West Indies announce T20I team for series against England and Ireland; Andre Russell and Jason Holder make returns

The West Indies Cricket Board has revealed the squads for the T20I series against England and Ireland, respectively. Some experienced players, including Andre Russell and Jason Holder, will return to the team after being absent since 2024. Russell had an ankle injury and was ruled out of the series against England in November 2024, whereas Holder had been out since February 2024.

In the absence of the seniors, WI struggled greatly, including a clean sweep at home against Bangladesh, which resulted in Rovman Powell’s dismissal as captain. Shai Hope has been selected the new T20I captain for the two-time world champions. Meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran has pulled out of the series, preferring to relax after a strenuous schedule in the IPL 2025.

The Caribbean giants’ current European tour began with an ODI series against Ireland and will conclude with a T20I series. Following the conclusion of the ODI series against England, the Men in Maroon will continue the tour with a three-match T20I series to begin their preparations for the T20 World Cup in 2026.

Senior players and coaching staff will return home early.

Many of the team’s senior players will not play in the series against Ireland. Keacy Carty and Jyd Goolie have been called up to replace Roston Chase and Brandon King in the series against Ireland. Along with the players, part of the coaching staff will relax following the series against England.

Head coach Darren Sammy, assistant coaches Floyd Reifer and Ravi Rampaul will come home early to begin a training camp in Barbados from June 13 to 21, ahead of the first Test against Australia. Rayon Griffith will coach the West Indian team against Ireland in Sammy’s absence.