Who is popular today?

Guyanese pacer Shamar Joseph has been ruled out of the West Indies' two-Test series away to India from October 2-14 with an undisclosed injury. The 26-year-old Joseph, who has been a revelation for West Indies in the Test arena since his explosive debut against Australia in January 2024, has been replaced in the regional team's 15-man squad by exciting Barbados pacer Johann Layne.
The information was relayed by Cricket West Indies media on September 26, with Joseph expected to be re-evaluated ahead of the Men In Maroon's white-ball tour of Bangladesh, which runs from October 18-November 1. The tour to Bangladesh will consist of three One-day Internationals and three T20s.
Though the subcontinent conditions are typically favourable to spinners, Joseph will be a miss for the West Indies alongside fellow pacers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales. Joseph took 22 wickets in the West Indies' 3-0 series loss to Australia from June-July, with Alzarri and Seales taking 13 wickets apiece.
Joseph played just five matches for the eventual runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2025 Caribbean Premier League season, which ended on September 21. In the Warriors' final preliminary round match against Barbados Royals on September 14, Joseph jarred his shoulder on the ground when he took a spectacular running catch to dismiss Chris Green. He subsequently missed the first qualifier versus 2024 champs St Lucia Kings on September 17, before returning for the final against Trinbago Knight Riders four days later.
It's unclear if any niggling shoulder issues led to Joseph's exclusion from the India tour.
Should he get the chance to play, the 22-year-old Layne, who's still uncapped by the Windies, will do his best to impress coach Daren Sammy.
The Windies arrived in India on September 24 and were expected to host their first training session at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on September 27.
While the Test team prepares for the Indian challenge, a Windies T20 team, which is being captained by Akeal Hosein, will face Nepal in a three-match series from September 27-30.

West Indies Test squad for India tour:

Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales.

Team Management Unit:

Daren Sammy (head coach), Floyd Reifer (batting assistant coach), Ravi Rampaul (bowling assistant coaching), Rayon Griffith (fielding assistant coach), Rawl Lewis (manager), Neil Barry (physiotherapist), Ronald Rogers (strength and conditioning coach), Fitzbert Alleyne (massage therapist), Avenesh Seetaram (team analyst), Jerome Foster (media officer).
The post Injured Shamar Joseph ruled out of Windies' Test tour of India appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.