Amir Jangoo has been called up for the first time to the West Indies Test team for the two-match series against Pakistan, which starts in Karachi on January 16. Gudakesh Motie, a left-arm spinner who missed the two-match series against Bangladesh at home last month, is back in the lineup. Along with Jomel Warrican and Kevin Sinclair, Motie will be the captain of the West Indies spin-bowling team.
Jangoo and Motie replaces Shamra and Alzarri
Jangoo and Motie replaced Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph's pace bowling duo. Cricket West Indies (CWI) reports that Alzarri is unavailable "due to other obligations," while Shamar is sidelined by shin splints that prevented him from playing in the ODI series against Bangladesh earlier this month.
In 2023–24, Jangoo was rewarded for his steady play in the domestic four-day league. He became Trinidad & Tobago’s top run scorer with 500 runs in five games at an average of 63.50, including two hundred and a fifty. Jangoo recently helped the West Indies ace their third-highest chase in the format by smashing a century in his ODI debut against Bangladesh.
"Motie rejoins the squad to bolster the spin attack, while Jangoo's selection comes on the back of his consistency across formats in regional cricket, as well as his demonstrated high level of competency against spin bowling. For the Test series against Pakistan in January 2025, the focus is on building on what we have done well, and transforming the learnings from 2024 into tangible results," West Indies head coach Andre Coley said.
The remainder of the team stays in their designated lines. Joshua Da Silva will be Kraigg Brathwaite's deputy. The core of the batting lineup will consist of Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Alick Athanaze, and Mikyle Louis. Kemar Roach, accompanied by Jayden Seales and Anderson Phillip, will spearhead the onslaught on the fast-bowling front.
The West Indies' first Test series in Pakistan in almost eighteen years will take place during the tour next year. Despite playing Pakistan in a Test series in the United Arab Emirates in October 2016, they have not played Test matches in Pakistan since November 2006. The forthcoming Tests are the last round of the current World Test Championship 2023–25 cycle. The 15-man West Indies team is scheduled to leave on January 2 and reach Islamabad on January 6. Before the sides leave for Multan, where the second Test will be contested from January 24 to 28, Pakistan and the West Indies will play their first Test match in Karachi from January 16 to 20.
West Indies Test squad against Pakistan
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Joshua Da Silva (vc), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Amir Jangoo, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican
