Quentin Sampson named for Afghanistan T20i series as Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis make their comebacks too.
Quentin Sampson has earned a maiden international call-up for the series starting January 19.
Following their inclusion in the West Indies’ 16-man squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Dubai from January 19 to 22, fast bowler Shamar Joseph and opener Evin Lewis are scheduled to return to international play.
Along with Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, and Sherfane Rutherford, T20I captain Shai Hope was unavailable because of obligations in the ongoing SA20 competition. Brandon King will captain the team while Hope is away. King’s previous experience leading the West Indies in the shortest format dates back to the early 2024 home series against South Africa.
Quentin Sampson, who received his first international call-up after his outstanding achievements in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025, was another new member of the team. With 241 runs at a strike rate of 151.57 in nine innings, he was the third-highest run scorer for the Guyana Amazon Warriors. As part of workload management, Sampson took the position of Rovman Powell, who was rested with Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder.
For the past three or four months, Shamar has not been in the public eye. After missing the Test tour of India due to an undisclosed injury, the 26-year-old seamer was scheduled to return for the West Indies in October of last year. However, he had some “discomfort in his shoulder” throughout training, which hindered his progress. Despite being in the team, he was consequently left out of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Since the CPL concluded in September, Shamar has not participated in any competitive cricket matches. Five of the twelve games played by the Guyana Amazon Warriors featured him.
The West Indies’ preparation for the international competition was greatly aided by the Afghanistan series. The team will be revealed prior to a home Twenty20 International series against South Africa on January 27–31.
“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,” head coach Darren 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.”