Australia were still yet to announce their line-up on match eve, but with an increasing expectation that they would resist the temptation to play two spinners and instead keep faith in one of their noted strengths — fast bowling — the chances of former asylum seeker Ahmed featuring had drifted.

There is instead set to be another, less anticipated first-gamer this week, a player who has gone through a long journey of his own if not as dramatic as Ahmed's.

Voges, who has played 31 one-day internationals and seven Twenty20 games for Australia, might well have all but given up on winning a spot in the country's most prestigious side, but with a blistering season in the Sheffield Shield he claimed a seat on this tour and is now only hours away from collecting a belated baggy green cap.

The West Australian shook hands with selectors Darren Lehmann and Mark Waugh after they watched him bowl his left-arm spin in tandem at centre-wicket practice with the team's premier spinner Nathan Lyon, and was then backslapped by several teammates. The signs were not as good for Ahmed, who bowled in the other net to David Warner with minimal attention from selectors and then left training early.

Voges is expected to provide back-up spin to Lyon, along with the part-time leg-spin of Steve Smith while Clarke, who took five wickets in the second innings in Australia's last visit here, is another option.

He said at the weekend he had been inspired by the elevation of Rogers at the age of 35 for the last Ashes tour in 2013. "Seeing that unfold with Buck [Rogers] gave me hope," Voges told the Guardian. "It is a shame it has taken me so long to get that opportunity but now it's here I plan to grab it with both hands."

The Dominica wicket had only offered confusing clues since the Australians first set eyes on it on Sunday but appears to have  left them unconvinced it would be the raging turner it was forecast to be. The deck was noticeably hard when it was inspected by players and selectors on Tuesday, giving them confidence that quicks Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood can get plenty out of it.

What is also clear is that with Rogers sidelined there will be a new opener and that is likely to be Shaun Marsh, who would follow in the footsteps of his father Geoff by being elevated to the top of Australia's Test order. Marsh snr played all but the first two of his 50 Tests as an opener.

Marsh was the obvious choice to replace Rogers - although Shane Watson, who enjoyed success as a Test opener was another option for selectors - given Australia are on the lookout for a long-term replacement for the 37-year-old, who will retire after the Ashes. His hundred in the tour match in Antigua last week - made as an opener - was the perfect audition.

Almost lost in the mix was the not insignificant naming of Smith's appointment as Australia's new Test No.3, confirmed by captain Michael Clarke.

"We spoke a little bit through the one day series and the World Cup," Clarke said. "Nothing was confirmed until we got on tour, so once he arrived I spoke to him and made it very clear where I wanted him to bat, and he's very comfortable to bat there."

There is excitement on Dominica (pronounced DomiNEEca, not DoMINica, for those not familiar) for what will be only the fourth Test match at the Windsor Park National Stadium. A World Series Cricket match between Australia and the West Indies was played at the old ground here in 1979 but until their diplomatic partners China built them the new stadium in 2007, there wasn't any other international cricket to speak of.

"Like starving multitudes in a field of over ripe bananas, Dominican cricket lovers have feasted on the few matches that the West Indies Cricket Board have allocated to them," beamed The Sun, the island's weekly rag (tagline – Dominica's hottest newspaper) this week.

There is a good omen for batsmen, meanwhile, in the Dominica census. The nation claims a high number of centurions among its 70,000 population. Clarke and co will hope to take the charter flight to Jamaica on Monday with a few of their own on board.

Australia (likely): David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (c), Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

West Indies (likely): Kraigg Brathwaite, Rajindra Chandrika, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shai Hope, Jerome Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (c), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Shannon Gabriel, Veerasammy Permaul.