Chase appointed new Windies Test captain, Warrican to serve as deputy

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has appointed 33-year-old veteran Barbadian all-rounder Roston Chase as their new West Indies Test captain, while his countryman, 32-year-old Jomel Warrican, will serve as vice-captain.

The eagerly anticipated announcement was made following a recent meeting at Kensington Oval, at which Chase was unanimously approved by the CWI Board of Directors.

CWI chose Chase over five other candidates for the job: John Campbell, Tevin Imlach, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, and Warrican, after former captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s surprising resignation earlier this year.

The middle-order batsman and off-spinner has played 49 Test matches since making his debut against India in 2016. He has scored 2265 runs at an average of 26.33 and taken 85 wickets at an economy rate of 3.45.

His first match as captain will be when the West Indies take on world number one Australia in a three-match Test series at Kensington Oval beginning June 25.

Meanwhile, his deputy, left-arm spinner Warrican, has played 19 Test matches and taken 73 wickets at an economy rate of 3.05.

CWI also revealed that Shai Hope, the current ODI and T201 captain, respectfully declined consideration to focus on his existing leadership roles.

The final recommendation was based on a weighted scoring system across six key areas: leadership, respect within the team, cricket knowledge, personal conduct, media and communication skills, and the results of the psychometric evaluation.

The top-ranked candidates were recommended as captain and vice-captain and subsequently approved by the CWI Board.

CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow said, “This selection process is one of the most comprehensive and forward-thinking we have undertaken.”

“I am deeply impressed by the professionalism, objectivity, and strategic thinking that shaped the final decision. It sets a new benchmark for leadership appointments in West Indies cricket,” Dr Shallow added.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy fully endorses this appointment and is looking forward to working with the new captain.