Why Daren Sammy made changes for the West Indies vs Australia test series
·29 min
1. Caribbean Cricket Podcast focuses on why Darren Sammy changed the West Indies Test squad for the Australia series.
2. Marshall St. Patrick speaks as one half of the Caribbean Cricket Podcast and says he is reading the squad “forensically” rather than emotionally.
3. His core question is why so many listeners reacted with “cuss” when Sammy backed players with recent international runs.
4. He points to Brandon King, Shai Hope, and Casey Carty as examples of batters whose white-ball form influenced Test selection talk.
5. He says he asked Casey Carty in Cardiff whether he had ambitions for the Test squad after three international centuries.
6. He uses his own December 31, 2024 tweet to list West Indies batting averages from 2024.
7. Those figures include Jason Holder on 276 runs at 35, Kavem Hodge on 516 at 29, and Alec Athanase on 448 at 25.
8. He argues that the Pakistan tour dragged those numbers down and reinforced the view that the West Indies could not bat.
9. He says Sammy’s changes reflect a belief that West Indies cricket can no longer separate red-ball and white-ball talent so rigidly.
10. He argues that players with international runs should leapfrog domestic performers like Jason Mohamed.
11. He says Alec Athanase had 13 Tests and an average of 25, which is why he understands a drop.
12. He says Kavem Hodge and Brandon King both make sense in the squad, even if fans disagree.
13. He calls Kevin Anderson the one selection he would not have made yet, despite understanding the rationale.
14. He says Josh De Silva’s omission was not surprising because he was not included in the A squad.
15. The biggest concern for him is Kimar Roach’s omission from the Australia squad.
16. He says Roach is still better in Test cricket than several of the fast bowlers selected, including Alzari Joseph and Shemar Joseph.
17. He quotes Cricket West Indies saying Roach was “under consideration” but “has not been included and has been duly informed.”
18. He treats that wording as a possible end point for Roach’s Test career and says the veteran deserves honouring.
19. The episode has a fast, argumentative solo-commentary style with short asides, jokes, and direct address to critics.
20. Fans who follow West Indies selection debates, Darren Sammy, or Kimar Roach will get the most from it, while listeners wanting a calm recap of the squad may skip it.
