Kemar Roach returns to Test after 11 months:West Indies announce 14-member squad for New Zealand tour; 3-match series begins on 2 December

The West Indies has announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming three-Test series against New Zealand in December. The big highlight of the selection is the return of veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach, who last played a Test in January this year against Pakistan in Multan. His presence is expected to bring much-needed experience to the team’s young pace attack. The tour will be a challenging one for the visitors, especially with two of their key pacers, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, missing the series due to injuries. Without them, the West Indies management is relying heavily on Roach to lead the bowling unit in tough New Zealand conditions. This Test series is also significant as part of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The West Indies sit at the bottom after losing all five Tests played so far, and this tour offers a chance to begin a turnaround. Roach strengthens an inexperienced pace attack With 85 Test matches to his name, Kemar Roach becomes the most experienced pacer in the squad. His comeback is seen as a major boost, especially in the absence of Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, who were expected to lead the attack but are unavailable due to injury. Also read: Shubman Gill ruled out, Pant to make red-ball captaincy debut: Barsapara Stadium to host first Test match in Guwahati; South Africa lead series 1-0 Cricket West Indies believes Roach’s experience in different conditions will help guide the younger bowlers on the tour. Ojay Shields earns maiden call-up Fast bowler Ojay Shields, aged 29, has been included in the Test squad for the first time. Shields recently participated in a high-performance camp held in Antigua, where several players, including Roach, trained under similar conditions expected in New Zealand. His strong performance at the camp impressed the selectors and earned him his maiden call-up. All-rounder Kavem Hodge also makes his return to the Test team, while left-arm spinner Khary Pierre has been dropped. Tour preparations underway for 3-match Test series Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said New Zealand has always been a difficult place for visiting teams because of its pace-friendly pitches. The high-performance camp was designed to prepare the players for such challenging conditions. The squad will arrive in New Zealand on November 20 and is scheduled to play a two-day warm-up match against New Zealand XI. Many members of the squad are already in the country as part of the ongoing ODI series. Also read: IND-A vs BAN-A, Rising Stars Asia Cup, semi-final preview: All eyes on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s performance against lethal Bangladesh bowling attack Crucial series for WTC campaign of 2027 cycle This three-Test series marks the start of New Zealand’s WTC campaign, while West Indies look to earn their first points of the cycle. With the stakes high and challenges ahead, the return of experienced players like Roach and Hodge could play an important role in the team’s performance. West Indies Test squad for New Zealand tour Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Allick Athanaze, John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Brandon King, Johann Lyne, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Sheields