RvD: I don't think the wicket will change much. World Cup ahead, aclimatize. Two debutants. Rickleton and Baartman are in.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

The World Cup is just around the corner in this territory. The Proteas have arrived here to take on West Indies to have some quality game time before the multi-nation event. Both teams are without their actual World Cup squad members due to IPL/rest. We have three T20Is in this contest to build us up to the T20 World Cup. Sabina Park is playing host to all three games and there is some weather around for later in the day. Hopefully we get a full game.

Preview by Telford Vice

Don't bother trying to stop us even if you have heard this one nine times before: King Charles is likely to open the batting for West Indies in their men's T20I series against South Africa that starts in Kingston on Thursday.

Brandon King, that is, and Johnson Charles. They've opened in nine of the 14 instances they've batted together in both kinds of white-ball internationals. So why not again in a rubber that is stuck between the rock of the ongoing IPL and the hard place of the impending T20 World Cup?

The series is made for that kind of joke. Here's another: what do you get when two stand-in captains lead their teams at a ground the T20 World Cup won't visit? You get King, Rassie van der Dussen and Sabina Park. Still another: what do you call players who are in the West Indies and South Africa squads for the series but haven't cracked the provisional nod for the T20 World Cup? You call them on Saturday, because that's when the T20 World Cup squads will be finalised.

We said there was room for jokes. We didn't say they would be funny.

Please see below for the players who are not in action in Jamaica, largely thanks to the IPL. Among them are much of the cream of these two crops, which is hardly surprising considering the Indian tournament is the most important in the world of T20 cricket. Yes, that does take into account the T20 World Cup.

So, with Sunday's IPL final bearing down on us like an approaching avalanche of, mostly, sixes, this series could be swept from memory even before it ends. But it will never be forgotten by King and Van der Dussen, who haven't captained any of their senior national teams before. Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Matthew Forde, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh, Van der Dussen, Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi and Nqaba Peter, meanwhile, will know Friday's game is their last chance to sneak into the T20 World Cup.

It's a long shot. Both camps would be loathe to make changes with the tournament starting seven days after the series ends, but it's the only shot those players have.

Those already bound for the T20 World Cup will see the rubber as a chance to tighten whatever nuts and bolts are not yet secure. And to familiarise themselves with the conditions that will prevail for most of the tournament.

Spare a thought, then, for players who are not in the IPL spotlight nor primed to step onto the T20 World Cup stage. For them, this series is no joke.

When: May 23, 25 and 26, 2024; 2 pm Local Time (9 pm SAST, 12.30 am IST)

Where: Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

What to expect: Thunderstorms have been forecast for all four days of the series' duration, but shouldn't get in the way of the cricket too much. The six men's T20Is played at this ground have yielded a century and three 50s, and a four-wicket haul and seven of three wickets - four of them by seamers. That would suggest it's a bowler's venue.

Team news:

West Indies: Rovman Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford and Alzarri Joseph are not involved because of their IPL commitments, but Joseph could be included if Royal Challengers Bangalore don't reach Sunday's final. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran have been rested. Fairytale fast bowler Shamar Joseph looks set for a T20I debut.

Possible XI: Brandon King (c), Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Mathew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Obed McCoy, Shamar Joseph

South Africa: The visitors' IPL absentee list is also lengthy: Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj. Kagiso Rabada is also missing with a leg infection. Might leg spin sensation Nqaba Peter earn his first international cap in any format?

Possible XI: Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen (c), Matthew Breetzke, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Gerald Coetzee, Anrich Nortje, Nqaba Peter, Lungi Ngidi

What they said:

"This series is a vital part of our preparation [for the T20 World Cup]. Match practice is something that you cannot replicate in training. We are coming from a training camp [in Antigua], and this is an opportunity to put those plans and skills in place." - Brandon King is eager to get cracking.

"I called my mum to let her know I'm in the squad. I didn't tell her I'm going to West Indies, because she gets very, very emotional." - Nqaba Peter bowls his mother a googly.

Squads:

South Africa Squad: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Rassie van der Dussen(c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, Patrick Kruger, Andile Phehlukwayo, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin, Ottniel Baartman, Nqaba Peter

West Indies Squad: Brandon King(c), Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher(w), Alick Athanaze, Roston Chase, Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Hayden Walsh, Matthew Forde, Shamar Joseph