The West Indies Women’s senior cricket team has launched an intensive eight-week high-performance training camp in Antigua, starting October 20, as part of their preparations for a historic and action-packed 2026 season.
20 senior players are participating in this camp, which aims to build a strong foundation for the team ahead of a year filled with international challenges including six tours, 15 One-Day Internationals, one Test match, and the highly anticipated ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
The upcoming year is expected to be one of the busiest for the West Indies Women. Their 2026 campaign begins with a home series against Sri Lanka in February, followed by an all-format showdown with Australia in March and April.
In May, they will travel to Ireland for a tri-series involving the hosts and Pakistan, before heading to England for the T20 World Cup. Post-World Cup, the “Maroon Warriors” will return to Ireland in July for an ODI series, after that they will take on Zimbabwe in September–October and conclude the year with a home white-ball series against Pakistan in December.
Head Coach Shane Deitz highlighted that this camp is crucial to the team’s overall development and long-term success. He stated that the primary focus is on individual skill improvement, pushing players to perform at their highest levels, and maintaining consistent motivation. “We only get this one opportunity to do this period of training and what we do now will determine our success next year.” Deitz said.
He stressed the importance of fitness and athleticism, noting that the team aims to build fast, strong, and dynamic cricketers who can sustain high performance throughout a demanding season while playing an exciting brand of cricket that fans will enjoy.
The training camp is designed around three main pillars: strength and conditioning, individual skill development, mental skill along with team culture and leadership. To ensure each player receives personalized guidance, the program incorporates small-group coaching sessions. This structure allows for targeted improvement in both technical and physical areas.
The mental and leadership aspects of the program are being led by Mental Skills Performance Coach Nadine Sammy, who is focusing on team unity, communication, and leadership building, essential components for a squad that will spend extended periods together throughout the 2026 calendar.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, emphasized that this initiative is part of a broader, long-term high-performance vision for West Indies cricket.
He explained that the camp reflects CWI’s commitment to individual player development and to building a sustainable system that consistently produces world-class female cricketers. Bascombe said “The aim is to take a very individual approach to player development, providing each player with specific support in the areas that would allow them to take their game to the next level.”
By the time the camp concludes in December, the players are expected to return to their domestic teams equipped with enhanced skills, improved fitness, and a renewed sense of purpose. The ultimate goal is to carry this preparation into the 2026 season, where the West Indies Women will aim to reclaim global dominance and compete fiercely for the T20 World Cup title.
(Inputs sourced from Cricket West Indies)
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