Bizarre!! West Indies' “data-driven” vice-captain Jomel Warrican axed after bowling just 8 overs!

The West Indies National Cricket Team has stunned fans and cricket experts by dropping their newly appointed Test vice-captain, Jomel Warrican, for the second Test of the ongoing three-match Test series against Australia at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium in St. George's.

Warrican was dropped from the playing XI after just one match into his leadership role at the side. The shocking call was taken in the middle of the ongoing three-match Test series against Australia, which marked the beginning of West Indies’ ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle.

Jomel Warrican gets just 8 overs in 1st Test, then gets dropped from 2nd Test

After a full shake-up in their leadership structure following the Pakistan tour earlier this year, the West Indies National Cricket Team had appointed Darren Sammy as the head coach, Roston Chase as captain, and Jomel Warrican as vice-captain. They all were picked through the “robust, data-driven selection process” by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

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Warrican was expected to be the team’s leading spinner. But the first test in Barbados exposed a mismatch in planning and playing conditions. On a pitch offering plenty of help to seamers, Warrican barely got a chance to make an impact against the mighty Australians.

The West Indies vice-captain didn’t bowl a single over in Australia’s first innings, where the visitors were dismissed for just 180. The hosts used only the part-time spinner and captain Roston Chase, who bowled four overs. In the second innings, Warrican was introduced as the fifth bowler.

Roston Chase reveals why Jomel Warrican made way for Anderson Phillip in the 2nd Test against Australia

He bowled eight overs and gave away just 18 runs, but failed to take a wicket. On the other hand, Roston Chase bowled just one over and struck gold with a wicket-maiden. Despite being the vice-captain and senior spinner, Warrican has now been shown the door for the second test.

Fast bowler, Anderson Phillip replaced Warrican in the playing XI to load up the pace attack on another seamer-friendly pitch at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium for the ongoing second Test against Australia. And this move raised many eyebrows.

Captain Roston Chase confirmed the change at the toss by saying, “Anderson Phillip comes in for Jomel Warrican, as this is a more seamer-friendly wicket.”

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West Indies faces heat after Jomel Warrican dropped ahead of his 101st First-Class match

Dropping a vice-captain after just one match, especially one chosen through a new data-backed strategy, has once again put CWI under the radar. Notably, Warrican was on the verge of a major milestone, but he missed the chance after being dropped for the second test against.

If the 33-year-old West Indies spinner was picked for the ongoing second Test, it would have been his 101st first-class match. Warrican has had an impressive red-ball career. In 20 test matches, he has taken 73 wickets at an average of 27.80.

His overall first-class record is even more remarkable, taking 401 wickets at a brilliant average of 20.58. The experienced left-arm spinner made his debut back in 2009, but despite a long career, he has played just three T20s, focusing on the longer formats of the game.

On the other hand, Anderson Phillip made a strong comeback in Test cricket after his first Test against Bangladesh in 2022. He made an immediate impact by taking his first wicket in the 12th over. He got Australia’s opener, Sam Konstas, out, caught behind the stumps.

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