Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its 15-player squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand, set to take place from December 1 to December 21 across Christchurch, Wellington, and Mount Maunganui. The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship for 2025-2027 and marks the West Indies’ final fixture of the year.
Due to injuries sustained earlier this year, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph will be unavailable for the tour. In their absence, experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach has been recalled to bolster the squad’s pace attack, which also includes newcomer Ojay Shields, receiving his first national call-up. The team recently completed a two-week high-performance camp in Antigua, focusing on preparing for the pace-friendly conditions expected in New Zealand.
Kavem Hodge has been included in the squad following impressive performances against fast bowling, while Khary Pierre has been omitted as spin bowling is not anticipated to play a significant role in the series.
Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Director of Cricket, emphasized the importance of targeted preparation for the tour. He highlighted the efforts made to replicate New Zealand’s conditions during the high-performance camp in Antigua. Bascombe noted that several squad members are already in New Zealand for the white-ball portion of the tour, giving them valuable time to acclimate.
The Caribbean-based players joined the rest of the squad in New Zealand on November 20, allowing them time to adjust and participate in a two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Lincoln, Christchurch.
West Indies Test Squad for New Zealand:
– Roston Chase (Captain)
– Jomel Warrican (Vice-Captain)
– Alick Athanaze
– John Campbell
– Tagenarine Chanderpaul
– Justin Greaves
– Kavem Hodge
– Shai Hope
– Tevin Imlach
– Brandon King
– Johann Layne
– Anderson Phillip
– Kemar Roach
– Jayden Seales
– Ojay Shields
Team Management:
– Head Coach: Daren Sammy
– Manager: Rawl Lewis
– Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer
– Assistant Coach (Bowling): Ravi Rampaul
– Assistant Coach (Fielding): Rayon Griffith
– Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam
– Mental Skills/Performance Coach: Krisnan Hurdle
– Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darc Browne
– Massage Therapist: Fitzbert Alleyne
– Performance Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram
– Content & Media Officer: Jerome Foster
Tour Schedule (Caribbean Time):
– Warm-Up Match: November 25-26, Lincoln, Christchurch
– 1st Test: December 1-5, Hagley Oval, Christchurch, at 6 pm AST / 5 pm Jamaica time
– 2nd Test: December 9-13, Basin Reserve, Wellington, at 6 pm AST / 5 pm Jamaica time
– 3rd Test: December 17-21, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, at 6 pm AST / 5 pm Jamaica time