Roston Chase hopeful of acing Pakistan Tests despite injury
What's the story
West Indies Test captain Roston Chase is hopeful of making an impact in the first Test against Pakistan, despite nursing an injured right index finger. The injury has kept him out of action for a while, but he is optimistic about his participation in the match, which gets underway on Saturday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. "Well, we're going to see when I get to the ground tomorrow," Chase said ahead of the game.
Performance boost
Chase relieved after finding his batting form
Chase recently found his batting form with a stellar 194 in a Test match against Sri Lanka.
The innings gave him a lot of confidence and relief, knowing he could perform for the team.
"It's a good feeling to find some form after struggling for the past year in the batting department," Chase said, adding that as a leader who leads by example, players respect him more and want to play for him even more.
Injury update
Chase's injury update ahead of the 1st Test
Chase was part of the squad for the first three ODIs against New Zealand this month but didn't play due to his injured right index finger.
He is expected to lead West Indies in the Tests against Pakistan but isn't sure if he'll be able to bowl.
"Right now, it's not 100% obviously, but I bowled a few balls yesterday and I still have a bit of pain," he said.
Team aspirations
West Indies aim to improve WTC ranking
The West Indies team, led by Chase, is currently eighth on the World Test Championship (WTC) table. They are hoping to improve their position with a series win against Pakistan.
"For this championship, we initially set out that we wanted to finish around fifth or sixth in the table," Chase said, adding that winning this series was crucial for their climb up the rankings.
Team adjustments
Changes in West Indies squad for Pakistan series
The West Indies have made some changes to their squad for the series against Pakistan.
Alzarri Joseph declined selection, John Campbell is injured, and Anderson Phillip has been dropped. They are replaced by Kirk McKenzie and Joshua Bishop.
"McKenzie had a taste of international cricket before, so he's coming back," Chase said about the new additions to his team.