Australia has made a late change to its Test squad, bringing in pacer Sean Abbott as an injury replacement for Brendan Doggett. The change was confirmed on June 15 (Sunday), as Doggett was ruled out due to a minor injury sustained shortly after his inclusion in the squad for the upcoming West Indies series.
Brendan Doggett Ruled Out After Sheffield Shield Heroics
Brendan Doggett’s injury comes as a blow to Australia’s bowling unit, especially after his standout performance in the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield final. Representing South Australia, Doggett took an impressive 11 wickets for 140 runs in the match, which had made a strong case for his selection in the national team. Unfortunately, despite the injury being labeled “minor,” it was significant enough to sideline him for the entire West Indies series.
Doggett had also been part of Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, but this fresh setback has forced the selectors to bring in backup.
Sean Abbott Returns as Reliable Backup Option
In response, Australia has turned to Sean Abbott, a familiar face in the national setup. Although Abbott has toured with the Australian team frequently over the past year — including series in India and Sri Lanka — he has not had many chances to play at the highest level.
Despite his consistent presence in the squad, there’s still uncertainty over whether Abbott will get game time in the West Indies. Australia already has other pace options in Scott Boland and Matt Kuhnemann, the latter offering a left-arm spin alternative that could be valuable in Caribbean conditions.
Australia is also managing another injury concern with star batter Steve Smith, who has been ruled out of at least the first Test due to his own fitness issues.
The three-match Test series against West Indies is set to begin on June 25 at Kensington Oval in Barbados, where Australia will look to maintain their momentum in the new World Test Championship cycle.
