Shamar Springer replaces Keemo Paul in West Indies Test squad for Bangladesh tour

Cricket West Indies have named Shamar Springer as a late addition to their Test squad for the upcoming two-match series in Bangladesh, with seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul departing the touring party for personal and family reasons. The board confirmed the change on October 18, 2026.

Paul had himself only recently joined the squad as a replacement for Alzarri Joseph, who was withdrawn for workload-management reasons. Springer now steps in to fill the vacancy left by Paul's exit.

West Indies will also be without Shai Hope, who has been rested for the series, with Roston Chase leading the side and Jomel Warrican serving as vice-captain.

Why was Springer selected ahead of other candidates?

Cricket West Indies considered Ojay Shields and Nial Smith as alternatives before settling on Springer, with both players ruled out due to injuries at the time of selection. The 28-year-old has not yet appeared in a Test match but carries meaningful white-ball experience, having represented West Indies in three ODIs and 12 T20Is.

Springer's first-class record underpins the call-up: across 23 matches he has accumulated 1,043 runs at an average of 32.59 and claimed 58 wickets at 27.87, confirming his standing as a genuine allrounder at that level. His form in the 2026 West Indies Championship strengthened the case further — in four games he scored 251 runs at an average of 50.20, and across eight innings he picked up seven wickets at 42.00 with the ball.

What does the Bangladesh schedule look like for West Indies?

West Indies travel to Bangladesh directly after completing a white-ball assignment in India. They finished that tour on October 17, 2026, when the fifth T20I in Bengaluru was abandoned without a ball bowled. West Indies had lost the ODI leg 2-1 and shared the T20I series 2-2.

In Bangladesh, the squad will begin preparations with a three-day practice match in Dhaka running from October 22 to 24. The first Test follows at Mirpur from October 28 to November 1, and the second Test is scheduled at Sylhet from November 5 to 9.

Updated West Indies Test squad for Bangladesh tour:

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, Kevin Wickham.