Barbados: West Indies head coach Darren Sammy is confident that Test captain Roston Chase will be fit for the two-match series against Pakistan despite recovering from an injury to his right index finger.
Chase missed the recent ODI series against New Zealand due to injury, but Sammy believes the all-rounder is on track to lead the team in the opening Test.
“I talked to Roston earlier today,” Sammy said.
“He came to work out. It’s still a bit chubby, but Roston is a fighter. I know he won’t want to miss any Test cricket.
“I’m sure Dr Byam (team physio Denis Byam) has a way of keeping guys on the park so I’m sure Roston will be ready for the first Test.”
West Indies will now turn their attention to the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) after losing the ODI series 3-2 against New Zealand at home. The two-match Test series against Pakistan will begin on July 25 at Dharuba.
West Indies are currently eighth in the WTC rankings, while Pakistan sit at the bottom of the table. Sammy hailed 19-year-old left-arm spinner Vittel Laws for a brilliant debut ODI series.
Lawes, who caught the eye during the ICC Men’s Under-19 T20 World Cup earlier this year, was a surprise inclusion in the New Zealand series and repaid the selectors’ faith with eight wickets in five matches.
“I’m proud of what he’s done,” Sammy said.
“Getting an opportunity for a kid who’s never played in a region where you don’t know how quickly an athlete can develop.
“We didn’t pick laws from the heart. The processes we followed in fast-tracking his development, a lot of people didn’t see that.
“I told Lawes after the series that I was very proud of him. It’s great to take eight wickets and look like he belongs at this stage and contribute when we’re trying to build players.
“I’m very proud of what he did in his first series.”
The West Indies coach hailed Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfan Rutherford for their match-winning contributions in the final ODI, but urged the two middle-order batsmen to make such performances more consistent.
Hetmyer remained unbeaten on 69, while Rutherford smashed 64 as West Indies successfully chased down 269 to end the series on a winning note.
“When you see someone like Hetty playing like that, when you see Sherfan playing like that, you ask yourself why it’s not more consistent,” Sami said.
“It’s always been a constant battle for me. When are they going to become consistent? When are we going to stop giving chances?
“But given the talent they have, it’s very difficult not to make the team. I’m very happy.”
Pakistan Tour of West Indies – Test Series Schedule: