King had been in line to lead West Indies A on the recent tour of Nepal before he was ruled out through injury with Roston Chase taking over.

"These are among the last competitive T20 international matches before the start of the World Cup," lead selector Desmond Haynes said. "Players have the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and ensure they are as prepared as they can be for the World Cup, whether they are in the final squad or reserve pool."

Head coach Daren Sammy said: "We have not played together as a team since the Australia series, but we just completed a very high-intensity training camp in Antigua. Now we have the chance to integrate some of our players returning from the IPL and build some momentum as a group going into the World Cup."

After facing South Africa, West Indies will play Australia in a warm-up match on May 30.

West Indies squad for T20I series vs South Africa

Brandon King (capt), Roston Chase, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Mathew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh