Pace, swing, youth and promise - Ian Bishop's rundown of WI's bowling options for Australia Tests

Australia are clear favourites in their series against West Indies, which begins in Barbados on Wednesday, but they start with some question marks over the batting. Steven Smith is absent injured and Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped, leading to recalls for Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis. Meanwhile, Cameron Green made an uncertain return to Test cricket at No. 3 against South Africa - albeit in challenging conditions - and there are eyes on the output of Usman Khawaja.

That all leaves West Indies with a window of opportunity if they can put pressure on the top order. The experienced Kemar Roach is a notable absentee from this squad as coach Daren Sammy and new captain Roston Chase look to reshape the side. However, the three frontline quicks likely to form the attack, alongside the left-arm spin of Jomel Warrican, have the credentials to be a handful for the Australians.

With the help of Ian Bishop, here's a rundown of West Indies' bowling options.

Shamar Joseph

Tests: 8 | Wickets: 29 | Average: 26.75

There needs little reminding of what Shamar Joseph did when he last faced Australia, setting the Gabba alight with his second innings 7 for 68 to secure an eight-run victory. After recovering from the toe injury he bowled through that day, life was tougher in his next series against England, but in the last three Tests - against South Africa and Bangladesh - he has claimed 12 wickets. On Sunday night, he was named West Indies' Test Player of the Year.

"He went to England [in 2024] on the back of playing a lot of white-ball cricket and his fitness and his load management wasn't up to scratch," Bishop told ESPNcricinfo. "So he struggled there. He came back well last year against South Africa. But he hasn't really reached those heights of the Gabba Test match as often as I would have hoped. But now that he's had some time, I think, to get back into red-ball cricket, I'm hoping that we will see once again the best of him."

One of the challenges for Shamar has been refining his red-ball game while also juggling his white-ball commitments, both internationally and at the franchise level. He has still played more Tests (eight) than other first-class matches (seven) and just two of the latter this year.

"That is the challenge, I think, not only for Shamar but several other players. Not just West Indian players but players around the globe," Bishop said. "The draw of the leagues, particularly for those from the less wealthy nations, the nations under the big three who can't afford to pay their players the same remuneration as England, India and Australia can. The compromise to allow them to play league cricket for their financial security.

"In the case of Shamar being in the IPL, where he hasn't played much, finding that right balance as an administration and as an individual player is still an ongoing work in progress. I'm hoping that as Shamar now gets into the back half of his twenties that he recognises and identifies which format of the game is greater for him and his legacy. And balancing with his financial security."

Jayden Seales

Tests: 18 | Wickets: 75 | Average 22.26

At 23, Jayden Seales, who starred against Pakistan early in his career, is developing into the new leader of West Indies' attack. Since returning to the side after injury in 2024 he has taken 38 wickets in his last eight outings. In Multan in January, he took advantage of a period where the ball swung to claim 3 for 27 - the only wickets to fall to pace in the match. Last year he returned the remarkable figures of 15.5-10-5-4 against Bangladesh in Jamaica. His one previous outing against Australia came at Perth in 2022 where he struck early to remove David Warner but that was his one success of the match.

"Jayden has committed to playing much more red-ball cricket," Bishop said. "Without sort of stereotyping him because he is playing a bit of white-ball cricket as well…but he goes to play his county cricket. He comes back and has the time to play a few domestic games, so I think Jayden knows more about his style of bowling. The team understands what his strength is: pitching the ball up, swinging it. Given his success in the last two seasons, I think that he is one of maybe two bowlers that you build your bowling attack around.

"Where Jayden has come along nicely is that instead of always going searching for wickets, now he's getting better at knowing when to go in attack mode and pitch the ball up when it's swinging, and when to pull the throttle back and hold for a little while longer. It's still a work in progress because he's still a very young man at age 23. But I think he's becoming a better bowler with the English experience."

Alzarri Joseph

Tests: 37 | Wickets: 111 | Average 35.00

The senior figure in this West Indies attack with Kemar Roach overlooked, Alzarri Joseph also played an important role in the historic Gabba victory with six wickets in the match. His overall Test numbers would suggest someone who has not quite fulfilled his potential but at 28 there is still time. Since 2022 his figures have been coming the right way with 71 wickets at 32.21 compared to 40 at 39.95 before that point. As the fastest of the West Indies quicks, he will be the one called upon for a sustained short-pitched attack if required.

"One of his great challenges is that he is a multi-format player," Bishop said. "So the transition between T20 to 50-over to Test cricket is something I still think he's working on. I believe, and this is my honest opinion, I don't think we've seen the absolute best of him yet. I think he has much more that his talent can give us in terms of when to control, when to attack. He has all the prerequisites. He can swing the ball, he can bowl upwards of 145kph and hit the deck hard. I still think his best is ahead of him."

Jomel Warrican

Tests: 19 | Wickets: 73 | Average 27.56

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican has risen to become West Indies' No. 1 Test spinner since returning to the side in 2024 against South Africa. He had a remarkable tour of Pakistan this year where he claimed 19 wickets in two Tests, alongside some vital lower-order runs, including 5 for 27 in the second innings of the second Test to give West Indies victory. He has now been named Roston Chase's vice-captain.

"[He] found the Pakistan pitch to be suitable and amenable for his style of bowling where he found grip," Bishop said. "He bowled very slowly through the air compared to [Gudakesh] Motie and one or two others. Whether he can now back that up in the Caribbean in a big way. I think he will always be consistent, he's shown that in his Test career, but whether he can have the same impact, time will tell. What you get from Warrican is a level of consistency of performance."

Anderson Phillip

Tests: 2 | Wickets: 3 | Average: 70.66

Anderson Phillip, who last played a Test against Australia in Adelaide on the 2022-23 tour, is another option in the squad. He has produced some steady numbers for Lancashire, and overall since the start of 2024 has 69 first-class wickets at 24.86 including a five-wicket haul recently against South Africa A. "Although I would put the two Josephs and Jayden out front, Anderson Phillip, depending on how he goes in the training sessions, could sort of nudge if his form is that good," Bishop said.

The 21-year-old is uncapped at international level but he is putting together some impressive domestic numbers including 27 wickets at 15.88 in the recent four-day Championship. "Johan is tall, he's wiry, he's not out-and-out fast," Bishop said. "But I do believe that if put in the right hands, he is one of two or three young seam bowlers - I wouldn't say fast bowlers because they're not yet, at 21 years of age, fast - [who] have potential. He's rangy, he's tall and he's intelligent. So I have high hopes for his development."