West Indies has announced their squad for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this October, with their opening match against South Africa on the 4th of October. West Indies captain Hayley Matthews is determined to lead her team to replicate the triumph of 2016 in the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Speaking on the West Indian team, Hayley Mathew, the skipper said that the squad this year is probably the best they’ve ever had, be it in terms of talent and unity. She emphasized on the fact that the squad is quite confident right now to ace the World Cup and bring the title home. In her opinion, the recent performance improvement indicates that they can compete with the top teams.
Three of West Indies’ previous four bilateral T20I series have ended in victory, including victories over Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Ireland. Despite losing the series against Australia, West Indies put up a spirited performance, winning a game for the first time against them.
Hayley stressed that the team’s success depends on their spinners, adding to the fact that the conditions in the UAE will heavily benefit the spinners namely Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, young Zaida James and herself.
“We know how important spin is going to be in these conditions. Our spin attack has some world-class talent, and we’re looking to use that to our advantage.”
With experienced spinners on the team, captain Hayley highlighted that this would give them a competitive edge over their rivals during the course of the tournament.
According to Matthews, the 2016 victory created a lasting impression on young female cricketers in the Caribbean and paved the way for many of them to pursue the sport further.
“We know how much winning the T20 World Cup in 2016 did for the women’s game in the West Indies. It inspired a lot of young girls to pick up a bat or ball and dream of representing their country. That’s something we’re very proud of, and we’d love to inspire once again.”
With the confidence in the squad and the hunger to clinch another title for the Caribbean, Matthews hopes to inspire future generations of players. “If we can replicate what we did back in 2016, it will not just be a win for us as a team but a win for every young girl who dreams of wearing the maroon jersey,” she concluded.
A well-prepared spin unit, a desire to continue building on past successes, and a strong preparation, Hayley Matthews believes that this West Indies team is capable of reaching the top. The West Indies team will meet South Africa on the 4th of October at the Dubai International Stadium.
(Quotes sourced from ICC Media Release)