No Roach or Da Silva, but Hope and Campbell return for WI home Tests against Australia

There was no place for Kemar Roach in West Indies' squad for the upcoming home Test series against Australia, although the hosts have strengthened their batting by bringing back Shai Hope and John Campbell. They have also given a maiden call-up to Brandon King and Kevlon Anderson, while the fast-bowling attack has a new face in Johann Layne. Anderson Phillip has been retained.

The third and final Test of the series in Jamaica, which kicks off the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams, will also be a day-night Test. It will be the third day-night Test in the West Indies and the second at Sabina Park.

Roach played West Indies' last Test, in Pakistan, where he picked up two wickets in a 120-run win that squared the series. Only four wickets fell to quick bowlers in that game in Multan. Roach was in decent form in the Test series in Bangladesh prior to that, picking up nine wickets in two games. He has since played in the first-class West Indies Championship for Barbados and, more recently, for Surrey in the County Championship.

"Despite being under consideration, veteran pacer Kemar Roach has not been included and has been duly informed," Cricket West Indies (CWI) said about the 36-year-old in a press statement.

Layne, a 21-year-old fast-bowling allrounder from Barbados, came into the 16-man squad after picking up 63 first-class wickets in 17 matches. Trinidad & Tobago's Phillip last played Test cricket in December 2022, the last of his two appearances, but was in the squad in Pakistan and has a five-wicket haul in the ongoing unofficial Test for West Indies A against South Africa A in Gros Islet.

The lead spinners in the side are captain Roston Chase and vice-captain Jomel Warrican, while Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph are the main quicks.

The batting suggests a fresh start for the team after they finished one off the bottom - Pakistan were last - in the nine-team WTC 2023-25 table with three wins in 13 games.

Campbell is back as an opening option after last playing a Test in June 2022, having served an anti-doping violation in the interim period. He was in good touch at the WI Championship to finish as Jamaica's top-scorer - and seventh-highest overall - with 517 runs from 11 innings. Campbell and Anderson scored three centuries apiece in the competition.

Anderson was one of the stars of the tournament, scoring 573 runs in 11 innings to finish as the third-highest run-getter overall, and Guyana's best. King, a white-ball star who has turned out for West Indies in 52 ODIs and 63 T20Is so far, played four WI Championship games for Jamaica, scoring 242 runs in eight innings.

Hope, an experienced Test-match player with 38 Test caps and a batting average of 41.85, last played a game in November-December 2021.

"I'm excited about the inclusion of young prospect Kevlon Anderson, who comes in after solid seasons in our domestic competitions to help provide stability in the top order, while the return of Shai Hope is welcomed given his consistency in white ball cricket." head coach Daren Sammy said in a statement. "Brandon King's inclusion fits a role we have identified that needs special focus to take our team to those closer to the top of the rankings.

"We analysed what the top teams in the world are doing and what is needed for us to bridge the gap. We have identified a direction, along with the group of players and resources to give us the best advantage as we seek to take the team up ladder and challenge the best in the world."

Former captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Mikyle Louis make up the rest of the squad, adding heft and experience. Joshua Da Silva, Alick Athanaze, Amir Jangoo, Kavem Hodge, Gudakesh Motie and Kevin Sinclair are the players to have been dropped from the squad that played in Pakistan. Da Silva, the wicketkeeper-batter, has been ignored despite finishing the WI Championship as it's second-highest scorer (583 runs in ten innings), while another senior cricketer, Jason Mohammed, was overlooked despite topping that table with 679 runs in ten innings, inclusive of four centuries. Mohammed, 38, has never played Test cricket.

"The start of the [WTC 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", CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. "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."

Sammy, asking for patience from fans towards the players and the team, promised exciting cricket in the series.

"I am truly looking forward to this series because we want to start off strongly and make our home turf a fortress during this cycle, while having our passionate and proud fans behind us," he said. "The matches will be challenging but I believe in this core of players, and they are eager to wear the maroon and make our fans happy."

Roston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales