Ronsford Beaton, the 24-year-old fast bowler from Guyana, is the only uncapped member in West Indies’ 13-man squad, to be led by Carlos Brathwaite, for the three T20Is against Afghanistan in St Kitts from June 2, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Beaton has picked up 31 wickets in 36 T20s with a best of 4 for 9, and has represented Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL.
Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Marlon Samuels, all of whom will be coming off their IPL stints, were retained from the squad that lost 2-1 to Pakistan. Jonathan Carter, Andre Fletcher and Veerasammy Permaul were left out. Jason Holder, the ODI captain, was rested.
This is the first time West Indies are hosting Afghanistan for a bilateral series. The series, which also consists of three ODIs, will be played concurrently with the Champions Trophy, which begins on June 1 in England. West Indies, who haven’t won a bilateral ODI series since 2014, beating Bangladesh at home, failed to qualify for the eight-team event.
Afghanistan famously beat West Indies, by six runs, the last time both sides squared up in a T20I, at the World T20 in India last year.
T20I squad
Carlos Brathwaite (Captain), Samuel Badree, Ronsford Beaton, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams.
