Trinidad and Tobago Red Force captain and West Indies wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva said it will be an honour to serve as the Windies Test captain if he is chosen to replace former skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.
The 32-year-old Brathwaite, who has played 98 Tests for the Windies, resigned from the post on March 31. Brathwaite had considered stepping down as captain during the West Indies’ two-Test tour to Pakistan in January, but was encouraged to delay the decision by Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Kishore Shallow.
With 33 Tests to his name, the 26-year-old Da Silva was the vice-captain for the tour of Pakistan. However, Da Silva didn’t play in either Test as Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Tevin Imlach took up wicket-keeping duties.
At a press briefing for the West Indies T20 Breakout League at the Hilton Conference and Trinidad Centre in Port of Spain on April 24, Da Silva was asked about murmurs which suggest that he would be the West Indies’ next red-ball leader.
“I was the vice-captain up until the…I was still the vice-captain going into Pakistan, so my name might be in the hat, but if it happens, it happens,” said Da Silva, who will lead TT Legions in the T20 Breakout tournament.
“I’ll take it. It’s an honour and pride to represent the West Indies as skipper. If it doesn’t happen, it’s life. I’m just excited and I want to play cricket for West Indies, if it is as skipper or as a player. I’m just happy to play.”
After watching on from the sidelines as the West Indies salvaged a 1-1 draw in the Test series against Pakistan, Da Silva returned with a vengeance in the regional season as he plundered 583 runs in the 2025 West Indies Four-Day Championship season to finish second on the run-scoring charts behind Red Force teammate Jason Mohammed (679 runs). Da Silva scored three centuries and two fifties in ten innings and averaged 64.77.
“Being left out of the starting XI in Pakistan was tough, but sometimes things happen to make you want to work harder,” Da Silva said. “So for me, it was just to come back and go back to the drawing board and come back to First Class cricket and dominate that format. It was to show (the selectors) that look, it’s okay, I’m fine and I’m good mentally.”
On the back of his strong regional season, Da Silva is keen on donning the maroon cap again.
“Just how I’m going to get back into that Test team is the question. I did all I can, I believe. I’ve put my hand up and it’s up them to select me.”
Although the Red Force pair of Mohammed and left-arm spinner Khary Pierre (41 wickets) topped the respective batting and bowling charts, Red Force finished the four-day campaign in third spot as the Harpy Eagles clinched a hat-trick of titles.
The next item on the agenda for the Windies Test team is a crucial one, as the regional team will play Australia in a three-match series which begins on June 25 with a clash at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
On March 31, a CWI release said a new Windies Test skipper would be announced in the coming weeks. NewsDay
