West Indies arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday for a two-Test series, with Shamar Springer drafted into the squad in place of Keemo Paul, who will return home from India for personal and family reasons.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed the late change after the Caribbean side’s T20I series against India, in which Paul claimed seven wickets. Springer, a 28-year-old pace-bowling all-rounder, is yet to make his Test debut.
Springer has represented West Indies in three ODIs and 12 T20Is. In first-class cricket, he has scored 1,043 runs at an average of 32.59 and taken 58 wickets in 23 matches.
Led by Roston Chase, the visitors will start their preparations with a two-day warm-up match against the BCB XI at the Bashundhara cricket ground. The fixture was initially scheduled for three days but was reduced at the visitors’ request.
The first Test is set to begin at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on October 28, with play scheduled to start at 9:30am Bangladesh time. The second Test will be played at Sylhet Stadium from November 5.
West Indies will be without white-ball captain Shai Hope, who has been rested under a workload management plan, and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who has also been left out of the touring party.
Chase will captain the side, with Jomel Warrican serving as vice-captain. The squad also features Joshua Bishop, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Kevin Wickham.
Bangladesh have yet to announce their squad for the series.
The two teams last faced each other in a Test series in the Caribbean in late 2024, drawing the two-match contest 1-1. West Indies won the first Test by 201 runs before Bangladesh levelled the series with a 101-run victory in the second.
Bangladesh enter the series placed fourth in the World Test Championship standings, with 40 points from six Tests. They have won three matches, lost two and drawn one, giving them a points percentage of 55.56.
