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Australia’s intent to fight the Border-Gavaskar series to the finish has been made clear by the calculated gamble of selecting Pat Cummins to replace the injured Mitchell Starc for the last two Tests in India.Most of the focus on Cummins has been about ensuring he is fit to be considered for next summer’s home Ashes series, but a head-turning display for New South Wales on his Sheffield Shield return at the SCG this week has encouraged Trevor Hohns’ selection panel to call-up the fast man ahead of that more conservative schedule. Provided he acclimatises quickly he is every chance of being slotted straight into the team for the third Test in Ranchi.Starc had picked up a stress fracture in his right foot during the second Test in Bengaluru, and his exit has opened a path for Cummins to return to the Test squad for the first time since his memorable debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2011.That week Cummins bowled with high pace and precision to earn man of the match honours at the age of 18, also striking the winning runs to help the Australians secure a tense, two-wicket victory over the Proteas to level the series. He has returned older and wiser but once more at a juncture of high significance for the national team.Cummins took eight wickets on his return to Sheffield Shield this week, nearly six years after his last first-class appearance in the 2011 Sheffield Shield final. Figures of 4 for 57 and 4 for 47 in the Blues’ eight-wicket win over South Australia helped convince the newly reappointed selection panel that his ability to make an impact with speed and movement made him the ideal substitute for the explosive Starc.0:51

Quic Facts – Cummins back after missing 64 Tests

“In selecting Pat, we were looking for a strike bowling replacement option,” Hohns said. “Pat has impressed in his return to cricket this summer with consistent performances in his ODI, Twenty20 International and Big Bash matches. He has also had a very good Sheffield Shield return for New South Wales, after six years off, where he made a notable Shield best 4-57 in the first innings, before bettering those figures in the second innings with 4-47 in his man-of-the-match performance.”A raft of foot, side and back injuries in the wake of the 2011 Wanderers Test match caused Cricket Australia to take a longer view of Cummins, holding him out of Sheffield Shield and Test cricket while making use of him in the ODI and Twenty20 teams. His only first-class matches between 2011 and this year were for Australia A.Late last year, Australia’s captain Steven Smith was quizzed on whether it was feasible that he could be working with Cummins during the India Tests. While saying such a scenario was “possible”, Smith reserved judgment by saying “he’s obviously got to play some Shield cricket first and see how he goes”. One Shield match, and an unexpected chance to push India all the way on the current tour, have turned possibility into reality.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who did so much to steer Pakistan away from the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, has spoken of his disappointment at having to face up to another case of corruption in Pakistan cricket. Six years ago, Misbah took over a Test side gutted by the sudden loss of its captain and opener, Salman Butt, as well as its new-ball pair of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. This time, he was already captain of the Islamabad United side from which Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were chargedfor alleged breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code.”Nobody wants Pakistan and Pakistani players to be associated with fixing again,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “After six years of hard work such things happening again is a matter of great concern and disappointment. I am really disappointed. But, I think whenever such things happen, you have got to be very strong to face them. Forget about the individuals who are responsible and try to make sure that things are not happening again; move forward, try to perform better, try to be disciplined and improve the reputation around the world.”This latest case, during the ongoing Pakistan Super League, has come as the Lord’s trio stands all but reintegrated into the Pakistan system. Misbah has captained Amir at the international level through the course of 2016, while Butt and Asif are back playing domestic cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands Butt is also in contention to make the national squad for the tour of the West Indies in March. But given what has happened in the PSL, the PCB could be forced to rethink that situation.Frustratingly for the Pakistan board, the latest incident has come after six years of concerted effort to tighten its anti-corruption code and practices. Men’s and women’s teams, at all levels, are given lectures before any tour or series, emphasising the dangers of corruption, as well as the ways in which approaches might occur. Players are given literature in Urdu as well. At the domestic level, apart from the regular programme, Amir, Asif and Butt gave anti-corruption lectures in which they spoke about their experiences.The alleged incidents of corruption in the PSL have come as big blow for the PCB, which had taken great steps to stamp it out of Pakistan cricket•PCB

Both Sharjeel and Latif are Pakistan internationals. Sharjeel, especially, was on the verge of becoming a vital cog in the national side. He has played 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is since his debut in December 2013, and over the last year or so, blossomed into the kind of opener Pakistan needed, especially in limited-overs cricket. He was one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s chastening tour of Australia recently, from the time he made his Test debut in Sydney to his three fifties in the ODI series. Potentially, under the PCB’s anti-corruption code, he could be facing a life ban.Losing Sharjeel and Latif, along with Andre Russell before the season began for an anti-doping code violation, has hit Islamabad hard as they try to defend their title. At the halfway stage of the PSL, they have two wins and two losses.”It obviously affects you when your match-winners and best players go down, but then, there are other boys on the bench raring to go in, and they are equally good,” Misbah said. “There are tough situations, but it’s about the environment and the winning habit so that it doesn’t matter who comes and goes. The boys take inspiration from every win. They are building up, they are getting the confidence, and with couple of victories, we have a way forward in this PSL. They know their roles, they are always ready to chip in and win us games. Our squad is capable enough to retain the title this year.”Islamabad retained their 17 players this season. The core of their side, however, is an aging one, with several of them over 35 years old. But for Misbah, that is an asset.”Philosophy is just to have players who have better understanding about the game,” he said. “Players who are fit for the game, know their roles, handle pressure very well, and if there are younger players around, then they have good chance in making in our squad as well. It’s not deliberate, but this is actually helping us because we have players from around the world who are mature and experienced in this format. This is actually an advantage for us in many ways as we have players who are mentally strong.”

Match facts

January 19, 2017
Start time 1120 local (0320 GMT)

Big picture

Pakistan find themselves in the unfamiliar position of trying to capitalise on a win down under – their first in any format against Australia in Australia for more than a decade. In Melbourne they won in a fashion that emphasised the strength of their bowling attack, by allowing the batsmen a target within their reach. Perth and the WACA Ground offer the opportunity for a similar result, as the Perth Scorchers have demonstrated in mastering the defensive elements of the Twenty20 format in building an enviable record in the west. The left-armers Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan should enjoy the pace and bounce on offer, provided they find the right length for the conditions. Equally intriguing will be whether the stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez can utilise his spin bowlers on a surface not likely to be as sluggish as the MCG was.Australia’s mixed priorities – win this series but also keep an eye on the looming tour of India – mean a changing team for Steven Smith to lead. Peter Handscomb is following up his richly successful early Test matches with an ODI debut in place of Mitchell Marsh, while Mitchell Starc did not even fly west in order to rest up. This means another opportunity for Billy Stanlake, who could manage only three overs on debut in Brisbane.

Form guide

Australia: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Following his barnstorming century before lunch on the first morning of the SCG Test David Warner  has made a quiet start to the limited-overs portion of the summer, seeming strangely subdued by his naturally aggressive standards. Perth affords the chance for fast-scoring conditions, and the hosts will want a better display from Warner to help underpin a more substantial top-order display after the false starts of Brisbane and Melbourne.Returning to the team at the MCG, Junaid Khan demonstrated his quality to help put Pakistan in a position to win. His intelligence and tightness as a bowler should serve him well in Perth, where consistency and subtle movement can be rewarded. An Australian top-order lacking in certainty after a pair of poor displays will also be a strong reason for Junaid to approach the bowling crease with plenty of intent.Mohammad Amir should enjoy the pace and bounce that may be on offer in Perth•Getty Images

Team news

Mitchell Starc has been rested from the ODI, with Billy Stanlake returning in his place. Peter Handscomb is in for his ODI debut in place of Mitchell Marsh, while Chris Lynn has been ruled out of the remainder of the series with a neck complaint.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Peter Handscomb, 5 Travis Head, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Billy Stanlake.Pakistan will consider recalling Wahab Riaz for the WACA Ground, but should otherwise try to preserve the combination that won so well in Melbourne.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Hasan Ali/Wahab Riaz.

Pitch and conditions

The WACA Ground surface is not as swift as it used to be, but should afford decent pace and carry to bowlers prepared to bend their backs. The forecast is for a fine and warm, somewhat overcast day.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have won four of six ODIs between the two teams in Perth, though Australia’s two victories came in the most recent meetings in 2010
• Peter Handscomb will become Australia’s third ODI debutant of 2017 after Chris Lynn and Billy Stanlake. There were seven – Scott Boland, Joel Paris, Adam Zampa, Travis Head, Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie and Chris Tremain – in 2016

With an injured Angelo Mathews returning home, Upul Tharanga has been named stand-in captain for the five-match ODI series against South Africa, ahead of Dinesh Chandimal, who will lead the side in the series-deciding third T20I on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka’s ODI squad

Upul Tharanga (capt.), Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thikshila de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Madushanka, Asela Gunaratne, Sandun Weerakkody, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Chaturanga de Silva,Sachith Pathirana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana.

Seam-bowling allrounder Lahiru Madushanka and wicketkeeper-batsman Sandun Weerakkody received their maiden call-ups in ODIs and are due to join the squad already in South Africa along with left-arm spinning allrounder Chaturanga de Silva, who has played six ODIs.They will act as cover for fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and opener Danushka Gunathilaka who have returned home with hand and back problems respectively.In November, when both Mathews and Chandimal were injured, Tharanga became Sri Lanka’s 19th captain in ODIs, and led them to a tri-series win in Zimbabwe. This came after Tharanga was dropped for the home series against Australia, only playing in the fifth ODI after the series was lost.Chaturanga last played for Sri Lanka in 2014, but he has worked his way back into contention with strong performances in first-class cricket. He picked up 35 wickets in six matches at 21.71, including two five-wicket hauls, in addition to 560 runs at 50.90, including six fifties, for Nondescripts Cricket Club in the Premier League tournament.Madushanka hit 346 runs and took 15 wickets in seven matches in the same tournament, while Weerakoddy, opening the batting, scored 530 runs in six matches. He is the third wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad behind Nondescripts Cricket Club team-mates Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella.The first ODI begins in Port Elizabeth on January 28.

ScorecardJoe Clarke top scored before he was bowled•Getty Images

England Lions completed a clean sweep of their one-day series against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai thanks to the depth of their batting and the quality of their bowling and fielding.The Lions top order failed to fire for the second game in succession after they were put in on a tricky pitch, with only Joe Clarke of the top five passing 30. But they still posted a decent total of 223 for 8, the highest of a low-scoring series, thanks to handy contributions lower down the order, led by 40 for the Surrey allrounder Sam Curran, who later impressed with the ball, alongside Craig Overton and Ollie Rayner, who both took three wickets.The UAE threatened to pull off an unlikely win led by Adnan Mufti, a 31-year-old left-hander from Rawalpindi, on his debut, but Mufti was run out by Liam Livingstone’s powerful throw from the long-on boundary with the UAE still 16 runs short.”I think it was quite good for us to be in a tight game at the end there,” said Rayner. “Their left-hander played really well and we had to work hard to get the win. Through the series we’ve had lots of different guys taking wickets with Stuart Meaker in the first game and Tom Curran in the second, and a few of us shared them out a bit today.”Overton is on his fourth Lions tour even though he is still only 22, and aiming to make up for lost time after suffering injuries in each of the last two winters. “It’s been frustrating with the injuries the last two years, but I had a good season with Somerset and so far things have been going well,” he said.Curran, returned to the team with his older brother Tom rested following his five wickets as the Lions clinched the series on Saturday, made the first breakthrough courtesy of a low one-handed catch by Clarke, who was keeping for the first time on the tour.Ben Foakes, who had worn the gloves in the previous two matches, then showed his ability in the outfield with a sharp catch at midwicket to give James Fuller his first success.Rohan Mustafa, the opener who has been UAE’s best batsman all series, was leading the charge again until he launched Rayner straight down the ground and Overton intercepted just inside the boundary. With the first ball of his next over, Rayner had Mohammed Usman, another left-hander, lbw sweeping, and when Overton claimed a deserved wicket in a probing opening burst of 4-2-2-1, UAE had slumped from 71 for 2 to 81 for 5.Rayner claimed a sharp return catch for his third wicket, and Tom Alsop snapped up Saqlain Haider at point to give Fuller his second. Then Overton returned to collect a couple more, although the Lions were relieved when Livingstone ended the last-wicket resistance.Livingstone had also made an impression with the bat, hitting two sixes in a fourth-wicket stand of 65 in 14 overs with Clarke. But they fell in quick succession to leave the Lions on 115 for 5, and they were indebted to Curran, the youngest member of the squad, for showing maturity as well as ability in partnerships of 45 with Foakes and 34 with Fuller.The Lions must now switch quickly to red-ball mode, with practice at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday before a four-day match against Afghanistan.

ScorecardFile photo – Holly Huddleston paved the way for New Zealand’s entry into the Women’s World Cup with 4 for 20•Getty Images

New Zealand women’s bowling prowess came to the fore with right-arm medium pacer Holly Huddleston taking 4 for 20 before half-centuries from Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine studded their seven-wicket win over Pakistan Women in the fourth ODI in Nelson.That meant New Zealand extended their dominance in the series to go 4-0 up with one match remaining, and more importantly, become the third team after Australia and England to seal a spot in next year’s Women’s World Cup, leaving just one direct entry to be filled up.Pakistan, asked to make first use of a new surface at the Saxton Oval, stuttered to 158 in 48.1 overs, before New Zealand chased the total down with 165 balls remaining, having struck at well over seven an over.Bates dedicated the performance to victims of the earthquake that shook New Zealand on Monday. The match was preceded by a minute’s silence and players of both teams wore black armbands. “We wanted to pay our respects after a challenging and tragic week for New Zealand,” she said. “It’s been a tough week for some of the players who are based in Christchurch too, along with everyone else, and we wanted to go out and play some cricket to take our minds off that and honour those people who are really struggling at the moment.”Early signs did not point to such a one-sided contest, however, as Pakistan had got themselves into a strong position, scoring 107 in the 28th over for the loss of just Nahida Khan for 16 in the 13th over. But Ayesha Zafar’s dismissal, caught and bowled off Amy Satterthwaite’s right-arm medium pace, for 52 – her maiden ODI fifty – triggered a collapse with Pakistan losing their last nine wickets for 51 runs.Satterthwaite dismissed Bismah Maroof for a first-ball duck, but Javeira Khan denied her the hat-trick. Captain Sana Mir tried to keep the fight going with 31, but ran out of partners rapidly, and was the last batsman dismissed. Huddleston finished with 4 for 20 in 7.1 overs. Lea Tahuhu and Satterthwaite took two wickets each and were both economical, while Bates and Ameila Kerr took one each.New Zealand got off to a flier with Bates and Rachel Priest putting on 38 in 3.4 overs. Bates flayed Sadia Yousuf for five consecutive fours in the second over of the chase. Although Mir dismissed Priest with her fourth ball, it hardly slowed New Zealand down. Bates kept the carnage going in the company of Devine, promoted to No. 3, adding 94 in 14 overs.Bates biffed 66 off 52 balls and Devine struck 54 at just over a run a ball. Bates fell in the 18th over and Devine became Javeira Khan’s only victim less than three overs later, but with New Zealand needing just 17 and almost 30 full overs to play, it was too little too late for Pakistan.

Test matches in Australia will be in need of a new naming rights sponsor from mid-2017 after it was revealed that Commonwealth Bank’s new $15 million deal to support diversity in the game over the next three years is in fact a reduction of the bank’s investment in cricket by more than a third.The previous deal between the bank and Cricket Australia, announced in May 2013, was set to last four years to a value of no less than about $50 million. It included name sponsorship rights to the Australian Test team playing at home and home Test series. But ESPNcricinfo has been told this will not be renewed beyond July next year.”Commonwealth Bank remains a proud partner of Cricket Australia and is excited to rebalance its sponsorship to help even up the gender and diversity scales in professional sport,” a Commonwealth Bank spokesperson said. “On top of the initiatives announced yesterday, we will continue to support the Test series until July 2017 and throughout the upcoming summer series.”At the time it was a significant expansion of the bank’s role in support of Australian cricket, for its previous deal had covered the Southern Stars women’s team and grassroots competitions for a far less significant sum. It arrived at a febrile time for the game down under also, with Mickey Arthur about to be sacked as coach and replaced by Darren Lehmann ahead of back-to-back Ashes series.”Over the last 26 years we have been involved with Australia’s favourite sport from grassroots to grandstands,” the Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ian Narev said at the time. “Test Cricket is the pinnacle of Australian cricket, so we are proud to strengthen our commitment to the game by becoming the new sponsor of the Australian Test team and Test series.”The bank was duly the beneficiary when a team clad in their logos not only won the Ashes 5-0 at home but also went on to win 2-1 in South Africa. Qantas subsequently took up sponsorship of Australian touring teams. Vodafone had previously been the naming rights sponsor for home Tests, a deal that began in 2010.The “rebalance” of the bank’s sponsorship will now be directed at women’s cricket, indigenous players, players with a disability and local clubs. However the downgrade in financial investment will also leave a shortfall for CA’s commercial and financial divisions to have to work through unless the next Test match naming rights sponsor can match or improve on the 2013 deal.”We have taken this opportunity to review our sponsorship structure, and have decided to separate Naming Rights Sponsorship for the men’s international team and the series itself,” a CA spokesman said. “This means that, from summer 2017-18, the men’s team will have one naming rights sponsor, and the Test series will have another. Next year will be an Ashes series, which presents a very attractive proposition for any of our existing or potential partners.”We have already tested this proposition with the market, where we have received a very enthusiastic response. An association with the Australian men’s cricket team is clearly a highly attractive proposition for corporate Australia and we anticipate that this rebalancing of the portfolio will lead to significant revenue growth in corporate sponsorship. We have full confidence that we will have new commercial partners in due course.”

ScorecardFile photo – Rahkeem Cornwall took his fourth five-wicket haul in as many matches•AFP

Batsman Vishaul Singh’s career-best 161, and offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall’s 6 for 91 led West Indies A’s 333-run rout of Sri Lanka A in the second four-day game at the Pallekele International Stadium. West Indies A levelled the three-match series with the win.West Indies A were put in to bat by Sri Lanka A captain Dimuth Karunaratne, and discarded Test opener Rajendra Chandrika, who had not scored in double figures in his last four innings, roared back into form with 84. Chandrika overcame a niggle, which forced him to retire hurt on 51, on the first day and returned on the second day to continue his innings.In Chandrika’s absence, Vishaul and Jahmar Hamilton, who missed his fourth first-class century when he was run out on 99, powered them to 331 for 5 at the end of the opening day.Chandrika joined Vishaul, who resumed on 81, on the second morning, and added 54 more for the sixth wicket. Vishaul batted on after the partnership ended, and was the ninth man dismissed, with West Indies A having amassed 509. Offspinner Charith Asalanka took 4 for 104 for Sri Lanka A.In reply, Sri Lanka A were reduced to 37 for 4. Karunaratne (68) led a fightback through a fifth-wicket stand of 97 with Niroshan Dickwella, who top-scored with 88. However, only other batsman, Asela Gunaratne (46), got into double figures as Sri Lanka A folded for 245. Cornwall finished with 6 for 91 his fourth five-wicket haul in as many matches.Having taken a 264-run lead, West Indies A declared their second innings at 216 for 3 in 41 overs, courtesy half-centuries from Chandrika (68), Brooks (53 not out) and Hamilton (56 not out). Brooks slammed three fours and two sixes, and Hamilton slapped five fours and four sixes in his 30-ball knock as West Indies A plundered their last 80 runs off 51 balls.Set 481 to win, Sri Lanka A lost both their openers with the score on seven, and thereafter slid continuously. Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay’s career-best 47 at No. 9 only delayed the inevitable as Sri Lanka A were shot out for 147. Delorn Johnson, Kemar Roach, Gudakesh Motie and Keon Joseph took two wickets each. Cornwall added one more to his first-innings six, and now has 52 wickets in his last 13 innings.The final game begins from October 18 in Dambulla.

James Anderson believes this England team is more talented than the side that reached No. 1 in the Test rankings in 2011 and has the potential to stay at the pinnacle for longer.England can reclaim the top spot if they win the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval if India do not go on to overcome West Indies 3-0. Anderson admitted the rise up the rankings had come ahead of expectation for the team, and even if they do not secure No. 1 in the short term the age of many players in the side means the is scope for them to dominate for years ahead.”I think what that team in 2011 had was a number of players in the top ten in the rankings so if they were in form generally the team will do pretty well,” Anderson said. “We’ve got that at the moment. I think our team at the moment is better equipped to get to No.1 and stay there.”We are a more talented side, I think we are more mentally tough, I think we showed what character we’ve got this week coming from 100 runs behind at Edgbaston and managed to win. We’ve got plenty of characters in the team as well.”If we are brutally honest it would be a bit soon for the team, we are still developing, there is still inconsistency and we have plenty of improving to do. It would be nice if we do go to No. 1, but at the same time we know we have plenty of time on our hands to develop.”At 34, Anderson – who was a key part of the 2011 side – is now back as the No.1 bowler in the world and is the most senior figure in a team in which only Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook are also over 30.It is the clutch of 20-somethings, the players that Cook and Trevor Bayliss pinpointed as showing greater maturity during the Edgbaston fightback, plus Ben Stokes who remains sidelined, that gives Anderson the belief that reaching the summit will happen, and when it does the stay will not be fleeting.When England reached the top in 2011 with victory over India at Edgbaston – during a 4-0 whitewash – things quickly started to unravel, on and off the field. First came the 3-0 defeat against Pakistan in the UAE, spun out by Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman. Then, in a battle for the No. 1 ranking, South Africa secured a 2-0 victory in England during which the Kevin Pietersen texting controversy took hold and divisions emerged in the dressing room.”I think we have got more time on our side,” Anderson said. “The team then had a lot of players early to mid 30s. Now we have got the backbone of a side that could go on for another ten years and that is very exciting.”The lads we have got in the dressing room are very down to earth, honest with their own appraisal and the team’s own form. We have players who are not finished articles yet but are talented enough to be some of the best players in the world. If they can keep developing and improving then the sky is the limit.”When England previously climbed the rankings under the stewardship of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower during the 2009-2011 period it was, in Flower’s style, meticulously planned out. Nathan Leamon, the team analyst, plotted their path through each of the series and the players were talked through how they would achieve their goal.When the ICC did their annual ranking update in May 2015, England were No. 5 and the top spot was a distant point. Partly because of that and, perhaps, because of the more laid-back style of management under Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, this team’s climb has been more organic.”It has been talked about as a place we want to go but it has not been mapped out for us as it was then,” Anderson said. “If we had done the maths it might have been three years before we got there but as results have fallen we can get there sooner than thought. It is a good motivator for us. We want to keep improving. Getting there would be a massive achievement for us all.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/banking

WI squad for the Jamaica Test

Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajendra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wk), Carlos Brathwaite, Devendra Bishoo, Shannon Gabriel, Leon Johnson, Miguel Cummins, Alzarri Joseph
In: Alzarri Joseph

West Indies have added Alzarri Joseph, the 19-year-old fast bowler from Antigua, to their squad for the second Test against India, which begins in Jamaica on Saturday. The selectors have made no other changes to the squad, which now contains 14 players.Joseph has only played 12 matches at the senior level, including eight first-class matches in which he has taken 24 wickets at an average of 24.45 with two five-wicket hauls. He was, however, one of West Indies’ most impressive performers on their way to winning the Under-19 World Cup in February. He was the joint third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, grabbing 13 wickets at an average of 13.76, and also bowled its fastest ball, clocked at 143kph.The inclusion of Joseph gives West Indies another genuine pace option as they try to bounce back from an innings defeat in the first Test in Antigua. They began the series with a bowling attack that contained only one genuine quick in Shannon Gabriel, supported by two medium-pace-bowling allrounders in Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite and legspinner Devendra Bishoo.If West Indies look to play an extra fast bowler in Jamaica, they will have to choose between two players as yet uncapped in Test cricket in Joseph and the 25-year-old Barbados quick Miguel Cummins, who was part of the squad for the first Test but did not make the playing XI.