Johnson Charles has been included in the West Indies squad for a three-match T20 series against Afghanistan.
On Monday, January 12, Cricket West Indies announced a 16-member squad for the series, which will be played at the Dubai Cricket International Stadium in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 19 to 22.
The matches will serve as crucial preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 6. The final Cup squad will be announced ahead of the three-match T20 series against South Africa set for January 27-31.
Charles turns 37 the week before the Afghanistan series gets underway. Since his 2011 debut against England at The Oval, he has played a role in two World T20 triumphs for West Indies, in 2012 and 2016. In 64 T20 International matches, he has compiled 1,468 runs, including one century and five fifties.
He will be returning to familiar conditions after scoring 244 runs for Sharjah Warriors in the fourth season of the International League T20, which ended on January 4. The veteran made 43 in his most recent match against Afghanistan, in 2024 at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
T20 Captain Shai Hope, along with established players Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford, were unavailable for selection due to commitments in the ongoing SA20 tournament. In Hope’s absence, Brandon King has been appointed captain.
Quentin Sampson, the Breakout Player of the 2025 Caribbean Premier League, has earned his maiden international call-up. He replaces Rovman Powell, who has been rested for the series alongside Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd as part of workload management.
Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis are back in action for this series, with both players successfully clearing return-to-play protocols after recovering from injuries sustained in previous series.
Head coach Daren Sammy noted that, in addition to being a fine-tuning opportunity ahead of the ICC World Cup, this series facilitates the reintegration of key players after significant periods of absence.
“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.”
“It also presents a valuable platform to assess players who would’ve 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 for the international tournament.”
The squad will depart the Caribbean on January 14, Charles’ birthday, and is scheduled to arrive in the UAE on January 16.
West Indies T20 Squad 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
(TF)
