Key duo missing as West Indies name Test squad for Bangladesh

West Indies have named a 15-member squad for their upcoming two-match ICC World Test Championship series in Bangladesh.

The matches are the final two fixtures the West Indies have in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and the Caribbean side may opt to blood uncapped batter Kevin Wickham after he was included in the playing group that will once again by led by captain Roston Chase.

White-ball skipper Shai Hope will miss the series that commences in Mirpur on October 28 as he is rested ahead of the upcoming ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier event, while star fast bowler Alzarri Joseph also misses out due to fitness concerns.

Joseph's place in the squad is taken by all-rounder Keemo Paul, with the West Indies clarifying the decision on the tall right-armer further in their media release.

"Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been withdrawn from the series following a routine medical assessment and specialist consultation," the release confirmed.

"With Joseph’s agreement, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has taken the decision to manage his workload, seeking to avert the risk of injury associated with the increased physical demands of red-ball cricket. 

"While he is not ruled out from shorter formats, the medical team has stated that the demands of two consecutive Test matches in Bangladesh, which require fast bowlers to sustain repeated high-intensity spells over extended periods, present a significantly greater workload and injury risk than the shorter white-ball formats. 

"Joseph will continue working with the CWI medical team and specialists in preparation for a full return to the longer format."

The West Indies currently sit in eighth place on the World Test Championship standings and head coach Daren Sammy is hopeful of some positive results in Bangladesh so his side can improve their position in the ongoing cycle.

“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," Sammy said.

"Winning this series would move us closer to it. Playing Bangladesh in their own conditions will be challenging, and we’re ready for that.”

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

Series schedule:

First Test: October 28 - November 1, Mirpur
Second Test: November 5-9, Sylhet