West Indies captain Roston Chase to play through 'pain' in Test series opener against Pakistan

West Indies captain Roston Chase is prepared to push through pain as his side meets Pakistan in the first of the two‑match Test series at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, starting July 25.

Chase is nursing an injury to his right index finger. He was named in West Indies’ squad for the first three ODIs against New Zealand recently but could not participate due to pain and discomfort.

A batting all‑rounder capable of producing match‑winning spells with his off‑breaks, Chase said a decision on whether he would bowl in the first Test would depend on how his finger responds once the game gets underway. He revealed that he experienced pain after sending down a few deliveries in training ahead of the opener.

“Well, we’re going to see when I get to the ground tomorrow,” Chase said. “Right now, it’s not 100% obviously, but I bowled a few balls yesterday, and I still have a bit of pain. But as I see it, I still have a bit of time before the first ball is bowled. So hopefully it can improve by then.”

The ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025‑27 cycle has been a massive struggle for the West Indies, reflected in their current position on the points table. They are eighth, just ahead of Pakistan, with a points percentage of only 15.00.

West Indies have lost seven and drawn two of their 10 games in this cycle. Their solitary win came against Sri Lanka a few weeks ago in a two‑match home series, which they sealed 1‑0.

Chase revealed that the team’s goal was to finish either fifth or sixth on the points table by the end of the cycle, stressing the importance of setting realistic targets.

“Yeah, for this championship, we initially set out that we wanted to finish around fifth or sixth in the table. We didn’t want to jump too far ahead of ourselves. We wanted to set a realistic goal and we came up with that goal,” Chase said. “So it’s very important for us to come and win this series against Pakistan. And I think once we do that, we’ll find our way close to sixth or fifth on the table.

“I think it’s very important, as I said, for us to come and win this series, to head in the right direction in terms of climbing that table. And not only the Test Championship table, but the actual Test rankings. We want to move up from the bottom of the table. It’s been a while since West Indies cricket has been mid‑table, like sixth or fifth. So we really want to get back up there and make the nation proud.”