West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first vs England
West Indies won the toss and chose to bowl first in the first T20I in Barbados, with the hosts welcoming back Andre Russell for his first international appearance in more than two years.
England also welcome back a number of veterans, with Adil Rashid and Chris Woakes back in the ranks for the first time since their dispiriting World Cup defence in India, while Tymal Mills is recalled for his first T20I since the India series in July 2022.
In the wake of West Indies’ 2-1 ODI series win, the focus has shifted quickly to England’s next World Cup defence – the T20 version, which is due to be held in the Caribbean and the USA in June and July next year.
In addition to Russell, West Indies welcome back three other key players in Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers, all of whom recently turned down CWI contracts in order to maximise their value on the T20 franchise circuit.
England are set open with Jos Buttler, their captain, alongside Phil Salt, with Will Jacks inked in at No.3. The notable aspect of their selection is the inclusion of two legspinners in Rashid and his heir apparent, Rehan Ahmed, who impressed with his control and penetration throughout the ODI series.
Prior to the toss, Rashid was presented with a commemorative cap to mark his 100th T20I appearance. He needs two wickets to reach 100 in the format as well.
West Indies 1 Brandon King, 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Romario Shepherd, 9 Jason Holder, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Alzarri Joseph
England 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Rehan Ahmed, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Tymal Mills