Harare, July 23 (IANS) Left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop has earned his maiden Test call-up to the West Indies squad for the upcoming two-match series against Pakistan, scheduled to be played in Trinidad from July 25 to August 6.
Roston Chase will captain the side after being forced to sit out the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand due to an injury to his right index finger. Jomel Warrican will serve as the vice-captain as the selectors retained the core of the squad that secured a 1-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka earlier this month.
West Indies currently occupy the eighth spot in the nine-team WTC standings, while Pakistan sit at the bottom of the table. Bishop has been rewarded for his impressive form in regional cricket, having taken 91 wickets for Barbados Pride and the West Indies Academy across the past three West Indies Championship seasons – the highest tally by any bowler in that period.
Meanwhile, batter Kirk McKenzie made his return to the Test setup for the first time since 2024. McKenzie replaces opener John Campbell, who was ruled out due to a left hamstring strain sustained during the recent ODIs against New Zealand.
McKenzie had an impressive domestic run, scoring 323 runs in six innings at an average of 64.6 in the West Indies Championship. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph was unavailable for selection due to personal reasons.
The series opener at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, to be played from July 25 to 29, will mark a historic moment, as it becomes the first men’s Test match to be ever staged at the venue and the 13th ground in the region to host international red-ball cricket. The second Test will take place at the historic Queen’s Park Oval from August 2 to 6.
West Indies Test Squad: Roston Chase (Captain), Jomel Warrican (Vice-Captain), Joshua Bishop, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Kirk McKenzie, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach, and Jayden Seales.
–IANS
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