Cricket West Indies (CWI) has officially announced the leadership appointments and squads for the upcoming West Indies A white-ball series against the England Lions. The touring England side is set to play a comprehensive slate of fixtures in St Kitts and Nevis, consisting of three T20 matches followed by a series of five one-day encounters. The action-packed tour is scheduled to run from November 1 to November 16, serving as a critical developmental and evaluative platform for both squads as Cricket West Indies looks ahead to major global tournaments on the horizon.
In the leadership announcements made by the governing body, explosive top-order batsman Alick Athanaze has been named to captain the T20 side, while fellow international regular Keacy Carty will take charge of the 50-over one-day squad. The selection panel has assembled a 13-member squad for the shortest format of the game, while a slightly larger contingent of 15 players has been chosen for the longer white-ball fixtures, balancing seasoned international experience with promising emerging talent from across the region.
According to statements released by Cricket West Indies, the prioritization of the upcoming fixtures is sharply focused on long-term tournament preparation. The one-day squad has been meticulously selected with the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which is scheduled to get underway in February, as the immediate priority. Looking even further ahead, the long-term objective for the 50-over setup remains the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in October 2027. For players currently operating outside the senior men’s team setup, these five high-intensity matches against the England Lions represent the single most important opportunity to press their claims for selection before the official qualifier squad is finalized and named.
The strategic planning surrounding the T20 format operates on a similarly forward-looking timeline. Because the West Indies have already secured direct qualification for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup courtesy of their strong Super 8 finish at the 2026 tournament, the upcoming three-match T20 series against the Lions will be utilized as an exploratory phase. The coaching and selection staff will use these matches to begin identifying personnel, testing combinations, and clearly defining specific player roles tailored toward success at the 2028 global showcase.
The announced squads reflect a blend of proven international performers and exciting debutants who have recently caught the eye in regional and international cricket. Alongside captain Alick Athanaze, the T20 squad features several names who have already tasted international action, including Vitel Lawes, Jewel Andrew, Quentin Sampson, and Kamil Pooran, all of whom have previously made their international debuts for the maroon jersey.
The depth of the one-day squad is similarly bolstered by players with senior international exposure. Alongside Carty and Athanaze, the 50-over roster includes Vitel Lawes, Jewel Andrew, Kevlon Anderson, Jediah Blades, Kirk McKenzie, Shamar Springer, and fast-bowling weapon Oshane Thomas.
Squad composition faced minor adjustments due to overlapping international commitments. Promising batsman Kevin Wickham had originally been firmly in line for a place within the one-day squad, but his late call-up to the senior West Indies Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh created a vacancy. This opening paved the way for West Indies Academy standout Rivaldo Clarke to earn a deserved inclusion in the one-day setup.
CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe emphasized the immense gravity of the upcoming fixtures, particularly regarding the 50-over format and the challenges awaiting the team early next year. Bascombe noted that the February qualifier stands out as the single most important assignment of the 50-over calendar year, and the organization is approaching the preparations with that exact level of urgency and seriousness. The stated organizational aim is not merely to qualify, but to win the tournament outright and carry that winning momentum directly into the World Cup in October. Bascombe reiterated that the five one-day matches against the Lions form a massive component of the selection puzzle, while the T20 fixtures mark the official starting point of the long-term project looking toward 2028.
To guide the squad through this developmental and competitive phase, CWI has appointed Ottis Gibson as the head coach of the West Indies A team. Bascombe expressed full confidence in Gibson’s deep understanding of the demands of international cricket. The leadership has tasked Gibson with providing absolute clarity to every player regarding their individual roles, identifying who among the emerging group is closest to making the definitive step up to senior international cricket, and outlining precise areas of improvement for each squad member to ensure they are fully prepared when their opportunities arrive.
In addition to the players named in the official competitive squads, top-order batsman Mikyle Louis will travel with the West Indies A contingent. Louis is attending the tour as part of a specialized development attachment, where he will spend his time exclusively working on the refinement of his white-ball game within a high-performance environment designed to fast-track his growth as a modern limited-overs cricketer.
West Indies A T20 Squad
Alick Athanaze (captain), Jewel Andrew, Zachary Carter, Shadrack Descarte, Keon Gaston, Karima Gore, Joshua James, Vitel Lawes, Zishan Motara, Jakeem Pollard, Kamil Pooran, Quentin Sampson, and Stewart Thompson.
West Indies A One-Day Squad
Keacy Carty (captain), Kevlon Anderson, Jewel Andrew, Alick Athanaze, Jediah Blades, Rivaldo Clarke, Shadrack Descarte, Jyd Goolie, Vitel Lawes, Kirk McKenzie, Micah McKenzie, Shaqkere Parris, Jakeem Pollard, Shamar Springer, and Oshane Thomas.
Comments (0)