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Australia have made significant changes to their squad for the opening Test of the two-match series against the West Indies, with Steve Smith ruled out due to injury and Marnus Labuschagne dropped following a poor run of form.
The first Test will begin on June 25 in Barbados and marks the start of the new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2027 cycle for both teams.
Smith, who suffered a finger injury during the WTC Final against South Africa, has not recovered in time to feature in the series opener. However, there are hopes that the veteran batter could return for the second Test in Grenada, starting July 3.
Meanwhile, Labuschagne has been left out of the playing XI after a prolonged dip in form. Despite being promoted to open the batting in the WTC Final at Lord’s, he could only manage scores of 17 and 22.
In their place, Australia have named Josh Inglis and Sam Konstas as replacements. Both players have impressed in recent performances and will look to make the most of this opportunity.
Chair of Selectors George Bailey confirmed the developments on Friday, stating:
“Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” Bailey said.
“We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers,” he added.
Sam Konstas made headlines after scoring a half-century against India on Boxing Day last year, while Inglis registered a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Bailey also voiced support for Labuschagne despite his exclusion.
“Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team. He understands his output hasn’t been at the level we, or he, expects,” he stated.
“We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively,” Bailey concluded.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann.
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
