West Indies announce squad for T20I series against South Africa; Russell, Holder, Joseph rested

The West Indies cricket team is set to face South Africa in a three-match T20I series but with a notably different lineup. Several key players, including Andre Russell, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph, have been rested, to manage the team management and player's workload.

The hosts are coming off a 0-1 Test series loss and will be eyeing a better performance in the shortest format of the game.

After West Indies' campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, the team is now looking ahead to the 2026 T20 World Cup, using this series as an opportunity to reset and focus on their game plan against a strong Proteas side.

Star allrounder, Russell has requested rest and recovery, as confirmed by Miles Bascombe, CWI's director of cricket. Russell, along with Holder, will be working closely with the CWI science and medicine team during this break. 

Joseph, who served as vice-captain during the T20 World Cup, will continue to take time off to focus on skill development and recovery. West Indies' red-ball coach Andre Coley emphasized the importance of managing player workload, particularly for fast bowlers like Joseph. 

"As far as Alzarri is concerned, it always helps to have a period away from the game to work on your skills, because you could get drawn into moving from one tournament to the next and might lose some of your skills," he told ESPNcricinfo.

Also read: South Africa announce squad for T20I series against West Indies, introduce host of new talents

Guys will be keen to show their hunger for success: Daren Sammy

The squad sees some interesting inclusions and exclusions. Brandon King, recovering from a side strain, will miss the series, potentially opening up opportunities for Shai Hope or rookie Alick Athanaze at the top of the order.

Shimron Hetmyer, despite not playing in the 2024 T20 World Cup, has held on to his place in the squad. Daren Sammy, West Indies' white-ball coach, expressed his confidence in the selected squad.

"Facing a strong South African side is an excellent opportunity for our team to reset and refocus on our game plan. 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," he said in a CWI statement.

New faces in the squad include allrounder Matthew Forde, selected with an eye on future tournaments. Fabian Allen's return to the side strengthens the spin attack, joining Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, and Roston Chase.

Also read: Kraigg Brathwaite reflects on loss in second Test against South Africa