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Cricket West Indies (CWI) has ushered in a new leadership era for its Test team by appointing seasoned all-rounder Roston Chase as captain and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican as vice-captain. The leadership change, officially ratified by the CWI Board of Directors on Friday (May 16), comes just before the start of the upcoming ICC World Test Championship cycle. West Indies will begin their home Test series against Australia on June 25 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
West Indies’ new Test captain to replace Kraigg Brathwaite
This development follows the recent resignation of long-time skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, opening the door for 33-year-old Chase to make a return to Test cricket. Chase, who last played a Test match in March 2023 against South Africa, will mark his 50th appearance in the longest format as he steps into the captaincy role. Known for his right-handed batting and off-spin, Chase has previously led the team in white-ball cricket, but this is his first stint as a permanent Test captain.
Joining him in leadership is 33-year-old Warrican. A consistent performer since his debut in 2015, Warrican brings strategic insight and experience to the role of vice-captain. His left-arm orthodox spin has been a vital component of the Windies’ bowling attack.
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Cricket West Indies shortlist six players for the leadership roles
CWI described the selection process as innovative and data-driven, incorporating a rigorous evaluation model. Six players were shortlisted for the leadership roles based on their Test records, leadership abilities, and prior captaincy experience: John Campbell, Tevin Imlach, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Roston Chase and Jomel Warrican. Although white-ball captain Shai Hope was also considered, he chose not to participate, opting to focus on his existing responsibilities.
Finalists underwent a series of evaluations, including psychometric assessments, structured interviews, and scoring across six core competencies: leadership, team respect, cricketing acumen, behaviour, communication skills, and psychological profiling. Chase and Warrican secured the highest combined scores, leading to their unanimous selection as the new Test leadership duo.
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