On August 19 (Monday), Cricket West Indies announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against South Africa. The trio of Andre Russell, Alzarri Joseph and Jason Holder have been rested, following a strenuous schedule of continuous cricket.
While Holder has played in West Indies’ last five Tests, Russell has been playing franchise-league cricket nonstop since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup earlier in the year. Joseph, meanwhile, didn’t play in the series against South Africa and won't play in this series either.
"Andre Russell requested a period of rest and recovery as well as Jason Holder who played five back-to-back five Tests against England and South Africa. During this period, they will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team," said Miles Bascombe, Director of Cricket.
"Facing a strong South Africa side is an excellent opportunity for our team to reset and refocus with our game plan," said head coach Daren Sammy. "We have played them recently and had mixed results, so this should be an exciting and important series. I'm confident in the squad we've selected, and with eyes already on the next T20 World Cup in 2026, I know the guys will be keen to show their hunger for success."
Shimron Hetmyer, who didn’t get a single opportunity at the global event, has, however, retained a place for himself in the squad. The biggest news, though, is the return of spin bowling all-rounder Fabian Allen, who makes a comeback after winning the Lanka Premier League (LPL) with Jaffna Kings.
West Indies squad for SA T20Is: Rovman Powell (C), Roston Chase (VC), 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
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