Roston Chase, West Indies’ Test captain, with a batting average of 25.99 in 59 games. It may have been greater, but his average of 13.81 from six Tests in 2025 has brought it down significantly. Chase feels “a lot of relief” after scoring 194 in the first Test against Sri Lanka in late June.
“It’s a good feeling to find some form after struggling for the past year in the batting department,” Chase said ahead of the first of two Tests against Pakistan, starting Saturday. “That knock provided me a lot of confidence and relief, knowing that I could truly come in and perform for the squad.
As a leader, setting a positive example leads to increased respect, belief, and motivation among teammates. And, as I previously stated, both I and the team are in a good place at the moment. So I’m extremely happy with that performance.”
Chase was in the team for the first three of five one-day internationals against New Zealand earlier this month, but he was unable to play due to an injured right index finger. He is set to lead West Indies in Tests against Pakistan, but is uncertain about his ability to bowl.
“We’ll see when I get to the ground tomorrow.” “It’s not completely obvious right now, but I bowled a few balls yesterday and I’m still in pain,” he explained. “But, as I see it, I still have some time before the first ball is bowled.” So hopefully, it will have improved by then.
The West Indies’ first Test victory over Sri Lanka, which also won them the series, was their first in the current WTC cycle after seven losses and two draws. They are in eighth place on the table, just ahead of their next opponents, Pakistan. Exactly like in the previous round, when the West Indies finished eighth and Pakistan ninth.
“We wanted to set a realistic goal, and we came up with one,” Chase explained.
“Yeah, for this championship, we had aimed to place fifth or sixth in the table. We didn’t want to get too ahead of ourselves. “So it’s critical for us to come in and win this series against Pakistan. “It’s crucial for us to win this series and move up the table, as I believe we’ll be near sixth or fifth place.”
And not just the Test Championship table, but also the Test Ranking table. We wish to go up the rankings from the bottom of the leaderboard. And it’s been a while since West Indies cricket has finished in the middle of the standings, say sixth or fifth. So we really want to get back up there and make the nation proud.
The West Indies have reduced their roster from 16 against Sri Lanka to 15 for the series against Pakistan. Alzarri Joseph “declined selection,” according to head coach Daren Sammy, while John Campbell is absent due to injury and Anderson Phillip has been dropped. In their place, the West Indies have 25-year-old top-order batsman Kirk McKenzie and uncapped 26-year-old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop.
McKenzie, who played six Tests between 2023 and 2024, was the sixth-highest scorer in the current West Indies (first-class) Championship with 323 runs in six innings, including two centuries for Jamaica, while Bishop was the fourth-highest wicket-taker with 16 strikes in six innings for Barbados.
“McKenzie has already played international cricket and is returning. But this will be Bishop’s first time. So we’re just hoping to boost these players’ confidence and rally around them, because, obviously, coming into a new venue and returning can be nerve-racking,” Chase explained. “So we just want to embrace them and wish them well in the series if they do get the opportunity to play.
“But these two guys had an outstanding series in the WI Championship, which just ended. “They need to build on their confidence gained from previous performances and bring it here.” I simply want them to be the same person they were when they played those four-day games. Just try to bring the same mindset. And simply be yourself, be genuine, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. And I believe they will go well.
