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West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said his players are capable of lifting the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title, as the regional board revealed its 15-member squad today.
The T20 World Cup will be played in India and Sri Lanka from 6 February to 9 March, and West Indies face England, Scotland, Nepal and Italy in the group stage—with the two top group finishers advancing to the Super Eight stage.
Photo by Munir Uz Zaman/ AFP.)
West Indies lost their last two T20 series: against Afghanistan (1-2) and New Zealand (1-3), which followed a win over Bangladesh (3-0) last October. But Sammy is upbeat about their chances.
“We have selected a squad with balance, extensive experience, and a touch of mystery,” said Sammy. “We’ve got X-factor where it counts, hungry newcomers pushing the seasoned heads, and a group ready to fight to make the region proud.
“We’ve thought long and hard about what it takes to win in India and Sri Lanka, and we’ve come up with the best team to help us achieve that goal, and I firmly believe we will.”
Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has not recovered sufficiently from injury to take part in the tournament.
However, CWI Media noted that spinner Gudakesh Motie has “renewed confidence” after a development stint in South Africa, while 37-year-old batter and backup wicketkeeper Johnson Charles offers “international experience and proven powerplay capability” along with “valuable opening cover”.
West Indies captain Shai Hope stressed the importance of the ICC tournament to his players.
(via CWI Media.)
“World Cups are special, and as a player you want to play on the biggest stages possible,” said Hope. “This is an experienced group of players, and we are no strangers to playing in these conditions.
“We’ve got plenty of power and skill in the batting and quality bowlers who can adapt to conditions on any given day to help us compete and win matches consistently.”
At present, the West Indies players are in South Africa for a three-match T20I series against the Proteas from 27-31 January, which will serve as their final preparation before the T20 World Cup bowls off.
West Indies T20 squad: Shai Hope (captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, and Romario Shepherd.
Team management unit: Rawl Lewis (team manager), Daren Sammy (head coach), Floyd Reifer (assistant coach, batting), Ravi Rampaul (assistant coach, bowling), Rayon Griffith (assistant coach, fielding), Dr Denis Byam (physiotherapist), Darc Browne (strength and conditioning coach), Fitzbert Alleyne (massage therapist), Dr Akshai Mansingh (team doctor), Avenesh Seetaram (performance analyst), and Jerome Foster (content and media officer).
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