Leading up to the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier, West Indies has suffered a significant blow with seasoned all-rounder Deandra Dottin sidelined due to injury.
Dottin, a key member of the West Indies batting and bowling lineup for nearly 15 years now, sustained an injury while warming up for Gujarat Giants’ Eliminator match in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 on March 13.
West Indies will be contending for their spot in the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup after finishing eighth in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022/23–25 standings. Six teams—West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand, and Pakistan—are competing in this qualifying tournament, with the table toppers set to advance to the main event, scheduled for later this year in India.
Dottin’s absence from the six-team qualifier in Pakistan hurts West Indies’ chances of putting up a dominant show. Most recently, she was instrumental in the Gujarat Giants’ unprecedented playoff qualification after being acquired for INR 1.7 crore in the 2024 WPL auction.
She demonstrated her aggressive hitting style by scoring 142 runs at a scorching strike rate of 154.34 over eight games. She proved her value with the ball as well, taking nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.42. She showcased her all-around skills against UP Warriorz with her highest score of 33* and recorded bowling figures of 2/14.
For the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, Dottin made a spectacular comeback to the West Indies team after a two-year break from international cricket, reversing her retirement. With 120 runs in five games at an average of 40.00, she became the team’s top run scorer. Although the West Indies’ campaign ended early, her brilliant batting gave them much-needed firepower, striking at 162.16.
She has been a mainstay for West Indies since her debut in 2008 and is the first-ever centurion in the history of women’s T20I. She has accumulated 2,697 runs and claimed 62 wickets in Twenty20 Internationals and is well-known for her powerful hitting and medium-pace bowling. Her 2010 T20 World Cup century off 38 balls remains one of the fastest in the history of the competition.
Her success extends to One Day International (ODI) cricket, where she has amassed 3,785 runs at an average of 30.03 from 140 outings, and claimed 79 wickets from 100 innings, with respective bests of 150* and 5/34.
Despite Dottin’s absence, West Indies fields a formidable 15-member team for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup qualifier, led by Hayley Matthews. Matthews, currently ranked in the top 10 in each of the three ICC Women’s ODI ranking categories, will bear a lot of responsibility. The team from their most recent campaign, ODI series against Bangladesh, remains largely the same, with Djenaba Joseph and Nerissa Crafton excluded in addition to Dottin, replaced by Rashada Williams, Chinelle Henry, and Stafanie Taylor.
Accompanying Karishma Ramharack in the spin department will be Afy Fletcher, who claimed 10 wickets in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Chinelle Henry’s versatility and Stafanie Taylor’s experience will be crucial to the West Indies’ campaign.
A vital all-rounder, Chinelle Henry’s outstanding play has earned her a position in the West Indies squad for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2025. After replacing Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz in her 2025 WPL debut, the 29-year-old demonstrated her aggressive batting with a high score of 62 against Delhi Capitals and scored 163 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 196.38. Maintaining an economy rate of 8.29, she contributed six wickets with the ball as well.
Even though the team still has talented players, it will be difficult to fill the void left by losing a game-winning player like Dottin. To guarantee a spot in the World Cup, West Indies must now rely on their other seasoned players to step up and perform. All eyes will be on Hayley Matthews and her team as the qualifiers approach to see if they can overcome this obstacle and secure their spot at the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.
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