Having served as West Indies vice-captain for a period of time, wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva says it would be a no-brainer to accept the Test captaincy if offered the opportunity, following the resignation of Kraigg Brathwaite last month.
With Cricket West Indies yet to announce Brathwaite's replacement, speculations have been rife about the best-suited candidate to assume the role, with Da Silva, Guyana's Tevin Imlach, and Barbadian Shai Hope among those being viewed as having leadership potential.
While the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force captain expressed pride in the prospect of leading the Caribbean side in the longest format, he remains content with just being able to represent the regional side in his current role should someone else be appointed.
"I was the vice-captain going into Pakistan, so my name might be in the hat, but if it happens, it happens. I’ll take it. It would be an honour and a source of pride to represent the West Indies as skipper. If it doesn’t happen, that’s life. I’m just excited, and I want to play cricket for the West Indies...whether as captain or just as a player, I’m happy to play,” Da Silva declared during a recent CWI press briefing prior to the start of the T20 Breakout League.
Though Da Silva, who has 33 Test caps, traveled with the team as vice-captain for that two-match Pakistan tour, he did not feature in either Test, as Imlach assumed wicketkeeping duties in the drawn series, which ended 1-1.
However, the 26-year-old, motivated by that disappointment, returned to the West Indies Championship with renewed focus and an intent to reclaim a spot in the West Indies starting 11 for the upcoming three-Test series against Australia, as he delivered a stellar performance.
Da Silva amassed 583 runs at an average of 64.77, including three centuries and two half-centuries, to finish second on the batting charts behind teammate Jason Mohammed, who tallied 679 runs.
"Being left out of the starting 11 in Pakistan was tough, but sometimes things happen to make you want to work harder. So for me, it was just to go back to the drawing board and come back to first-class cricket and dominate that format. It was to show that, look, it's okay, I'm fine, and I'm good mentally," Da Silva shared.
"Just how I'm going to get back into that Test team is the question. I did all I can, I believe. I've put my hand up, and it's up to them to select me," he added.