Jamaican star Rovman Powell believes that the current crop of West Indies Test players are committed to changing the team’s fortunes.

West Indies are set to end 2025 with a losing record after going winless in the first two Tests of the three-match series away to New Zealand.

After battling to an epic draw in the first Test against the hosts in the new ICC World Test Championship, Daren Sammy’s men crumbled in the second Test this week, going down by nine wickets inside three days.

The result means West Indies have lost seven of their nine Test matches this year, including series losses to Australia in July and India in October. Their sole win came in the second Test away to Pakistan in January.

Cricket’s governing body in the region, Cricket West Indies, held a series of meetings to address the poor performances of the team which included an extraordinary meeting with legendary former players Sir Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara.

Despite playing 13 first-class matches between 2015 and 2020, the 32-year-old Powell has never played a Test match. However, he has vast exprience as a white-ball player, with over 150 appearances for West Indies across One-Day Internationals and Twenty20s.

However, he believes his red ball counterparts have what it takes to be more competitive on the world stage.

“West Indies Test cricket is fighting for survival. We know the financial constraints of the Test cricket and Test cycle but there are guys who are committed, there are guys who are trying their best,” Powell told the media in India.

“As much as we have played bad in the past, when we get it right, it looks as beautiful as any other team, so hopefully those guys can continue, continue to dig deep, continue to carry on the fight for West Indies as it regards test cricket.”

32 year old Powell is currently playing franchise cricket with the Dubai Capitals in the IL T20 league in the United Arab Emirates. Over the years, critics have questioned players’ commitment to West Indies due to their involvement in various T20 leagues.

Powell, though, believes that view is too simplistic as it ignores players’ personal situations.

“There is love for the sport, but the sport is also now a business. You use it as a viable means to take care of your family,” he said. “T20 provides that opportunity, not just for us as Caribbean cricketers but for a lot of the players. It allows you to take your family out of poverty and afford a better life. West Indies will never be able to compete with these T20 leagues.”

“We as Caribbean cricketers cannot ignore how important the financial rewards are. You try to balance everything but you also build relationships, lifelong friendships with people across different franchises [which] will last forever.”

Powell has been retained by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of next week’s draft.

He’s set to take fellow Jamaican Andre Russell’s place in the team after retiring from the IPL and becoming the team’s power coach.

“It’s very good for such a big franchise to put some faith in me. It’s something that I’ve always wanted,” Powell said.

“When you go into the IPL set-up, it can be a rigid one but with a lot of guys there like Sunil Narine, Russell now as coach, [Dwayne] Bravo there, a lot of West Indian connections — I should feel at home and hopefully given the opportunity, I’ll do well.”