The schedule and venues for this year’s West Indies – Australia three-Test Series have since been made public. Several questions are still to be asked and answered in relation to the series, however. Among the most important of which will be as to whether it can serve as a dual catalyst for a revitalization in both West Undies on-filed fortunes, as well as that of long flagging spectator attendance at Caribbean hosted Test matches!
According to the schedule that was recently released by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for the Series, the reigning world champions Australia will play three Tests against their West Indies hosts from June 25 – July 16, 2025. The first Test will be played at Barbados’ Kensington Oval from June 25 – 29, the second will be at the Grenada National from July 3-7, and the third as a day-night match at Jamaica’s fabled Sabina Park from July 12 -16.
Three likely exciting, hopefully, competitive matches between the all-conquering Aussies, and their upstart intending hosts. As a reminder, the last encounter between these two longstanding rivals, which was played in Brisbane, Australia back in January 2024, ended in a most remarkable, totally unexpected, victory for the visiting West Indies!
The West Indies – Australia Test rivalry for the Alan Border – Viv Richards trophy is, therefore, now all set to resume on Caribbean soil this coming June-July. Needless to say, the West Indies as hosts, and playing in their own home familiar home turf conditions as they will be, should be hoping to fully utilize all such advantages to their ultimate advantage by achieving a most favorable series result against their very strong visitors. The fundamental requirement for which would be the selection of the very best available squad and playing elevens for each of the three scheduled Tests.
That onerous, likely contentious, task of selecting the very best West Indies squad and final elevens for the series, has been exclusively, somewhat controversially, placed into the hands of the former West Indies captain, now all-formats Head Coach and sole Selector, St Lucia’s Daren Sammy. In determining the most suitable player personnel for the series, Sammy will reportedly be assisted by a bevy of recently appointed Regional Talent Identifiers and Scouts. The final decisions on the composition of the series squad and playing elevens will, however, be his alone to make!
As of today, if the series was starting tomorrow not four months hence and it was me not Sammy selecting at least the series squad, then based on all the information currently available my fourteen picks would be as follows: Kraigg Brathwaite. Miklye Louis. Amir Jangoo, Jonathan Drakes. Kevlon Anderson, Shai Hope, Jason Holder, Tevlin Imlach. Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
A final series opportunity for Miklye Louis to confirm his suitability as Kraigg Brathwaite’s opening batting partner; the retention of Amir Jangoo as the number three batter; a now mandatory required shake-up of the previously unreliable middle-order by means of provided debuts for the promising youngsters Jonathan Drakes and Kevlon Anderson who have both batted impressively and scored prodigiously during this year’s ongoing Regional 4Day Tournament; a Test recall for arguably the very best batter in the Caribbean: Shai Hope; Jason Holder as the preferred all-rounder, and likewise Tevin Imlach as the wicket-keeper batter; despite Joshua DaSilva’s ultra-impressive batting of late. The bowling attack speaks for itself as indisputably the very best currently available!
Those would be my chosen fourteen for the Barbados first Test, which I would however, also be designating as Kemar Roach’s official Farewell Sendoff. As great as he has been during the course of his illustrious career Roach based on his recent performances, has to me long since past his best-used-by expiry date as a productive and penetrative Test seamer. Time for him to now call it a day by retiring gracefully and having a most deserving sendoff in front of his Barbados Kensington Oval hometown fans. And by so doing then allowing a much younger player to take his place in the West Indies Test squad.
My pick as Roach’s replacement in the squad for the Grenada and Jamaica second and third Tests would be the very promising Barbadian quickie Johann Layne. Playing for the West Indies Academy in this year’s CWI Regional 4Day Tournament, Layne has been outstandingly impressive to date. Demonstrating admirable pace and good movement in all of his outings. A la Michael Holding in 1975 and Malcolm Marshall some three years later in 1978, Layne has shown himself to be in full possession of all the required traits to justify such an inspired selection!
It’s all up tp Sammy then to, hopefully, select the very best available players for the series squads, whether those are in the end radically removed or not from my now very early suggestions. With that having been done, the second essential task toward West Indies series success will then become CWI’s duty. Specifically in the person of its recently appointed new CEO Chris Dehring.
When they take to the field against the Aussies, either bedecked to a man in their maroon caps if fielding, or suitably padded when batting, the chosen West Indies players should be doing so against a backdrop of stands filled to overflowing with their supportive spectators. It will, therefore, be Dehring’s inherited job as CWI CEO to ensure that the West Indies does indeed receive such crucial, twelfth-man support from spectator packed stands at Kensington Oval, the Grenada National Stadium, and as well during the Sabina Park, Jamaica historic day-night encounter.
Dehring was himself one of the co-founders of the legendary Red Stripe Mound, which graced Sabina Park with its overflowing legions of fun seeking supporters during the halcyon days of West Indies cricket from the early eighties to mid-nineties. There is arguably, therefore, no better person within the entire Caribbean region capable of recreating those long-lost days of Caribbean Test match venues full to overflowing with supportive West Indies cricket fans.
Guyana’s cricket supportive President Irfaan Ali has through his ultra-successful Cricket Carnival Caribbean Premier League Playoff hosting, established a perfect model for Dehring to adopt and follow toward the recapturing of supportive spectator attendances for the Aussie Test series. West Indies reported 225 million global fan base should also provide Dehring with a readily available and accessible target market to tap into. Not to mention the significantly large Diaspora of his own fellow Jamaicans. Significant numbers of whom could potentially be convinced to return home to witness the historic, first ever, Sabina Park Day-Night Test match.
Dehring will also have at his disposal the readily available assistance of Barbados’ cricket supportive, invariably tourism generation oriented, Prime Minister Mia Mottley. Hopefully, as well, her Prime Ministerial colleagues in both Grenada and Jamaica, in addition to the full pledged support of the Tourism departments of all three hosting countries. Both locally and overseas.
Jamaica’s Canadian, Toronto based, Director of Tourism Angella Bennet is one such individual who has been outstanding supportive of cricket related initiatives during her tenure. Ms. Bennet would undoubtedly be readily available and willing to assist Dehring in his Aussie series spectator match attendance generating endeavors. Even more so, those that would be in direct relation to Jamaica’s hosting of the historic, first-ever, Sabina Park Day-Night Test!
Much to look forward to, therefore, for the Aussie Test series in the hope that it can and will indeed deliver every bit of its potential!