West Indies intensifies efforts to strengthen World Cup squad
With the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup just weeks away, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has reached out to several former players in a last-ditch effort to boost its campaign. Among the most high-profile names contacted is wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran, who retired from international cricket in June 2025 but continues to play across major global T20 leagues.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, confirmed the outreach while speaking to WESN TV on Saturday, emphasizing the board’s commitment to fielding its best possible team for the upcoming tournament.
“What I can say is that we have made every effort to ensure that we can have the best players represent the West Indies. I could definitely say that we have probed. Pooran was quite aware that the World Cup was upcoming, and his decision to retire would have been with that knowledge,” he said.
Despite the board’s attempt, Pooran appears unlikely to reverse his decision. Bascombe acknowledged that the player has shown little inclination to return.
“So, we probed and we saw that he mentioned not too long ago that he was quite happy to stick to his decision, so I could say that we probed,” Bascombe added.
Pollard, Bravo, Russell also considered for management roles
CWI’s planning hasn’t stopped at players alone. The board has also approached iconic former players — Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, and Andre Russell — to explore whether they could contribute to the team in management or mentoring roles.
However, Bascombe pointed out that scheduling constraints pose a major hurdle, especially given the close proximity of the T20 World Cup and the 2026 IPL season.
“We have put out feelers. We’ve asked questions about availability, et cetera but, as you can understand, the World Cup pretty much flows into the IPL [Indian Premier League], so anyone who would come on board as part of our team management would pretty much have to sacrifice a lot of time away,” he explained.
The extended time commitment required has complicated matters further, as Bascombe noted that such roles would keep individuals away from home for an unusually long stretch.
“We’ve probed, and some of the feedback we’ve gotten is that it would mean that they would have to spend an extended time away…and if they go to the World Cup it would mean that they would have to spend quite a lot of time away from home because they will be at the World Cup and then going to the IPL,” he said.
Final squad to be announced after Afghanistan T20Is
West Indies are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, beginning January 19, before naming their final squad for the T20 World Cup. The team will then travel to South Africa for a four-match T20I series starting January 27, giving selectors one final opportunity to evaluate their options.
Pooran, currently active in leagues such as the SA20, ILT20, and the IPL (where he plays for Lucknow Super Giants), has remained focused on his franchise career. Pollard, meanwhile, is set to serve as Mumbai Indians’ head coach during the IPL season.
Despite efforts to bring former stars back into the fold, CWI is expected to rely on its current player pool and coaching staff to lead its campaign in the 2026 T20 World Cup set to start on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.
Whether the door remains open for returnees or not, the clock is ticking — and West Indies’ preparation is entering its final phase.
