West Indies' newly appointed Test captain, Roston Chase, has stated that he does not feel any pressure as his team prepares to host the formidable Australia for a three-match Test series beginning on Wednesday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Chase is returning to Test cricket after a two-year hiatus, and his first challenge is against Australia, marking the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle at home.
Despite acknowledging Australia as the No. 1 Test team, Chase insisted he will focus on playing his best cricket.
"I wouldn바카라t call it pressure. They are obviously the top team in the world. We are looking to go out there, play our best cricket, and execute the plans discussed in our team meetings, along with the data we've been provided," he told Outlook during a digital press conference, felicitated by FanCode, the official streaming partner for the WI vs AUS series, on Monday.
"We just want to give a full 100 per cent effort and play some hard cricket."
At 33 years old, the all-rounder admitted that he has never captained a senior team in Test cricket, but he believes in his leadership skills. "I바카라ve never captained a senior team in terms of the West Indies or the Barbados team in Tests. However, I바카라ve led eight other teams in the West Indies before. I think I바카라m a good leader. I바카라m not perfect, but I am still learning," said Chase.
He was appointed as the successor to Kraigg Brathwaite to lead the West Indies Test side in May, with Jomel Warrican named as his deputy. Brathwaite stepped down after a four-year tenure, during which the team finished eighth in the most recent WTC (2023-25) standings.
Chase expressed confidence in utilising his limited experience from leading teams in white-ball formats to inspire the Windies. "I did most of my captaincy in my early days, like at the school and local division levels. I think I have a calm style as a captain, and I know how to bring out the best in the players," he added.
He also disclosed that he had discussions with head coach Darren Sammy before taking over the captaincy from Brathwaite.
"The conversations I had regarding captaincy were with coach Darren Sammy and Miles Bascombe from the board. I바카라ve been out for two years, but Sammy approached me about returning because I always wanted to play Test cricket again. I was exploring white-ball formats and franchise cricket for a bit. He asked me about coming back, and after considering it, I decided to return," he explained.
Chase revealed that he is 바카라very excited바카라 to take on this new role, noting that he wasn바카라t ready for it last year. "I was thrilled to receive the captaincy. It바카라s a prestigious position, one that many greats before me have held. It was a proud moment for me when I got the news."
Additionally, Shai Hope, the ODI captain, has also taken over as T20I skipper from Rovman Powell and has been included in the Windies Test squad for this series.
West Indies Test Squad: Roston Chase (c), Kraigg Brathwaite, Mikyle Louis, Brandon King, John Campbell, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Jomel Warrican, Kevlon Anderson, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales
