Sport
Shamar Joseph and Evin Lewis return for West Indies T20Is against Afghanistan
Fast bowler Shamar Joseph and opener Evin Lewis have been named in West Indies’ 16-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Dubai from January 19 to 22.
T20I captain Shai Hope is unavailable due to commitments in the SA20 league, along with Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein, and Sherfane Rutherford.
Brandon King will lead the team in Hope’s absence, having previously captained West Indies in the home series against South Africa in early 2024.
The squad also includes a new face, Quentin Sampson, who earned his maiden international call-up after strong performances in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025. Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, and Romario Shepherd were rested for workload management.
Shamar Joseph has been out of competitive cricket since September due to a shoulder discomfort, while Lewis returns after recovering from injury, last playing for West Indies in August 2025 against Pakistan. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph remains under medical assessment.
Head coach Darren Sammy said the Afghanistan series provides ideal preparation for the T20 World Cup and a chance to assess players returning from injury.
The squad is set to depart the Caribbean on January 14 and arrive in the UAE on January 16.
West Indies T20I squad: Brandon King (capt), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo, Shamar Joseph, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Khary Pierre, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds, Shamar Springer.
Afghanistan’s U-15 national football team defeated India 2-1 in the quarter-finals of Tier C at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Thursday.
The match marked Afghanistan’s eighth appearance in the competition, with the young Afghan side recording their fifth victory.
Afghanistan will face Hungary in the semi-finals of the placement competition for positions 81 to 88 later on Thursday.
Afghanistan’s U-15 national football team secured a convincing 6-2 victory over Namibia in the Round of 16 of the lower bracket in Tier C at the FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival in Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
Afghanistan will now face India in the quarter-finals for positions 81 to 88, today (Thursday).
Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the opening match of their three-match T20I series in Sharjah on Tuesday, thanks to a blistering half-century from Ijaz Ahmadzai and impressive all-round performances from Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Afghanistan were struggling at 66 for 5 in the 12th over before Ahmadzai turned the innings around with an explosive knock. He reached his half-century off just 20 balls, putting Zimbabwe’s bowlers under pressure with a series of powerful shots.
Ahmadzai combined with Shahidullah, who scored 46 off 42 balls, to rebuild the innings. The pair added 61 runs in just 4.5 overs, helping Afghanistan recover from their early setbacks.
Rashid Khan provided another late surge, smashing 30 runs off just 10 deliveries, including four sixes and a four. Afghanistan were eventually bowled out with one ball remaining in their innings but managed to post a competitive total of 177.
Newman Nyamhuri was Zimbabwe’s leading bowler, claiming four wickets for 31 runs.
In reply, Zimbabwe struggled against Afghanistan’s disciplined bowling attack and were bowled out for 140, handing Afghanistan a comfortable victory.
Rashid played a key role with the ball, taking two wickets for 20 runs, while Fazalhaq Farooqi also claimed three wickets to restrict Zimbabwe’s chase.
Afghanistan tightened their grip during the middle overs as Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck crucial blows. Mujeeb finished with two wickets, while Zimbabwe continued to lose batters at regular intervals and failed to build the partnerships needed to challenge the target.
The victory marked Afghanistan’s sixth consecutive T20I win against Zimbabwe and improved their overall record in the format to 20 wins against two defeats.
The sides will meet again for their next T20I on Thursday.
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