Shamar Joseph, Evin Lewis return as West Indies announce squad for Afghanistan T20Is

The West Indies will face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series next week. All three matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. This series will serve as a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 9.

Brandon King will lead the side as the West Indies' white-ball skipper, Shai Hope, was unavailable for selection due to his commitments in the ongoing SA20 2025-26. Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford will also miss the tour of the UAE for the same reason.

Quentin Sampson earned his maiden international call-up following his remarkable performances in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) last year for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. He comes in as Rovman Powell's replacement. The veteran batter has been rested along with Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd as part of workload management.

Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis returned to the squad after recovering from injuries. However, Alzarri Joseph has not regained full fitness, and his progress will be monitored before any call can be made about his participation in the T20 World Cup. According to a Cricket West Indies (CWI) release, Joseph is recovering steadily.

West Indies' head coach Daren Sammy said that playing a series in the subcontinent will give his players ideal practice heading into the T20 World Cup.

"The opportunity to play competitive matches in subcontinental conditions is ideal, as it assists with our preparations and confidence building ahead of what will be a competitive T20 World Cup," Sammy was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"It also presents a valuable platform to assess players who missed significant time towards the end of 2025, as well as those stepping into important roles for this series," he added.

The first T20I will be played on January 19, while the next two will take place on January 21 and 22, respectively.

West Indies squad versus Afghanistan: Brandon King (C), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds, Shamar Springer.