09/18/2025
Hosein to lead WI T20 squad for Nepal series
By JOEL BAILEY
(Cricket360)
EXPERIENCED left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein will have his first taste of international leadership as he was named as captain of a 15-member West Indies team for a three-match T20 International series against Nepal, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, from September 27-30.
The squad includes five players who are yet to play international cricket for the West Indies - leg-spinning all-rounder Navin Bidaisee (St Kitts/Nevis Patriots), batsmen Karima Gore (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons) and Ackeem Auguste (St Lucia Kings), leg-spinner Zishan Motara and left-arm pacer Ramon Simmonds (both Barbados Royals).
However, the 27-year-old Gore has played 16 One-Day Internationals and 8 T20 Internationals for the United States between 2019 and 2021 (he was born in New York but is the son of Antiguan parents).
The 32-year-old Hosein, from the Trinbago Knight Riders (78 T20 Internationals), and Patriots' skipper and all-rounder Jason Holder (33 years, 75 T20 Internationals) are the only regular members of the WI T20 team who will be going to Nepal.
According to a Cricket West Indies (CWI) media release, "With the series falling outside the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, selectors have seized the opportunity to include several emerging players who impressed in the inaugural West Indies Breakout League and the ongoing Caribbean Premier League.
"At the same time, a number of senior players have been given the chance to rest and manage their workloads."
Some of the notable names who would not be involved in the Nepal series are Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Johnson Charles, Romario Shepherd, Sherfane Rutherford and Gudakesh Motie, while frontline skipper Shai Hope, Roston Chase, Brandon King, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph will be involved in next month's two-Test series away to India.
As Daren Sammy will also be part of the Test squad in India, Rayon Griffith will serve as coach for the Nepal series.
CWI director of cricket, Miles Bascombe, said, “This series against Nepal is another important step in broadening the horizons of West Indies cricket. It allows our senior men’s team to engage with a passionate emerging nation while providing invaluable match experience in different conditions.”
He continued, “Beyond the immediate competition, this tour speaks to our long-term vision of developing a squad that is adaptable, resilient and ready for global challenges. Taking West Indies cricket into new territories and against new opposition also helps us grow the game, inspire new fans, and strengthen the brand of West Indies cricket worldwide.”
Squad (Caribbean Premier League franchises in brackets:
Akeal Hosein (captain - Trinbago Knight Riders)
Fabian Allen (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons)
Jewel Andrew (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons)
Ackeem Auguste (St Lucia Kings)
Navin Bidaisee (St Kitts/Nevis Patriots)
Jediah Blades (Guyana Amazon Warriors)
Keacy Carty (Trinbago Knight Riders)
Karima Gore (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons)
Jason Holder (St Kitts/Nevis Patriots)
Amir Jangoo (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons)
Kyle Mayers (St Kitts/Nevis Patriots)
Obed McCoy (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons)
Zishan Motara (Barbados Royals)
Ramon Simmonds (Barbados Royals)
Shamar Springer (Antigua/Barbuda Falcons).
Team Management Unit -
Coach: Rayon Griffith
Coaching Consultant: Ottis Gibson
Assistant Coach: Nikita Miller
Assistant Coach: Jerome Taylor
Assistant Coach: Jamal Smith
Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam
Massage Therapist: Darc Browne
Team Analyst: Gary Belle
Media Officer: Nicholas Maitland
Team Manager: Dwain Gill
Full Tour Schedule:
1st T20I: 27th September 2025 @ Sharjah, UAE
2nd T20I: 29th September 2025 @ Sharjah, UAE
3rd T20I: 30th September 2025 @ Sharjah UAE