PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — West Indies Twenty20 (T20) Captain Rovman Powell believes the three-match series against South Africa will serve as the perfect launchpad in the regional side’s build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The West Indies take on South Africa on Friday in the first of three T20 matches at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

With veterans Andre Russell and Jason Holder being rested for the series, several fringe players have been drafted into the 15-man squad, including Fabien Allen, Alick Athanaze and Matthew Forde.

Speaking ahead of the first T20, Powell said the trio could be key players for the Windies in 2026.

“We try our best as a selection group to keep it as close as possible to those guys in the World Cup looking forward to 2026.

“It’s also another opportunity for us to see other players. You know Alick Athanaze, Fabien Allen, Matthew Forde are three of those players that we have identified, and it is for them to be given the opportunity and hopefully once they are given the opportunity, they can grasp it with both hands,” Powell said.

“So this is a building block for 2026. I know 2026 might seem a long way away, but it’s for us to play good cricket, series by series.”

With the West Indies currently ranked fourth in the ICC’s T20 rankings, he said the series was important in helping the team to “get back on track” following their Super 8 elimination at the T20 World Cup in June.

It will be the Windies’ first international series since that exit, and Powell said it was important to return to winning ways.

“I think the chemistry is very good. You know it’s the first series post-World Cup and it’s an important one in the sense that we have to get back on track as a T20 team and I think so far, so good.

“Gone are the days when you used to play series for playing series sake. You use these series as building blocks, and nothing is more important than winning,” Powell maintained.

“Once you win games you improve your ranking in the ICC standings and also guys become more familiar with their roles and guys become more encouraged to play for the West Indies because the atmosphere, the environment is a winning one and people want to associate themselves with winners.”

Powell admitted that even though the team was disappointed with their performance at home in the T20 World Cup, he believed they showed they could compete at the highest level.

“I think we played good cricket. We had a clean slate right through the preliminary stage and we faltered when we reached the quarter-final stage,” he said.

“But having said that, I think that it shows that we are a quality unit, it shows that if we prepare well and if we have the right plans, we can be successful at the international level.”