Injured Brendan Doggett Out of West Indies Tests, Sean Abbott Called Up
Brendan Doggett has been ruled out of Australia’s upcoming Test series against the West Indies due due to a minor hip injury, with Sean Abbott named as his replacement. Doggett, who served as the traveling reserve for the recent World Test Championship final, was slated to join the squad in the Caribbean but will now return to Australia for recovery.
Doggett concluded the 2024-25 season with impressive match figures of 11 for 140 in the Sheffield Shield final for South Australia, a performance that significantly boosted his standing in the national pace bowling pecking order and put him in contention for a Test debut in the West Indies.
His replacement, Sean Abbott, is also uncapped at Test level but has been part of previous Australian squads, including tours to Sri Lanka earlier this year and the home series against India. He is often considered one of Australia’s unluckier players yet to earn a Test cap.
The Australian squad is set to travel to Barbados in the middle of next week, ahead of the first Test which commences on June 25th. Subsequent matches will be played in Grenada and Jamaica, with the latter being a day-night encounter.
Head coach Andrew McDonald indicated that Australia might adjust their bowling attack’s balance during the series, depending on conditions. If pitches are conducive to turn, left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann could partner Nathan Lyon alongside two quicks. The presence of Beau Webster in the squad provides an additional seam bowling option if required.
“What are we going to get in the Caribbean? We haven’t been there since 2016, so there’s a little bit of the unknown, but we feel as though we’ve got a squad that can cover all bases,” McDonald stated.
The team will also be assessing Steven Smith’s fitness upon arrival. Smith suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger during the third day of the World Test Championship final, making him doubtful for the opening Test. However, he avoided a fracture that would have necessitated surgery. While he is required to wear a splint for eight weeks, Smith expressed optimism about being able to bat with it after approximately two weeks.
“It just split the skin and dislocated it, which made me feel pretty ill at that stage,” Smith told the ICC. “I think in a splint for eight weeks now and may be able to play with it in a couple of weeks, so it’ll depend on my functionality and what I’m able to do, but it’s probably the best result I could have hoped for.”
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