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By Neto Baptiste
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been withdrawn from the West Indies squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh as Cricket West Indies (CWI) moves to manage his workload and minimise injury risks associated with red-ball cricket.
According to a CWI statement, the decision followed a routine medical assessment and specialist consultation and was taken in agreement with Joseph. He will continue working with the CWI medical team towards a return to Test cricket.
CWI said consecutive Test matches place greater physical demands on fast bowlers than shorter white-ball formats, increasing the risk of injury.
All-rounder Keemo Paul has been called up as Joseph’s replacement for the series, which begins on 28 October in Mirpur, with the second Test scheduled for 5 November in Sylhet.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old batter Kevin Wickham has earned his maiden Test call-up after an impressive 2026 West Indies Championship campaign, during which he scored three consecutive centuries, including a career-best 153. He has six first-class centuries in 25 matches at an average of more than 40.
White-ball captain Shai Hope has also been rested following an extended period playing across all three formats, as CWI manages his workload ahead of next February’s ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Opener John Campbell has returned to fitness after a hamstring injury ruled him out of the Pakistan series in the Caribbean. The remainder of the squad is unchanged from the group that beat Sri Lanka and drew with Pakistan during the summer.
Head coach Daren Sammy said the West Indies were targeting a strong finish to the 2025–2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle, with a series victory potentially lifting them to sixth in the Test rankings, up from eighth at the end of the previous cycle.
“At the start of this World Test Championship cycle we set ourselves goals, and one of them was to finish in the top half of the rankings. Winning this series would move us closer to it. Playing Bangladesh in their own conditions will be challenging, and we’re ready for that,” Sammy said.
The full squad is expected to arrive in Bangladesh on 18 October, ahead of a three-day warm-up match in Dhaka from 22 to 24 October.
West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), Joshua Bishop, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Kevin Wickham.