Hope, Chase among SA20 absentees as West Indies name T20I squad

Quentin Sampson earned his maiden international call-up as West Indies named a 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, set to be played in Dubai from January 19 to 22.

Brandon King will captain the side in the absence of regular skipper Shai Hope, who is unavailable due to his SA20 commitments. Hope is one of four players missing the series for that reason, alongside Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford.

Sampson, the 25-year-old Guyana Amazon Warriors batter, was one of the finds of Caribbean Premier League 2025, with 241 runs in nine matches at a strike-rate of 151.57.

Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis return to the squad, cleared to play after recovering from injuries.

Alzarri Joseph, who missed the Test series in India with a lower-back injury, has not been included despite making progress. The decision was precautionary following medical assessment, with the fast bowler set to remain under observation ahead of possible T20 World Cup selection.

Rovman Powell has been rested for the series, along with Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd, as part of workload management.

Head coach Daren Sammy said the Afghanistan series would play an important role in preparations for 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 said.

"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, prior to the selection of the final squad."

The team is scheduled to depart the Caribbean on January 14 and arrive in the UAE two days later.

West Indies squad for T20Is against Afghanistan: Brandon King (captain), 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.