Who Will Replace Brendan Doggett in Australia's Windies Test Squad?

Melbourne, June 15 (NationPress) Brendan Doggett has been sidelined from Australia’s forthcoming Test series against the West Indies due to a hip injury, prompting the inclusion of Sean Abbott as his substitute.

While Doggett’s injury is labeled as "minor," he will return to Australia instead of joining the squad in the Caribbean. Initially, he had served as the traveling reserve for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and was anticipated to be part of the touring team for the West Indies series.

Doggett concluded the 2024–25 season impressively, claiming 11 wickets for 140 runs in the Sheffield Shield final for South Australia. His remarkable performances during the summer had reinstated him in national conversations, and he was seen as a contender for his Test debut on this tour.

Abbott, who has yet to earn his Test cap, was previously included in Australia’s squads for the tours of Sri Lanka and the home series against India. He is often viewed as one of the more unfortunate players who have not yet received a Test cap.

The Australian team is scheduled to travel to Barbados in the middle of next week, with the first Test set to commence on June 25. The series will also feature matches in Grenada and culminate in Jamaica, where the final match will be conducted as a day-night Test.

Depending on the pitch conditions, Australia may modify their bowling lineup throughout the series. If spin-friendly surfaces arise, left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann could join Nathan Lyon, along with two frontline fast bowlers. The inclusion of allrounder Beau Webster would offer an additional seam option if necessary.

"What can we expect in the Caribbean? We haven't visited since 2016, so there’s a hint of uncertainty, but we believe we have a squad that can cover all aspects," said head coach Andrew McDonald.

Australia will also need to evaluate Steven Smith’s fitness upon arrival, after suffering a compound dislocation on the third day at Lord’s, which has raised concerns about his availability for the opening Test. Fortunately, he avoided a fracture that could have required surgery. While he must wear a splint for eight weeks, there’s a chance he could resume batting in about two weeks.

"It just split the skin and dislocated it, which made me feel quite ill at that moment. I’ll be in a splint for eight weeks now but may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks, depending on functionality and what I can manage, but it’s probably the best outcome I could have hoped for," Smith informed the ICC.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.