West Indies are on tour in Australia with a squad of vastly mixed experience.
Kraigg Brathwaite leads a squad featuring seven uncapped players in the 15-man squad for a two-Test series with key players opting out with an eye on the home T20 World Cup.
West Indies must cope without experienced fast bowler Jayden Seales, out with a shoulder injury while all-rounders Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers have opted out of the tour to prioritise T20 cricket.
Holder, a former West Indies captain, and Mayers, who struck an unbeaten fourth-innings double-hundred on his Test debut against Bangladesh three years ago, both turned down Cricket West Indies central contracts this year.
Holder will play in the UAE’s ILT20 competition and Mayers is part of the Durban squad in the SA20 competition while the NRMA Insurance Test series is underway.
Holder, who said his priority was to play in next year’s T20 World Cup in the US and Caribbean, Mayers, Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran are among the names expected to feature in the Windies white-ball squads in the three ODIs and three T20s against Australia following the Test series.
“The squad has been affected by the unavailability of some key players. However, we have had a very strong red-ball program being run over the past year, which has unearthed significant talent throughout the region,” said West Indies lead selector Desmond Haynes, the legendary opening batter.
The uncapped players are batter Zachary McCaskie, wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge and Kevin Sinclair, and fast bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.
The Windies squad’s most experienced Test players are captain Kraigg Brathwaite (87), veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach (77), newly-appointed vice-captain Alzarri Joseph (30) and gloveman Joshua DaSilva (22).
The next most experienced player is opening batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the 27-year-old Guyanese son of Windies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul who made his Test debut on the Windies last tour Down Under in 2022 and has played eight Tests.
Tour match: January 10-12, Karen Rolton Oval
First Test: January 17-21, Adelaide Oval
Second Test: January 25-29, Gabba
West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua DaSilva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie
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