The West Indies team has named a group of 15 players for their next three T20 matches against South Africa, which will be played in their home country. Rovman Powell will keep being the captain, with Roston Chase as his deputy.
However, three important players are not in the team. These players are allrounders Andre Russell and Jason Holder, and also fast bowler Alzarri Joseph.
After playing for West Indies in the 2024 T20 World Cup, Russell played in a big cricket league in the USA and then in The Hundred tournament in England.
Holder, who couldn’t play in the T20 World Cup because of an injury, played five straight Test matches for the West Indies, including games against England and South Africa.
According to a statement from Cricket West Indies, both Russell and Holder asked for a break.
“Andre Russell asked for some time to rest and recover, and so did Jason Holder, who played five straight Test matches against England and South Africa. During this time, they will work closely with the CWI’s science and medicine team,” the statement said.
During this time, Joseph has not been playing; he last played for the West Indies in two test matches against England in July. He is 27 years old.
The West Indies coach, Daren Sammy, mentioned that they are already getting ready for the 2026 T20 World Cup and he trusts the team chosen for the T20 matches against South Africa.
Sammy said, “Playing against a strong South Africa team is a great chance for our team to start fresh and concentrate on our strategy. We have faced them before and had some good and some not-so-good results, so this series should be interesting and important. I believe in the team we’ve chosen, and since we’re already thinking about the next T20 World Cup in 2026, I know the players will be eager to show how much they want to win.”
West Indies Full Squad: Rovman Powell (captain), Roston Chase (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd
