After a difficult start to the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, West Indies had plenty of reasons to be optimistic in 2026, as they went through the calendar year without losing a Test series for the first time in 32 years.
There is still considerable ground to make up against the leading Test sides, but the past year has offered encouraging signs of what this team could become.
Under Daren Sammy's leadership, West Indies have begun to develop a more settled core, greater competition for places and a clearer sense of purpose in Test cricket. This progress has come against a difficult backdrop, with financial issues continuing to affect West Indies cricket. Yet the team have found ways to move forward despite those challenges, offering a glimpse of a more competitive and ambitious future in the longest format.
West Indies began their 2026 campaign with a 1-0 series win against Sri Lanka, their first Test series victory over them in 23 years.
They made a dominant start, winning the first Test by an innings. Amir Jangoo and skipper Roston Chase were the standout performers, sharing a record 401-run partnership as West Indies posted a massive first-innings total.
The second Test was a much closer contest. With West Indies still 405 runs behind and four wickets down, Justin Greaves and Shai Hope steadied the ship. Greaves batted for more than eight hours as the pair helped West Indies secure a draw and take the series.
Their next assignment was a two-Test series against Pakistan. West Indies carried their momentum into the opening match at the Brian Lara Stadium, winning by 90 runs. Justin Greaves was again the standout performer, this time with the ball, producing an extraordinary spell of five consecutive wicket-maidens. He bowled with remarkable discipline, varying his line and length intelligently to force errors from the recognised batters, while targeting the stumps against the tailenders.
Pakistan fought back in the second Test at Port of Spain, winning by eight wickets to level the series 1-1. Despite missing out on a series win, West Indies had continued to show signs of progress.
Their final assignment of the year and the current WTC cycle was a two-Test tour of Bangladesh. Jomel Warrican led the way in the opening Test in Mirpur, claiming nine wickets as West Indies secured a convincing victory. He remained influential in Sylhet, taking seven more wickets and reaching the milestone of 100 Test wickets, as the second Test ended in a draw. West Indies won the series 1-0, with Warrican finishing as Player of the Series.
The result completed an unbeaten calendar year in Test series, something the West Indies had not achieved since 1994.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of West Indies' progress has been their batting. Across the previous three WTC cycles combined, West Indies batters scored just 12 centuries. In the 2025-27 cycle alone, they scored 11. They have recorded a season batting average of over 40 for the first time since 2012-13, when the side was led by their current coach, Daren Sammy.
Justin Greaves and Shai Hope have been among the leading run-scorers in the cycle, with both currently featuring in the top 10. Amir Jangoo was another standout, scoring 233 against Sri Lanka, the highest individual score by a West Indies batter in the cycle.
Kavem Hodge was another key contributor, scoring two centuries during the cycle, both away from home. He attributed the batting improvement to a collective change in approach, saying: "I think it's a mindset shift where guys buy into the concept of batting long when you get in, dig in, triple your scores, stuff like that." Despite coming from different islands, Hodge explained, the players have built a strong understanding of each other's game by sharing ideas and learning from one another's routines.
The improvement has also brought greater competition for places in the batting order. Speaking on The Scoop, Caribbean cricket podcast host Santokie Nagulendren said this was the first time in nearly a decade that he could remember West Indies having genuine competition for places in their top six.
He pointed to Kevin Wickham's debut against Bangladesh as an example. With Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell ruled out through illness, the 23-year-old came into the side and scored half-centuries in both innings.
Much of this, according to Santokie, comes down to Sammy's approach as coach. "In the region they are calling him Professor Sammy because he’s managed to work magic on our batting line-up", he said. He went on to explain how Sammy has worked with the batting group, helping players understand their strengths and giving them the freedom to play their natural game.
Sammy's approach as a coach also brings to mind the leadership he displayed as a player. After West Indies won the 2016 T20 World Cup, he spoke about the challenges the squad had faced, including their issues with the board and Mark Nicholas calling them "players with no brain". Despite the off-field difficulties, the 15 players had come together to win the tournament. His emphasis on unity and players stepping up for one another remains a defining part of how he approaches leadership.
West Indies also had several bowlers step up during the cycle.
Shamar Joseph led the wicket-taking charts with 40 wickets, just ahead of Jayden Seales (38). The pair have established themselves as the leaders of the pace attack, with Justin Greaves also chipping in with 26 wickets.
Among the spinners, Jomel Warrican had an impressive cycle, taking 27 wickets in eight appearances. His standout performance came in Bangladesh, where he claimed 16 wickets across two Tests, earned the Player of the Series award and reached 100 Test wickets, becoming just the seventh specialist West Indies spinner to do so.
There was also a significant landmark for the experienced Kemar Roach, who became only the fifth West Indies bowler to reach 300 Test wickets, joining Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall and Lance Gibbs.
West Indies’ progress has also been reflected in the ICC Test rankings, with the side climbing two places to sixth following the series win in Bangladesh.
Amid the positive developments on the field, West Indies cricket has continued to face challenges off it, including a 25 per cent pay cut for players. However, Santokie felt the response to this was symbolic of Sammy’s influence. As he put it: "Basically everyone has signed up to that 25 per cent pay cut, and I think that's symbolic of the effects that Sammy's had on the team. Because players want to commit to his cause, and they're playing for something."
Having a captain who holds Test cricket in such high regard is another positive for a side looking to rebuild its identity in the format. Speaking on an earlier episode of The Scoop, skipper Roston Chase described Tests as the ultimate format and stressed the importance of young Caribbean cricketers building their game around red-ball cricket. He also pointed to India's leading players as an example, noting how they continue to prioritise Test cricket despite the opportunities available in the shorter formats.
West Indies may still be some distance from challenging consistently for a place in the World Test Championship final, but 2026 has given them something they have lacked for some time: genuine reasons to believe in the direction of their Test side. The challenge now is to build on that progress and ensure that this is the beginning of a sustained improvement, rather than an isolated good year.
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