WI vs Pak 1st WTC Test – Daren Sammy speaks on Joshua Bishop and Kirk McKenzie and honouring Garry Sobers’ memory

West Indies have won just one game out of ten in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and are eighth on the nine-team table. But with ninth-placed Pakistan with a new/old captain in Babar Azam at the helm in front of them, West Indies coach Daren Sammy is hopeful of moving up the table even if his stated target when he took over as head coach in December 2024 (he started in April 2025) was to try and win the next WTC (2027-29).

“Look, everything is a process. When I took on this job, when I look at the first three Test series we had: Australia here in difficult conditions, West Indies in India, West Indies in New Zealand. Phew! That was three really challenging ones,” Sammy said ahead of the first Test against Pakistan, starting on Saturday at Tarouba’s Brian Lara Stadium, the venue hosting a Test for the first time. “And also the players would have had to get the opportunities to finetune the team and have them gel well together.

“We could see some light coming through, especially with the Sri Lanka series [which West Indies won 1-0 in early July]. Now we have Pakistan. Looking at the world rankings, we’re probably four or five points behind getting into the top six of the table [they are eighth and just three points from getting to No. 6]. The team knows what we’re looking to achieve. And each player understands the role that they’re playing in us achieving that.

“So, for me, my process has always been simple: understand what the direction we want to go, with my conversations with the director, conversations with the captain and the players, and how we go about doing it. So if you see me looking calm all the time, it’s because I understand what we as a group are trying to do and not the noise from the outside.”

Wicketkeeper-batter Amir Jangoo picked up a shoulder injury during the ODI series against New Zealand, which followed the Tests against Sri Lanka, and while he hasn’t been ruled out of the Pakistan Tests, it is a concern, especially after his double-century paved much of the way for West Indies to beat Sri Lanka by an innings in the first Test. Joshua Da Silva is in the squad too, but Shai Hope could well be asked “for a couple more favours” to step in behind the stumps to help with the team balance. In the two Sri Lanka Tests, Da Silva had kept wicket in the first Test and Hope in the second.

“With the injury to Jangoo, it brings another ask of probably Shai Hope to take on the mantle of the gloves again,” Sammy said. “I’m speaking to him. I’m trying to ask him for a couple more favours, because you’ve got to also consider his workload, keeping in mind the other two formats and asking him to score some real runs. It’s a conversation we’ll have.

“I think knowing Shai, it will come out on the positive end of things for him taking up the gloves. But it’s a conversation myself, Joshua Da Silva, Amir Jangoo have had about the way forward.

“[Jangoo] is still available. Like I said, Dr [Dennis] Byam [the physiotherapist] has a way of keeping people on the park. So hopefully… Jangoo missed out the last game in the ODI series, but he’s batting out there in the nets. So hopefully he’s still available for selection.”

For the Pakistan Tests, left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop has received a maiden call-up, and top-order batter Kirk McKenzie has returned after last playing in 2024.

“Yes, Joshua Bishop has been really knocking at the doors every season. And obviously with the venues that we have here now – the second Test is in Port of Spain – it brings an opportunity for us to probably even play two genuine spinners and Roston [Chase] as the captain as well,” Sammy said. “And Joshua Bishop’s contribution and performances brings him and forces his way into the Test team.

“And young McKenzie, really bright prospect for us. He was in the team before. I remember watching him scoring a fighting half-century [41] in that Test match we won in Australia where Shamar Joseph had his historic moment. He kind of lost form. And then throughout the last two or three years, the work he’s put in…. And obviously, unfortunately for John Campbell, who was looking good in the last Test series, got injured. So McKenzie gets an opportunity to be in the squad.

“But again, moving forward, [the plan] is to try to create or have that pool of players where if one person is missing, the role doesn’t change. Somebody else could come in and fill up that role.”

“We just lost a great one in Sir Garry. What he contributed to the Test game… because of him, we got so many followers, so many lovers of cricket. He contributed so much to that,” Sammy said. “So throughout this series, we’ll be playing, trying to honour his legacy and trying to put performances that he would be proud of.”

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