West Indies vs England 1st T20I: Team news, head-to-head, venue details and more
Get ready for an electrifying showdown as West Indies and England kick off their T20I series at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.
FollowWest Indies is set to face England in the inaugural T20I of a five-match series this Wednesday (IST). Following a 2-1 defeat in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies, England, led by Jos Buttler, seeks redemption in the upcoming T20Is. Conversely, West Indies eyes perfect preparation for the 2024 World Cup. Stop Clock rule will be implemented in the first match of this series and for in the remaining two T20Is as well.
Venue:Â
The two teams clashed just last Saturday in the final ODI of a three-match series. However, the international cricket calendar is so hectic that, with just a two-day gap, they are set to engage in a five-match T20I series, kicking off in Barbados. This series holds significance as a stepping stone towards the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the Caribbean, emphasising the need for teams to build and sustain momentum leading up to the June tournament.
Team News:
England, having lost the ODI series, welcomes back key players like Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, and Chris Woakes for the T20I leg. Notable exclusions include David Willey (retired), Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes. With uncertainties surrounding Jofra Archer's fitness, Gus Atkinson and John Turner emerge as strong contenders for the pace duties alongside Topley and Woakes.
Phil Salt and Will Jacks are likely to open the batting, with intense competition for places if Bairstow, Stokes, and Malan return. Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, and Moeen Ali form a formidable middle-order for the English side.
West Indies, a two-time T20I World Cup winner (2012 and 2016), aims to bounce back after failing to qualify for the main stage in the 2022 T20 World Cup. The return of experienced players like Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran, and Kyle Mayers strengthens the Windies' lineup.
The series continues with the second and third T20Is scheduled in Grenada on December 14 and 16, followed by the last two games in Trinidad on December 19 and 21.
Head-to-Head Record in T20IsÂ
Matches Played: 24Â
West Indies Won: 14Â
England Won: 10
