Obed McCoy replaces Matthew Forde in West Indies squad for England T20Is

Gros Islet (St Lucia): West Indies have named left-arm seamer Obey McCoy as Matthew Forde’s replacement for the remainder of the T20Is against England. Forde suffered a thigh strain in training ahead of the third T20I. Forde, named Player of the Series in the ODI leg of the tour, where the West Indies secured a series win, sustained a left thigh injury during training on Wednesday at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium. The 22-year-old Forde will continue to be monitored by the medical team as he works toward a full recovery. Forde was initially brought in as cover for the suspended Alzarri Joseph and played in the second match of the series in Barbados. However, he was replaced in the XI by Joseph for the game in St. Lucia, where the West Indies suffered a series defeat after falling 3-0 behind. McCoy, who was initially unavailable due to an injury sustained during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has now been cleared to return to play. The left-arm seamer, who has taken 49 wickets in 38 T20Is for the West Indies, will join the squad ahead of the back-to-back matches over the weekend to close out the Rivalry series. His last appearance for the West Indies was in their home series against South Africa in August. England secured their first series victory in the Caribbean across any format since 2019 with a win at the Daren Sammy Stadium on Thursday. The final two matches of the series are scheduled to take place at the same venue over the weekend. –IANS