Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty have been named captains of the West Indies A team for the upcoming white-ball series against the England Lions, which will be hosted in St Kitts and Nevis. The series begins with three T20 matches, followed by five One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The One-Day squad consists of 15 players, while the T20 squad features 13 members.
According to a statement from Cricket West Indies (CWI), the selection of the One-Day squad is heavily focused on the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, scheduled to begin in February, with an eye toward the 2027 World Cup as well. For players not currently in the senior national setup, these five matches against England A (Lions) provide a crucial opportunity to impress ahead of the qualifier squad announcement. Having already secured qualification for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup following a strong Super 8 finish at the 2026 tournament, these upcoming T20 matches will serve as the initial step in identifying key players and roles for the future.
Apart from captain Athanaze, the T20 squad includes Vitel Lawes, Jewel Andrew, Quentin Sampson, and Kamil Pooran, all of whom have already made their international debuts. The capped players in the One-Day squad, aside from captain Carty, as well as Athanaze, Lawes, and Andrew, include Kevlon Anderson, Jediah Blades, Kirk McKenzie, Shamar Springer, and Oshane Thomas. Kevin Wickham was initially in line for a spot in the One-Day squad but was called up for the Test series in Bangladesh, which has opened the door for West Indies Academy player Rivaldo Clarke to earn a place in the squad.
“The qualifier in February is the most important assignment of our 50-over year, and we are treating it that way,” CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe said. “Our aim is to win it and take that form to the World Cup in October. These one-day matches are a big part of how we choose the players to do that, and the T20 matches start the work for 2028.”
Ottis Gibson, head coach of West Indies A, knows what international cricket demands. He has been tasked with giving every player clarity about their role, identifying who is closest to stepping up to the senior level, and outlining what each player needs to work on to give them the best chance when they do. Top-order batter Mikyle Louis will be with the squad as a development attachment, working on his white-ball game within the high-performance environment.
West Indies A T20 squad
Alick Athanaze (capt), Jewel Andrew, Zachary Carter, Shadrack Descarte, Keon Gaston, Karima Gore, Joshua James, Vitel Lawes, Zishan Motara, Jakeem Pollard, Kamil Pooran, Quentin Sampson, Stewart Thompson
West Indies A one-day squad
Keacy Carty (capt), 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, Oshane Thomas