St Johns [Antigua], June 9 (ANI): West Indies on Friday added in-form opener Johnson Charles to their squad for the ICC World Cup Qualifier to be played in Zimbabwe, starting on Sunday 18 June.

"Charles has been named as the replacement for Gudakesh Motie in the 15-member squad," Cricket West Indies (CWI) said in an statement.

Charles was a member of the West Indies XI that won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2016, but he was often on the outside looking in after that until he was recalled for the 2022 edition of the showcase tournament.

This year, the 34-year-old has performed admirably for the West Indies, scoring 118 off 46 balls with 11 sixes and 10 boundaries in a T20I against South Africa in March.

Following Devon Thomas' suspension, Charles took advantage of an unexpected opportunity to join the West Indies squad for three One-Day Internationals against the UAE.

West Indies will arrive in Harare on Saturday, where they will prepare for the 10-team tournament. They have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Zimbabwe, Nepal, Netherlands and the USA.

"We want to wish Motie the best as he continues his rehabilitation. He is one of the players who we expect to feature in West Indies cricket going forward, so we want to see him recover fully so he can participate when called upon," Lead Selector, Desmond Haynes said in an official statement released by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

"When we discussed the replacement player, we looked at the possibility of another spinner in the squad. However, we felt it was better to go with Charles. He is experienced at the international level, he will add value to the team for what will be a very important tournament. He also has knowledge of the Zimbabwe conditions having played ODI matches there before, so we see him as the right man for the job at this stage," Haynes added.

West Indies face the USA in the opening Group A fixture on Sunday 18 June at Takashinga Cricket Club, followed by Nepal on Thursday 22 June at Harare Sports Club. West Indies meet Zimbabwe on Saturday 24 June at Harare Sports Club. The fourth preliminary match will be against the Netherlands on Monday 26 June.

Each side will play the other teams in their group once with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage from 29 June to 7 July. The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage.

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Rovman Powell (vc), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd. (ANI)