MELBOURNE: West Indies will blood at least four debutants in the first Test against Australia next month after naming seven uncapped players in a 15-man squad for the two-match series.

Languishing at eighth in the world rankings, the Caribbeans’ hopes of ending a 20-year losing streak against Australia appear faint with all-rounders Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers electing to skip the series to play franchise T20 cricket.

Fast bowler Jayden Seales, meanwhile, is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

“The squad has been affected by the unavailability of some key players,” lead selector Desmond Haynes said in a statement. “However, we have had a very strong red-ball program being run over the past year, which has unearthed significant talent throughout the region.”

The uncapped players in the Kraigg Brathwaite-captained squad are batsman Zachary McCaskie, wicket-keeper Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge and Kevin Sinclair; and fast bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.

Australia’s least experienced player in the 11 that thrashed Pakistan by 360 runs in the first test in Perth on Sunday is 26-Test wicket-keeper Alex Carey.

The West Indies series starts at Adelaide Oval on Jan. 17 before moving to the Gabba in Brisbane from Jan. 25.

Australia completed their seventh consecutive whitewash of the West Indies in Tests in the last home summer with wins in Perth and Adelaide.

The Caribbeans’ last Test win over Australia came in their 3-1 home series loss in 2003, while their last victory in Australia was in 1997.

Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alzarri Joseph, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua DaSilva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023