***Official*** West Indies tour of Australia, Jan–Feb 2024

[Starfighter]

Tests are on:

January 17-31 at Adelaide, starting at 1030 AEDT
January 25-29 at Brisbane, starting 1500 AEDT

ODIs are on:

Melbourne 2 February
Sydney 4 February
Canberra 6 February
All start at 1430 AEDT

West Indies test squad:

1. Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
2. Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain)
3. Tagenarine Chanderpaul
4. Kirk McKenzie
5. Alick Athanaze
6. Kavem Hodge
7. Justin Greaves
8. Joshua DaSilva
9. Akeem Jordan
10. Gudakesh Motie
11. Kemar Roach
12. Kevin Sinclair
13. Tevin Imlach
14. Shamar Joseph
15. Zachary McCaskie

 

[Starfighter]

Two thoughts:

1: why the flip is the Adelaide test starting on Wednesday?

2: devastated I won't get to see Mayers bowl his wobblers.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

2: devastated I won't get to see Mayers bowl his wobblers.

He'll still bowl them, albeit in whatever franchise he'll be playing in... curry goat cricket.

 

[Starfighter]

Even by WI standards with player absences etc McCaskie is an insane selection. 27 years old, 11 FC matches, average of 30, no centuries, doesn't bowl.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Even by WI standards with player absences etc McCaskie is an insane selection. 27 years old, 11 FC matches, average of 30, no centuries, doesn't bowl.

That average is above average for a WI batsman.

Just saying.

 

[Beamer]

Even by WI standards with player absences etc McCaskie is an insane selection. 27 years old, 11 FC matches, average of 30, no centuries, doesn't bowl.

Wait until you see Imlach and Greaves FC records......

Basically I hold out much more hope for a competitive ODI series than tests. I didn't think I'd be saying that when we couldn't qualify for the world cup, but that test squad is all kinds of bad.

I honestly wonder if Dessie is deliberately trolling Aussies and West Indians alike. We don't want to see that squad and it means the test series will be even more pointless if for Australia.

 

[Starfighter]

I momentarily forgot that Haynes was selector and 'Barbados' is his most important criterion.

When's his term end? Not soon enough, obviously.

 

[Beamer]

I momentarily forgot that Haynes was selector and 'Barbados' is his most important criterion.

When's his term end? Not soon enough, obviously.

I think he has a year left. I wonder if they can sack him?

 

[TheJediBrah]

From memory WI domestic cricket is very low-scoring and a batting average of 30 isn't as bad as it looks

 

[Qlder]

As if WI wasnt weak enough, they're coming without Holder, Mayers, Seales and Blackwood?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or Bangladesh would be more challenging opponents than this WI squad but we don't let any of them tour

I think this is their last chance and when they fail to make a spectacle we shouldn't ask them back

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or Bangladesh would be more challenging opponents than this WI squad but we don't let any of them tour

I think this is their last chance and when they fail to make a spectacle we shouldn't ask them back

Good, they should make a bet like @Adorable Asshole

 

[Qlder]

I was feeling bad that I had only heard of five of the WI squad. Then I just read that 7 players are uncapped so makes sense.

That has to be a record of some sort, 7 uncapped players on tour, it means the 1st Test will have at least 3 debutants

Edit: I thought for sure Australia's 1978 tour to WI at start of WSC split would have lots of debutants, but nope only 2 (Higgs and Laughlin)

 

[Burgey]

Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or Bangladesh would be more challenging opponents than this WI squad but we don't let any of them tour

Afghanistan should be sanctioned out of world cricket tbh.

 

[Burgey]

That has to be a record of some sort, 7 uncapped players on tour,

I think the England side of 1877 had more test debutants than this WI outfit.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think the England side of 1877 had more test debutants than this WI outfit.

Yeah they probably had at least 8, would have to check though

 

[Beamer]

Australia would be in their rights to pick a very understrength team themselves tbh. It's one thing missing players due to IPL etc, but to pick this squad is laughable.

My sympathy for Cricket Australia is limited because they are one of the main drivers of the financial inequality in international cricket nowadays, but that's a conversation for another thread.

Ignoring that, there's no doubt this will be horrible. We just have to hope Athanaze lives up to his promise and that Kraigg and Tage dig in.

 

[WICFan]

Might be the ideal time for Australia to play Lance Morris and rotate Starc and Hazlewood.

 

[Starfighter]

Might be the ideal time for Australia to play Lance Morris and rotate Starc and Hazlewood.

The reluctance to experiment with fringe players in series against weak opponents and in dead rubbers is annoying. I'd frankly like the novelty of seeing a different player, if I have no better reason.

 

[social]

I understand that this is part of the FTP but can’t believe that anyone is actually looking forward to it

Games should be played in Central Queensland in winter against whichever eleven cricketers are available at the time