West Indies Test cricket vice-captain Jomel Warrican is in line to play his first Kensington Oval Test match. The 33-year-old Barbadian left-arm spinner all but confirmed his selection for the opening Test against Australia which begins next Wednesday in Barbados.
Capped 19 times in the longest format of the game, Warrican is looking forward to gracing ‘The Mecca’ for what will also be his 100th first-class match, another massive milestone.
Being selected as the specialist spinner in the squad and deputy to new skipper Roston Chase, the opening match and subsequent Tests in Grenada and Jamaica are arguably Warrican’s largest mandate of his career.
The long-standing Barbados cricketer has been in and out of the West Indies team since his debut at Colombo against Sri Lanka in 2015 at age 23.
Ten years on, the wily slow bowler will hope to be a permanent fixture in head coach’s Daren Sammy new-look Test team, especially after his 19 wickets in Pakistan earned him the Player of the Series Award in a historic 1-1 series result against the opposition.
The top-ranked Australia however, presents a totally different challenge to Pakistan, the number seven ranked Test team.
Not dwelling on previous fortunes, Warrican recognises that conditions in the Caribbean will not be as helpful as in the subcontinent.
“It is just about understanding my role and knowing what role I have to play in the team. More than likely, in the Caribbean it will be a holding role to give the pacers some rest, so I just want to perform my role to the best of my ability,” he said.
“It is my 100th first-class game that is going to be played in Barbados so it is a special feeling so I am looking forward to that challenge and to just enjoy the moment. I cannot get caught up in the moment; you just have to stick to your role. At the end of the day, you have a job to do for the team.”
The Australians will be without their best bat for the first Test as Steve Smith has been ruled out after dislocating his finger while fielding at slip, in the World Test Championship final defeat to South Africa on June 14.
Smith’s absence is a big boost for the Caribbean side as the 36-year old has an average of 124.57 in nine matches against the West Indies.
On his only visit to the Caribbean in 2015, Smith scored 283 across four innings, two of them unbeaten, with a high score of 199 in Kingston, Jamaica where the third and final Test of the upcoming series will be played.
Australia have also dropped Marnus Labuschagne. The 30-year-old’s numbers have dropped off since holding the ICC number one Test batsman spot in 2023.
Warrican acknowledged Smith’s absence, but said there would be no major adjustments.
“You still have to take every player seriously. Yes, Steve Smith is a big miss for Australia but we have to make sure that we take every batsman just as seriously as him [Smith],” he said.
rohansonnwaithe@barbadostoday.bb
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