Holder, Russell recalled for Windies T20s vs England; Goolie gets maiden call-up

ALLROUNDERS Jason Holder and Andre Russell have been recalled to the West Indies setup for the three-match Twenty/20 series against England from June 6-10.

Holder, a former West Indies skipper, has also been included in the Windies squad for a three-match T20 series against Ireland from June 12-15, with Trinidad and Tobago middle-order batsman Jyd Goolie receiving a maiden West Indies call-up for the Ireland leg of the tour.

On June 2, Cricket West Indies (CWI) revealed a 15-man squad for the England T20s, with a 14-man squad being named for the matches against Ireland.

With the Windies also set to host a training camp in Barbados from June 13-21 in preparation for their three-match Test series versus Australia which starts on June 25, there will be some tinkering in the coaching department for the Irish leg of the tour.

"Head Coach Daren Sammy, as well as his assistants Floyd Reifer and Ravi Rampaul, will depart to join the Test series Camp after the England leg of the tour, a strategic move as he prepares for his first outing as head coach of the Test team," a CWI release said.

New Test captain Roston Chase, who has been included in the T20 team for the English leg of the series, will also miss the Irish leg of the tour to attend the Test camp.

Rayon Griffith will take over the mantle as head coach for the T20s against Ireland, with Donovan Miller stepping in to lend support to the coaching staff.

The release said Jamaican opening batsman Brandon King, who will serve as vice-captain for the England T20s, has been granted leave for the Irish leg of the tour. The in-form Keacy Carty, who has scored three centuries in his last four One-day International (ODI) matches, will replace King for the Irish series as he looks to make his T20 debut for West Indies.

Meanwhile, TT superstar Nicholas Pooran will not be involved in either T20 series after asking for a rest because of his exertions in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. The 29-year-old Pooran, who was named as Wisden's Leading T20 Cricketer in the World for 2024, scored 524 runs at IPL 2025 at an average of 43.66 and a staggering strike rate of 196.25.

Goolie, 28, could be in line for his international debut after playing a starring role for the TT Legions in the inaugural West Indies T20 Breakout tournament.

The T20 team will be led by Shai Hope, with regulars such as Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford and former T20 captain Rovman Powell also in the mix.

The West Indies' ODI team is currently in the midst of a three-match ODI series versus England. With the Caribbean team trailing 2-0, the third and final ODI will be contested on June 3.

Squad for T20s against England:

Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King (vice-captain), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

Squad for T20s against Ireland:

Shai Hope (captain), Sherfane Rutherford (vice-captain), Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Jyd Goolie, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd.