Alzarri Joseph, Shai Hope to miss Bangladesh Tests

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West Indies will be without Alzarri Joseph and Shai Hope for their two-Test tour of Bangladesh, with fast bowler Joseph withdrawn with an eye on managing his workload and white-ball captain Hope rested ahead of next year’s World Cup Qualifier.

Joseph’s absence follows a routine medical assessment and consultation with specialists. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has opted to manage the pacer’s workload, citing the greater physical demands of Test cricket and the risk of injury from bowling repeated high-intensity spells across consecutive matches.

The 29-year-old will continue working with the team’s medical staff and specialists as he prepares for a return to the longest format. His availability for shorter formats has not been ruled out.

All-rounder Keemo Paul has been brought into the 15-member squad in Joseph’s place.

Hope, meanwhile, has been rested after an extended run across all three formats. CWI is managing his workload ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for February 2027.

The series will also offer Kevin Wickham his first opportunity to break into the West Indies Test side. The 23-year-old earned his maiden call-up after an impressive domestic campaign in which he struck three consecutive centuries in the 2026 West Indies Championship, taking his first-class tally to six hundreds in 25 matches.

Meanwhile, John Campbell returns to the group after recovering from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the home series against Pakistan.

West Indies are currently eighth in the World Test Championship standings. Head coach Daren Sammy said a strong result in their final WTC assignment of this cycle in Bangladesh would help the side move closer to their target of finishing in the top half of the table.

“At the start of this World Test Championship cycle we set ourselves goals, and one of them was to finish in the top half of the rankings. Winning this series would move us closer to it. Playing Bangladesh in their own conditions will be challenging, and we’re ready for that,” Sammy said.

The visitors will begin their campaign with the first Test in Mirpur on October 28. The second match is scheduled to be played in Sylhet from November 5 to 9.

West Indies squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Joshua Bishop, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kevin Wickham