Durrant Pate/ Contributor

West Indies have announced their squad for the Test tour of India from October 2-14, featuring a two-test series with matches in Ahmedabad and Delhi.

The 15-member squad sees the recall of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, while left-arm spinner, Khary Pierre earns his maiden test call up. Chanderpaul and Athanaze have been included to bolster the top order batting, while Pierre has been included as the second specialist spinner in the squad.

His addition to the squad comes after strong performances in the West Indies Championship, where he claimed a chart-topping 41 wickets at an average of 13.56. The selection group has opted to rest Gudakesh Motie for this red-ball series, given the demands of the upcoming limited overs schedule, the highlight being the ICC T20 World Cup in February and March of next year. 

Head Coach Daren Sammy welcomes the challenge of playing against one of the top-ranked teams on its home soil. “Playing in the subcontinent always presents a challenge, and we have selected a team to be competitive in these conditions,” explained Sammy. “This will be our second series together as a test team, but we have already shown what we are capable of as a unit once we are committed to our brand and plans of the team.”

Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe underscored the thinking behind the squad selection, saying, “Our approach to squad selection continues to be calculated and deliberate. We consider the opposition, the playing conditions, and the skill sets required to be successful against specific opposition. The inclusion of players has therefore been guided not only by their recent performances, but also by identifying who within our pool is best suited to deliver positive results on these surfaces, against this quality of opposition.”

Continuing, Bascombe said, “At the same time, we are conscious of building continuity and depth in our Test squad as we look to compete consistently throughout this World Test Championship cycle.” The team departs the Caribbean on September 22 and is set to arrive in Ahmedabad on September 24. 

The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be the first away fixture for the test team in the new cycle and the first test tour of India since 2018.

The full squad reads:

Roston Chase (Captain)

• Jomel Warrican (Vice-Captain)
• Kevlon Anderson
• Alick Athanaze
• John Campbell
• Tagenarine Chanderpaul
• Justin Greaves
• Shai Hope
• Tevin Imlach
• Alzarri Joseph
• Shamar Joseph
• Brandon King
• Anderson Phillip
• Khary Pierre
• Jayden Seales

Management team comprises:

• Head Coach: Daren Sammy
• Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer
• Assistant Coach (Bowling): Ravi Rampaul
• Assistant Coach (Fielding): Rayon Griffith
• Team Manager: Rawl Lewis
• Physiotherapist: Neil Barry
• Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers
• Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram
• Media Officer: Jerome Foster