Shamar Springer earns maiden West Indies Test call-up as Keemo Paul withdraws
Synopsis
Shamar Springer finally gets his Test shot — the 28-year-old allrounder, overlooked in white-ball outings despite solid first-class returns, steps into a Bangladesh Test squad vacancy created by Keemo Paul's personal-reasons exit. With 1,043 first-class runs and 58 wickets to his name, he arrives as a ready-made lower-order option for the Windies.
Key Takeaways
Shamar Springer , 28, receives his maiden West Indies Test squad call-up for the Bangladesh series starting 28 October 2026 .
Keemo Paul withdrew from the tour for personal and family reasons.
Ojay Shields and Nial Smith were also considered but ruled out due to injuries, per Cricket West Indies .
Springer's first-class record stands at 1,043 runs (avg 32.59) and 58 wickets (avg 27.87) across 23 matches .
The first Test is at Mirpur from 28 October to 1 November ; the second Test is in Sylhet from 5 to 9 November .
Shamar Springer has received his maiden call-up to the West Indies Test squad for the two-match series in Bangladesh, after all-rounder Keemo Paul returned home for personal and family reasons. Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed the change on 18 October, ahead of the tour beginning with a warm-up fixture in Dhaka on 22 October.
Why Springer Was Called Up
'Shamar Springer has earned a maiden call-up to the West Indies Test team for the tour of Bangladesh. Springer replaces Keemo Paul, who will return home for personal & family reasons,' Cricket West Indies said in an official statement. CWI also confirmed that Ojay Shields and Nial Smith were considered as alternatives but were ruled out due to injuries.
Springer's Credentials
The 28-year-old seam-bowling allrounder has previously represented the Windies in three ODIs and 12 T20Is but has never featured in Test cricket. His first-class record, however, underlines his all-round value: across 23 matches, Springer has accumulated 1,043 runs at an average of 32.59 and taken 58 wickets at 27.87.
His form in the 2026 West Indies Championship was particularly notable with the bat. Representing Barbados, he scored 251 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 50.20, though his bowling returns were more modest — seven wickets across eight innings at an average of 42.00.
West Indies' Recent White-Ball Form
Both Springer and Paul were part of the West Indies squad on their recent white-ball tour of India. The Windies lost the three-match ODI series 2-1 before drawing the five-match T20I series 2-2, with the final T20I in Bengaluru abandoned due to rain. The Bangladesh Test series now offers the team a fresh opportunity to regroup in the red-ball format.
Tour Schedule and Full Squad
The West Indies will begin their Test tour with a three-day warm-up fixture in Dhaka from 22 to 24 October. The first Test is scheduled at Mirpur from 28 October to 1 November, followed by the second Test in Sylhet from 5 to 9 November.
The updated West Indies Test squad reads: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Joshua Bishop, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Amir Jangoo (wk), Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Shamar Springer, and Kevin Wickham.
Springer's inclusion adds depth to the West Indies pace-bowling attack and their lower-order batting, with the series against Bangladesh providing him a long-awaited opportunity to make his Test debut.
Point of View
Leaving a domestic standout as the only viable option. His first-class average of 32.59 with the bat and 27.87 with the ball are respectable, but his 2026 Championship bowling figures of 42.00 suggest he may be a batting-first option in the Test eleven. The real question is whether CWI's pipeline is producing enough red-ball specialists, or whether the relentless T20 calendar is hollowing out the depth that Test cricket demands.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Shamar Springer called up to the West Indies Test squad?
Springer was called up after Keemo Paul withdrew from the Bangladesh tour for personal and family reasons. Cricket West Indies also confirmed that two other candidates, Ojay Shields and Nial Smith, were ruled out due to injuries, making Springer the next-best available option.
Has Shamar Springer played Test cricket before?
No, this is Springer's maiden Test squad call-up. The 28-year-old has previously featured in three ODIs and 12 T20Is for the West Indies but has never played a Test match at international level.
What is Shamar Springer's first-class record?
Across 23 first-class matches, Springer has scored 1,043 runs at an average of 32.59 and taken 58 wickets at 27.87. In the 2026 West Indies Championship, he averaged 50.20 with the bat for Barbados across four matches.
When does the West Indies vs Bangladesh Test series begin?
The series begins with a three-day warm-up fixture in Dhaka from 22 to 24 October. The first Test is scheduled at Mirpur from 28 October to 1 November, and the second Test in Sylhet from 5 to 9 November.
Who is captaining the West Indies Test squad in Bangladesh?
Roston Chase captains the side, with Jomel Warrican serving as vice-captain for the Bangladesh Test series.
