THE prevailing northeast trade winds are a constant in beautiful Barbados but the winds of change have swept through both the West Indies team and Australia as they begin a new World Test Championship cycle in Bridgetown.

West Indies have not played Test cricket since January in Pakistan and begin the cycle under a new captain in Roston Chase after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. Extraordinarily, Chase has not played a Test match since March 2023, having not played in West Indies’ last 13.

He leads a new-look squad which, for the opening Test, sees a debut for Brandon King and returns for John Campbell and Shai Hope – the latter as wicketkeeper – for the first time since 2022 and 2021 respectively.
Meanwhile, veteran Kemar Roach was left out of the squad entirely despite playing in each of West Indies’ last three series. Joshua da Silva could not earn a recall either on account of his Gabba heroics against Australia and a recent run spree in the West Indies Championship, with selectors holding firm after dropping him in Pakistan. There are only three survivors from West Indies’ previous Test: Brathwaite, Justin Greaves and Jomel Warrican.

Australia’s “reset” is not quite as extreme following the disappointment of the WTC final loss to South Africa just two weeks ago, but it is significant by their standards. For the first time since December 2018, they will field an XI without either Marnus Labuschagne or Steven Smith on the team sheet.

The selectors finally lost patience with Labuschagne and he has been dropped for first time in six years having been a mainstay of Australia’s top three for 53 consecutive Tests. Smith had played 51 in a row before his gruesome finger injury ruled him out of the first Test of this series. He is a chance to return for the second.

It means Australia do not have a single batter in the squad remaining from the last Test Australia played in the Caribbean in 2015, when Smith made 199 and 54 not out. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon are the only others to have played Test cricket in the Caribbean.

Australia confirmed five days out that Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis will play in Barbados to change the age profile of the side. But they will still only field two players under 30.
Australia rarely undertake full-scale reboots, and it is understandable they have not made sweeping changes following Lord’s given they have lost just one of their past seven Tests and did not lose a multi-Test series during the previous WTC cycle. But they cannot afford a slow start to the new cycle with an inexperienced top six and an aging attack, given they have away tours to South Africa and India in this WTC schedule as well as an Ashes series later in the year.
West Indies: 1 Kriagg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.
Australia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin. Josh Inglis will cover for Smith at No. 4.
Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Josh Inglis, 5 Travis Head, 6 Beau Webster, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.