Steve Smith was injured during the WTC Final last week.
Australia have named their squad for the first Test match against the West Indies, starting Wednesday, June 25 in Barbados. Big names like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne will not be playing in this match. Both Smith and Labuschagne were part of Australia’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Final against South Africa a week ago.
Steve Smith will miss the first Test against the West Indies after hurting his finger while fielding during the WTC Final against South Africa. He dislocated the little finger on his right hand on the third day and could not continue in the match. Though he did not need surgery and has travelled with the team to the Caribbean, doctors have told him to use a splint for eight weeks. There is still some hope he could play the second Test in Grenada from July 3, if he is able to bat while wearing the splint.
“Steve needs more time for the wound to heal so we’ll give him another week’s rest and assess his functionality after that,” selector George Bailey said.
Marnus Labuschagne has been left out of the squad for the opening Test against the West Indies. He was given the role of opener in the WTC Final but failed to make an impact, scoring just 17 and 22. Both times, he was dismissed by Marco Jansen. His last Test century came during the 2023 Ashes at Old Trafford, and he has struggled to deliver consistent performances since then.
Bailey added that while Labuschagne is a key player when performing well, he is aware that his recent displays have fallen short. Bailey mentioned that the coaching staff will keep working with him on the areas he needs to improve. He added that they still have confidence in Labuschagne’s talent and believe he will bounce back.
“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. 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 said in a statement.
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Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis have been added to the squad for the first Test. Inglis made a strong start to his Test career by scoring a century on debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year. Konstas also caught attention when he faced Jasprit Bumrah confidently in front of a big crowd on Boxing Day.
Konstas was not picked for the Sri Lanka series as Australia chose Travis Head to open because of spin-friendly conditions. But, coach Andrew McDonald later said Konstas was considered for the WTC final before they decided to go with Labuschagne.
Now, Konstas is expected to open the innings with Usman Khawaja in the first Test against the West Indies. Inglis might play in the middle order, but his position is unclear, as Cameron Green could also return. Inglis batted at No.5 and 6 during the Sri Lanka series.
Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
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