New West Indies Test captain likely to be announced this week

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is on the verge of appointing a new captain for the West Indies Test team, with an announcement anticipated within the next week.

CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow expressed confidence in the ongoing selection process, highlighting its comprehensive and structured nature.

Speaking on WESN TV’s Face of Sports show on Friday (May 9), Shallow confirmed the timeline for the crucial appointment.

“We are hopeful that by the end of next week, the Board will receive recommendations for the Test captain,” Shallow stated.

“The last update I got from the Director of Cricket [Miles Bascombe] is that the process is going pretty well.”

The selection process, described as rigorous by Shallow, marks a new approach for CWI in identifying leadership candidates.

Six players have reportedly been shortlisted and are currently undergoing a series of interviews and assessments.

These candidates include Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, John Campbell, Jomel Warrican, Tevin Imlach, and Justin Greaves.

The assessment panel conducting the interviews comprises Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Cricket Committee chairman Enoch Lewis, head coach Daren Sammy, and CEO Chris Dehring.

However, the final recommendations for the captaincy role will be put forward by Bascombe and Sammy.

Shallow emphasized that the process extends beyond merely filling the captaincy position. “This is the very first time we are going through this sort of process for identifying a Test captain,” he explained.

“What I want the public to understand is that it is not just done with eyes on the Test captaincy only; it is actually a process where these people who are identified as potential leaders will be able to get a level of exposure to the requirements and the criteria that we look for in a player to appoint them as captain.”

He further underscored the weight of the Test captaincy. “The Test captain is a significant role. It’s not just cricket on the field, but they are representing the entire region off the field as well, so we want to give them an insight as to what is required of them when they are considered.” A psychometric test is also noted as a component of this in-depth process.

Dr. Shallow believes that even those not ultimately selected will benefit from the exercise, gaining valuable insight to help them develop as future leaders within the West Indies cricket framework.

 “It is really impressive stuff by the technical team, and hopefully, it can produce a very successful Test captain for us and hopefully, put the others who are up for consideration on a path that they would know what they need to do to be a captain in the future or whenever the opportunity arises,” he added. (Modified SportsMax article)