Six Guyanese players, in addition to a surprising inclusion, will headline the West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 squad, which was unveiled on Monday morning.
The six local players will form part of a 15-member squad that will represent the Maroon colours in two weeks’ time at the 2026 International Cricket Council (ICC) men’s T20 World Cup.
Among the Guyanese cohort are Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Quentin Sampson, who, just last week, made his T20 International (T20I) debut in Dubai.
Admitting that he knows it would have been a surprise, Head Coach Daren Sammy, during a press briefing on Monday morning, discussed Sampson’s selection while Captain Shai Hope had high words for his Guyana Amazon Warriors teammate.
Sammy responded to inquiries on Sampson’s selection, stating, “I expect these types of questions; we’ve been monitoring Quentin. Obviously, the squad against Nepal, it was up to us to give guys opportunities. However, if you look at the balance of the squad, we have three openers, we have middle-order batsmen in Shimron, Rovman and Sherfane and we needed someone in that middle period who has that ability to challenge the spin like Sampson did in the CPL [Caribbean Premier League]. Ackeem Auguste played a couple roles like that against Bangladesh, but he’s injured and the next best option to play that type of role in the players available to us was Quentin Smapson.”
“I know it would’ve been a surprise decision, but again, when we select him, we always look at the roles required and that’s it,” Sammy continued.
Hope opined, “Sampson, he’s shown that he has a lot of promise from the first few games that he played in CPL. He’s really one of the cleaner ball strikers that I’ve seen in a long time, natural ball striker and he also showed his ability to adapt to certain conditions, especially when it’s spin involved. So, he also one of those ones I think can definitely play a role in these sorts of conditions that we’re going to.”
Hope further highlighted, “You still have to have that depth and I think he’ll be one that can probably follow the likes of Rovman and those guys who can finish an innings and play spin in the middle period.”
Discussing the upcoming World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, Sammy assured that his team understood how important the global showpiece is.
A very confident Sammy declared, “We can win it and I believe so. Like I said earlier, people probably would not give us a chance, but I look at the quality that I have, I look at the guys winning games all over and the challenge is for us to put all this talent together. I think they understand just how important this World Cup is, not just for them but the people of the Caribbean as well.
“When we board that plane from Joburg to India, we are going out there to play a tournament to win. That’s the only focus on our mind.”
Maintaining his brand of optimism, the two-time World Cup winner-turned-Coach opined that something special is about to happen.
“For me, anytime I’m feeling down, I go back to Eden Gardens and for us to be starting the 2026 World Cup at the Eden Gardens, the place where I last really represented West Indies. When I look at that squad now, you see Rovman Powell, Hetmyer, Chase, the skipper Hope, Matthew Forde, Shepherd and all the all-rounders we have, it reminds me of that team that we had in 2016 in terms of the firepower,” Sammy explained.
He went on to share, “I’m excited going back to India and I’m excited to see what my men have in store for the public. It feels like the same ‘cause we’re going to India and I’m pretty sure nobody gives us a chance and it was the same in 2016. So, we have our quiet confidence in the dressing room and just watching the guys train over the last two days, there’s an energy that is telling me something special is about to happen.”
Meanwhile, President Dr Irfaan Ali was among the first to congratulate the World Cup-bound Guyanese cohort, writing via social media, “Congratulations to all the players selected in the West Indies T20 team. We have the talent – now let us deploy it as a single unit and win this World Cup. Further, I congratulate our six Guyanese players who are included in the squad.”
Similarly, Sport Minister Steven Jacobs expressed, via his social media, “Congratulations to Quentin Sampson, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, and Shamar Joseph on their selection to the West Indies T20 World Cup squad! Wishing you all the very best as you represent the Caribbean on the world stage. Make Guyana Proud.”
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