West Indies have made changes to their squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Bangladesh, with fast bowler Alzarri Joseph withdrawn following a medical assessment and white-ball captain Shai Hope rested for workload management. The series begins later this month, with the visitors looking to prepare carefully for the demands of red-ball cricket in Bangladesh.
Allrounder Keemo Paul has been named as Joseph’s replacement, while young Barbados batter Kevin Wickham has earned his maiden Test call-up. John Campbell has also returned to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the home series against Pakistan.
Alzarri Joseph withdrawn as Shai Hope is rested
Cricket West Indies confirmed that Joseph was withdrawn following a routine medical assessment and consultation with specialists. The board explained that the decision was taken to manage his workload and reduce the risk of injury associated with the physical demands of Test cricket, with the fast bowler agreeing to the plan. Joseph has not been ruled out of limited-overs cricket and will continue working with the medical team in preparation for a return to the longer format.
This will be the second consecutive Test series Joseph misses. He was unavailable for the home series against Pakistan due to personal reasons. His absence had also sparked a public exchange after head coach Daren Sammy said the pacer had declined selection, comments Joseph later described as controversial and lacking context. Hope, meanwhile, has been rested after an extended run across all three formats. CWI wants to manage his workload and overall well-being ahead of the ODI World Cup qualifiers scheduled for February 2027.
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Kevin Wickham earns maiden Test call-up after impressive domestic season
Wickham’s selection comes after a prolific campaign in the West Indies Championship, where he scored 393 runs at an average of 78.60. The 23-year-old registered three consecutive big scores of 105, 153 and 108 not out, finishing as the competition’s third-highest run-scorer. Across 25 first-class matches, the Barbados batter averages 40.88 and has six centuries to his name. His consistent performances have now earned him an opportunity to make his international Test debut.
Campbell also returns, and Kirk McKenzie, who replaced him in that squad but did not feature in a match, has been left out. The bowling attack features experienced pacer Kemar Roach alongside Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph. Paul and Justin Greaves provide additional seam-bowling options, while Jomel Warrican and Joshua Bishop are the specialist spinners. Test captain Roston Chase and allrounder Kavem Hodge add further balance to the squad.
The first Test begins in Dhaka on October 28, with the second scheduled for November 5 in Sylhet. The West Indies squad is due to arrive in Bangladesh on October 18 before playing a three-day warm-up match from October 22 to 24.
West Indies squad for Bangladesh Test series: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Joshua Bishop, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo (wk), Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Kevin Wickham.
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