more than 20 Tests of experience.
Unavailable for selection
Former captain Jason Holder and fellow Barbadian all-rounder Kyle Mayers are unavailable for selection as they have expressed a preference to participate in Twenty20 franchise opportunities in January. Fast bowler Jayden Seales is also unavailable due to a shoulder injury, and former Vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel were not included, suggesting they may have fallen out of favor with the selection panel.
CWI Lead Selector, Desmond Haynes, acknowledged the unavailability of key players but expressed confidence in the team’s talent pool, citing a strong red-ball program conducted over the past year. Haynes emphasized the need to provide opportunities for selected players to showcase their skills in Test cricket.
The absence of Holder and Mayers opens the door for other players to make their mark in Australia, similar to Mayers’ breakthrough performance during the Tour of Bangladesh in early 2021.
The West Indies will face Australia in two Tests, scheduled for January 17 in Adelaide and January 25 in Brisbane, as part of the World Test
Championship. This series is the second for the West Indies out of a total of six in the 2023–2025 World Test Championship cycle.
Building for the future
While seasoned players like Blackwood and Gabriel could have added experience, the selection panel appears to be focused on building for the future and developing young talent.
The West Indies will look to make their mark against the world champions, Australia, on what is considered one of the most challenging tours in international cricket.
Full Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie, Kirk McKenzie, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair.
Match Schedule
- 17th-21st of January: 1st Test at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (Start Time: January 15-20, 7:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/6:30 pm Jamaica)
- 25th-29th of January: 2nd Test at the Gabba, Brisbane (Start Time: January 24-28, 12 midnight Eastern Caribbean/11:00 pm Jamaica)
