HEADLINE: Shai Hope, Brandon King included in West Indies squad for Australia Tests

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its 16-member squad for the much anticipated three (3)-Match home Test Series against Australia, which begins on Wednesday June 25th at Kensington Oval in Barbados for the coveted Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.

With this series signalling the critical start of the 2025-2027 ICC Test Championship Cycle, several changes have been made to the squad that last featured in the drawn series against Pakistan earlier this year.

CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe expressed that selections were made in line with the team’s commitment to building a bold, execution-driven identity in Test cricket, with consistency in batting output and a dynamic bowling attack being key in the overall assessment.

“The start of the Test Championship Cycle is critical to building positive momentum as we strive to work our way up the rankings. Beginning with a strong showing against a team like Australia would be ideal in our quest to bring West Indies back to the helm of Test Cricket”, said Bascombe. “It was imperative that we sought to put a squad together that was well equipped, in both and the batting and bowling departments, to manage the ebbs and flows of this format of the game, while possessing the ability to apply pressure in key phases, through disciplined, purposeful play.”

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And we not playing him so he can get as much cricket as possible or has he gone to join the A Team???

Sammy got his team. Let’s see how it goes

Surprised at the exclusion of Kemar Roach, especially at home in Barbados. But that was the correct decision if the team is indeed intent on moving on and forward.

Good to see Layne included. He has promise.

Anderson too. Reward that demonstrates consistent performance in domestic competition doesn’t always go unrewarded.

Somewhat surprising that Kavem Hodge got dropped. Athanaze was given every chance and did himself no favours.

But the same reason they dropped Hodge, Athanaze, and Roach…….how does Kraigg Brathwaite still get selected? Arguably he’s performed worse than all of them the past 2 years in this format.

BTW……Narper……you insisted that DaSilva would be in the test squad. Hopefully this relieves you of any notion that the powers that be have DaSilva in mind for ANY WI squad at ANY level.

I am surprised that Hodge got dropped, he was the highest averaging batter for the WI last year. Also, Jangoo got one Test and he is out, I trust him more as a Test batter than Campbell. However, on paper it is a stronger looking batting team than the ones that were fielded in Tests for the last 2 years

In reply to imusic

Roach was indeed my biggest surprise but I guess as you say moving forward.
Graffiti like them man just want to give him 100 test. The boy aint scoring runs. If that's the case then they should of played Roaxh at home too, as well.
But we will see how it goes. Good squad, players getting rewarded for work out in the domestic season as promised.
My XI would be
King
Campbell
Carty
Hope
Greaves
Imlach
Chase
Warrican
Alzarri
Shaman
Searles

No Da Silva is an absolute travesty. Shai Hope, Campbell and Brandon King....really..

Fark West Indies cricket.

If Hope declined the captaincy of the test team, why is he selected in the squad?
Tells you he will not always be available!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

So they left out McKenzie, the only batsman who handled Australian bowlers last year, while selecting batsmen who failed last year against Australia, including Braithwaite (average 8.0 runs); Greaves 17.0 runs; and Hope who is essentially a failed test player. So, who is the batsman to score runs for West Indies?
Anyway, I did predict that Campbell and King will be opening for WI, not because they wanted Yardies but opening against Australia is a career-ending position, both Braithwaite and Chanderpaul averaged under 8.0 runs during that tour. Many thought that I was just slipping

In reply to positiveg

I assume....1st test team...
Brathwaite
Campbell
Carty
Anderson/ King
Chase
Greaves
Hope wk
Warrican
Joseph
Shamar
Seales

King ....as seen in Ireland . Jumping and hopping as opener....at best 3-4.... it's toss up between the three...Carty,King & Anderson.....may be due to white ball performance,Carty gets the nod.....King & Anderson fights it out for place.......

Start the series with Brathwaite.....if fails...then Louis...

I would love to have Phillips in playing XI but very tough to accommodate...

Crazy selectors that don’t seem to have any plan for the future unless selection is based on a coin toss.
1 When Chase and Hope were in their prime they were dropped and dumped in the wilderness for. I’m happy they are both back though.
2. B4 John Campbell ran into legal trouble he had already played 20 tests, with 3/50’s and best of 68. He is now 31. Arthanaze in comparison is 26, played 13 tests, 4/50’s and best of 92. Why drop Arthie for Campbell?
3 B4 the famous victory against Australia in 2024, the last time we beat Australia was in 2003 and then the boys went to Pakistan a year later to eat Pakistan and made us feel as proud wi again. Surprisingly they dropped more than half the players that brought us success again like Hodge, Arthanaze, Da Silva, Motie, Roach though I understand it. Campbell and king have not done enough to be in the test team

Coach
/ selectior Sammy is from St Lucia and both Hodge and Arthanaze are from Dominica. Under Sammy as captain and coach of Windwards Arthanaze in particular was severely victimized under Sammy . So when Sammy was made coach / selector we knew knew his priority was going to be to cut off those Dominicans especially Arthanaze

The only things this selection demonstrates is that vindictiveness and absolute bad mind are alive and well in West Indies cricket. I though Chris Dehring being appointed the CEO of CWI would have made a difference. Obviously, he is not the same Chris Dehring who headed the World Cup Committee in 2007 and has headed financial institutions and Lime, the Communications giant. This job was obviously taken as a retirement plan. He is not rocking any boats.

In reply to Sylobaby


1. Campbell and Athanaze are cheese (opener) and chalk (middle order).
2. Ergo, Athanaze wasn't dropped for Campbell.




1. Using your flawed reasoning, Slipfielder would be right, McKenzie must play. Both you and Slipfielder are using flawed logic.
2. King has done nothing to merit selection, I can agree with you on that.
3. Campbell has done more than enough to merit his selection. Go look at the 2025 (yes the Test match against Australia is being played in 2025), statistics.
4. Hodge was a bit hard done by the selectors.



2. Athanaze/Campbell - they play different positions and Athanaze (who I like has done nothing to be in this team).

In reply to imusic



Hodge should have been given a look for this Australian series.
Athanaze deserves to be dropped.
Brathwaite should not have been in this squad, especially if you are, rightly, bringing back Campbell. You cannot use the "need an experienced player at the top" excuse. There is no justified reason for Brathwaite to be in the squad.

In reply to JoeGrine

Hodge should have been given a look for this Australian series.
Athanaze deserves to be dropped.

While I respect your opinion and everyone’s opinion I really wonder on what basis that 32 year old Hodge should have been in and 26 year old Arthanaze deserved to be dropped. Because Hodge has a test century and Athie hasn’t?

Let’s not forget that when Hodge got his century Arthanaze was his partner and Arthanaze also had a very good 82. Since that test what have they done?Hodge only had a 55 against Bangladesh and nothing else against SA and Pakistan. Athanaze on the other hand had a 92 against SA, 90 against Bangladesh and 55 against Pakistan. Although we all wish he had converted them into centuries, yet we can see a straight line of consistency.By the way Arthanaze has only played 13 tests. In fact since after the Australia series no one on the team including captain Brathwaite was as consistent as Arthanaze. Since Australia he is the only West Indian that had a test 50 against every team he faced 83, 92, 90 and 55. Yet he is the one that was dropped and deserved to be dropped? No wonder WI is where they are. I also like Hodge but From the time Chase was made captain it was clear that Hodge would be dropped because Chase is a better bowler and 5 tests centuries. But to bring in Campbell and king? Campbell in 20 tests with only 3 test 50’s and best of 68? King? To bat where? In the middle order? Man test cricket is not white ball cricket where bowlers can only bowl 4 to ten overs , with batting power play and most times bowling with no slips.