Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the squad for the upcoming tri-series and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. What has been the biggest positive addition to the struggling West Indies side has to be the return of the legend Stafanie Taylor.
She has finally recovered from the injury that kept her away from important assignments versus England where West Indies was whitewashed 3-0 in the ODI series and 5-0 in the T20I series. The batting concerns certainly raised alarm bells and with Britney Cooper also being included in the squad, the management has a clear intention to beef up the batting ahead of the important tri-series and subsequently, the World Cup.
West Indies squad announced for the upcoming tri-series in South Africa that starts 19th January.
Senior All-rounder Stafanie Taylor and middle-order batter Britney Cooper makes a return. #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/AlBTfPPUjE
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) December 30, 2022
West Indies will square off against India and hosts, South Africa in the tri-series that is scheduled to start on 19th January. Then they will start off their World Cup campaign on February 11th versus England and later play India, Pakistan, and Ireland in the group stage matches.
Hayley Matthews has been fantastic leading West Indies but the team has not been able to come together and deliver impact performances, a trend that was observed in the recently concluded series versus England. Reflecting on the same, Lead Selector Ann Browne-John says the experience will be crucial for the team if they are to make any progress in the T20I format. She also added that “Our batting in the most recent series was less than par against a very good England bowling attack. We believe that with the return of some experienced batters, they will be able to support captain Hayley Matthews at the top of the order. The selection panel has named a squad that we believe has the talent and experience to compete against India and South Africa”.
Further with Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman in the ranks having fought off their injuries, they will join the talented lot of Chinelle Henry, Cherry Ann Fraser and Aaliyah Alleyne to bolster the bowling attack. Moreover, West Indies have had a good run when they toured South Africa earlier in the year and will look to replicate their performances in the upcoming tri-series and the T20 World Cup.
West Indies Squad for the Tri-Series in South Africa 2023
Hayley Matthews (c), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Cherry Ann Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.