The West Indies haven named their 15-man squad that will tour Australia later this year for their three-match series against the hosts.
The squad will have plenty of unfamiliar names to Australian viewers, with 24-year-old Jason Holder, who led the Windies Cricket World Cup campaign earlier this year, names as skipper for the tour.
This marks a departure from their arrangements during Australia’s tour of the West Indies earlier this year, where wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was captain.
Unfortunately the biggest names in West Indian Cricket, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kieron Pollard are either retired from the five-day format or have gone unselected for other reasons.
Pollard and Samuel Badree are signed to Big Bash League contracts, which will be taking place over the same time as the Test series, which starts on December 10 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
Former captains Gayle, Bravo and Darren Sammy are all either retired from Test cricket or, in the case of Gayle, recovering from injury but is expected to play in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Renegades.
Opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite will vice captain the side, and will be one of the keys along with Marlon Samuels, fast bowler Jerome Taylor, Ramdin, and tearaway Kemar Roach.
It’s an unchanged squad to the on that recently lost both matches of their two-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Phil Simmons returns as coach, having been forgiven by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for publicly questioning their failure to select Bravo and Pollard in their 50-over squad in September.
“I regret my public outburst during a press conference… and the revelation of the vote that took place at the selection meeting,” said Simmons in an audio apology released by the WICB.
“I extend a public apology to all whom I may have offended. I have personally apologised to my fellow selectors and the WICB and now do so again publicly.
“I am looking forward to putting this behind me and doing the job I enjoy with the West Indies’ senior men’s teams.”
West Indies Test squad to tour Australia
Jason Holder (c), Kraigg Brathwaite (vc), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajindra Chandrika, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Jomel Warrican.
VivGilchrist
Guest
I want to write something but the overall feeling is one of sadness. West Indies, Oh, how the mighty have fallen! ....and continue to fall...and fall....and ( you guessed it) fall.
Don Freo
Guest
Nah. That's an English or Indian reaction. Aussies know it's sport and administrators will leave extreme reactions to social media.
Typical Bludging Liberal
Guest
Funny if the Windies beat Oz. We'll chuck them a ticket tape parade over the Harbour Bridge and sack the Cricket Australia management.
Don Freo
Guest
Boxing Day will always sell out. It's what Aussies do.
Don Freo
Guest
I'd love Jomel Warrican to star. Dunno what he does but it is a cool name.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
"Could trouble some of the Aussies unless pitches too flat and boring." I'd be shocked if the pitches have any life in them. CA will have been spooked by the way the Aussies bowlers sliced apart the Windies batting on featherbeds in the Caribbean. As for Shai Hope, he is a lamb to the slaughter...doesn't look anywhere near ready for Test cricket. Even the ordinary Sri Lankan quicks picked him apart on dead pitches in Galle and Colombo. Hope just has really poor balance and constantly falls over to the off side while playing straight deliveries and then gets bowled or LBW. After 10 Test innings, he's averaging 16 and I wouldn't expect that to climb much in Australia.
Paul D
Roar Guru
See, I have to disagree - I think Gayle has plenty of substance as a player. He has played some incredibly substantial T20 knocks, and is rightly one of the most feared batsmen in the world - and for the test snobs, he also hit two triple centuries in test cricket, and there aren't many who can claim that accolade. The issue with West Indies cricket has never been the quality of the players produced. The issue is the athletes they're no longer getting playing cricket - because they're all off playing basketball and baseball, as well as dreadful administration and off-field problems that have paralysed cricket in the West Indies for well over a decade now.
AlanKC
Guest
and wouldn't be happening even he had been selected. For mine Gayle epitomises what has gone wrong with Windies Test cricket - all flash and no substance.
MJ
Guest
Still get 50-60k to Boxing Day because it's an event, the following days may be a struggle. As for the team, anyone else tempted to invest in a cricket kit? Might get a game based on that batting list. Plus who wouldn't want to play under a skipper with such a great nickname, Stubby.
matth
Guest
The good news is that our Australian team is at its most inexperienced, so it could potentially be inconsistent and hand some sessions over. The Windies have a pretty good set of opening bowlers - remember Roach giving Ricky Ponting a hurry up a few years back. But the issue for me is how that batting line up will cope with Johnson and Starc in full flight. Blackwood is good, but prone to losing concentration after scoring a good 50 or 60. Darren Bravo is pretty good, but inconsistent. Holder is a real trier and could score some runs Um, I'm really clutching at straws here ... Ramdin is a pretty good catch. They have a leg spinner ... It's a shame the line up isn't Gayle Braithwaite Bravo Blackwood Dwayne Bravo Pollard Holder Ramdin Taylor Roach Narine. Then again it would be great if the line up was: Greenidge Haynes Richardson Richards Lloyd Gomes Dujon Marshall Garner Holding Ambrose/Croft/Walsh/Patterson/Roberts ... well you get the picture
matth
Guest
Taylor and Roach are actually ok. Taylor basically spent two years out unfit. this is their best bowling attack for a while, but unfortunately it has co-incided with the break down of their batting, post Gayle and Chanerpaul.
matth
Guest
The draw came from a massive Gayle century, so that won't happen
matth
Guest
There is no doubt that the Big Bash will hold more attention this summer than the Windies tests. Channel 10 will be happy. You will even have the situation where Gayle, Bravo, Sammy and Pollard may play on the same night as a test.
matth
Guest
Shai Hope is opening and Jermaine Blackwood was their best performed bat in Sri Lanka, so he will be there in place of Chandrika
Scott Pryde
Expert
Not sure, I'm thinking it should be moved across to Junction Oval.
JGK
Roar Guru
What's the record low crowd for Boxing Day?
JGK
Roar Guru
They were still decent in 1999 when they drew with us. But post Ambrose and Walsh they haven't had a bowler remotely of world class.
AREH
Roar Guru
Gee thats a raw squad...big opportunity for Blackwood, Hope and Dowrich to prove themselves however. Let's see how much resistance they can offer.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Hey that's right Pau. From memory the WI last man got short shrift with a catch behind decision from an umpire with no imagination in the close one.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Epic days at Sumerzet, You were a lucky sod though. A bit torn about this coming series because I really like this relatively young Australian side and want them to do well while having the underdogs taking it up to them.