Former West Indies cricketer and current commentator, Ian Bishop, has raised concerns about the performance of West Indies’ Test captain Roston Chase with both bat and ball. Bishop expressed surprise at how
Chase’s form has significantly declined after a strong start to his Test career and noted that the West Indies have “five or six months” to consider retaining him as a batter.
Chase concluded the second-worst year for a Test captain with the bat, amassing only 221 runs in eight Tests and 16 innings, averaging a mere 13.81, without any fifties. His highest score was 44. Only Bangladesh’s Khaled Mahmud (11.82 in 2003) had a lower batting average in a calendar year as a captain. From 2016 to 2019, Chase, known for his all-round abilities, scored 1,695 runs in 58 innings across 32 Tests, averaging 31.38, with five centuries and seven fifties.
However, since 2020, his form has plummeted, scoring 791 runs in 25 Tests at an average of 16.47, with only four fifties in 48 innings. At 33, his off-spin has also faltered, taking just nine wickets in eight Tests this year, with an average of 70.66 and best figures of 2/36. These numbers resemble those of a batsman developing his bowling, rather than a seasoned all-rounder.
In an interview with iSports i95.5 FM, quoted by Jamaica Observer, Bishop said, “Roston, by his own admission, has struggled significantly with the bat. It still surprises me that a player who scored five Test hundreds in his first 20 or so matches is now, at 33, struggling to put together even moderate innings.”
Bishop added, “The West Indies are fortunate to have five or six months before their next Test series to determine if Roston can maintain his place in the team and continue.”
The commentator also highlighted that Chase’s ineffective bowling, combined with a lack of sharpness in leadership, has not helped his case. “His bowling has not been effective, and he hasn’t shown the strategic sharpness in captaincy that I hoped for. However, they have five or six months to decide on his future,” Bishop remarked.
Bishop emphasised that the issues go beyond captaincy and involve the development of batters in the Caribbean. “The key concern is how we develop batters around the Caribbean. How do we help players like Alick Athanaze and other young talents reach their full potential? Otherwise, we will continue to chase leadership changes and coaching adjustments without achieving the desired results,” he added.
The poor performance of the West Indies in the Test format has not helped Chase either, as he lacks the protection of a strong win-loss record. This year, the team played 10 Tests, winning only one against Pakistan and losing eight, with one match ending in a draw. They are currently at the bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 table, with no wins in eight Tests, losing seven and drawing one.
While the West Indies showed promise by overcoming a 270-run deficit to take a 120-run lead during the Delhi Test against India and nearly chasing down 531 against New Zealand at Christchurch, ending the match at 457/6, they have generally appeared as a weak unit.
