Courtesy: CWI
Roston Chase, the West Indies all-rounder, has been appointed as the new Test captain of the Caribbean side ahead of their upcoming home series against Australia. The 33-year-old will take over the leadership role of West Indies in the longest format of the game after his predecessor Kraigg Brathwaite resigned in March of this year, leaving a gaping hole in the team.
It is interesting to note that Roston Chase’s appointment as the new West Indies Test captain comes when he last played for them in this format over two years ago. With uncertainty around his place in the side in recent times, the all-rounder has to not only get the best out of himself, but also help his team achieve the same in one of the fiercest challenges this summer at home.
I urge fans across the region to rally behind Roston Chase, we're building something special: Daren Sammy
West Indies are slated to take on Australia in a three-match Test series, to kickstart the 2025-27 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) just a few weeks after their opposition take on South Africa in the final of the current edition at Lord’s in London from June 11 onwards. Apart from giving the responsibility of captaincy to Roston Chase, Cricket West Indies (CWI) have also named Jomel Warrican as the vice-captain of the team.
According to the CWI, they took a “data-informed, multi-dimensional framework to guide the selection” in regards to selecting their new Test captain, and the shortlist also included names like John Campbell, Tevin Imlach, Joshua Da Silva, and Justin Greaves. Shai Hope declined the opportunity to take the Test captaincy of West Indies, to keep his focus on leading the side in white-ball formats, as per the report published in Cricbuzz.
Daren Sammy, the West Indies coach, said the following on the decision to appoint Roston Chase as the new Test captain, “I fully endorse this appointment. Our new captain has earned the respect of his peers, understands the responsibility that comes with the role, and has shown the leadership qualities we need to take this team forward. I urge fans across the region to rally behind him, we're building something special.”
