?Colin Croft interviews Merissa Aguillera, captain, West Indies Women's Cricket Team.
Merissa Ria Aguillera, the 24-year-old captain of the West Indies Women Cricket Team, is a very attractive, disarmingly charming young woman from south Trinidad. Cricketers have never looked so good! She is also fully focused about her cricket.
Colin Croft (CC): You must be the world's most beautiful cricket captain! Anyway, the ICC WT-20 starts soon. After recently beating England, the defending ICC WT-20 Women Champions, your confidence must be high?
Merissa Aguillera (MA): I know that we will do extremely well. I expect victory. We have Deandra Dottin, Kirbyina Alexander is back, Juliana Nero and Anisa Mohammed. We could all perform. We must pick up where we left off. It will be difficult since we have not played properly for four weeks, but I know that the girls have been training very hard. When we get back to St Kitts, we have to complete the best preparations that we have had since I have been playing for West Indies.
CC: Your team seems to be striving for recognition. Last year, in the UK, the girls represented you well, impressing with your enthusiasm, unlike what the WI men's team is going through. You are the captain, perhaps a massive honour?
MA: West Indies Women's cricket is developing rapidly. I am very proud of our overall progress. What we have is great unity, standing as one. Yes, it is a very big honour to be captain. I enjoy the cricket, having fun, while doing serious stuff.
CC: Your coach, Sherwin Campbell, suggests that your team will surprise us, as you are playing at home. South Africa is the first opponent; their captain being Cri-zelda Brits. How will you cope with England? Claire Taylor is one of your nemeses?
MA: Playing at home is one of our advantages. We know St Kitts and the environment and have played and won there. We must use that. We all know Brits well. She is a very attacking player. We plan to cut out her shots.
We will not relax against England because we have already beaten them. We know they will come back hard at us. We have to maintain our focus. When we last played, two of their better players were missing, injured. So they will be tough.
CC: You, too, have had a serious injury recently?
MA: While in South Africa, I tore my meniscus. Managing the injury has been difficult, but I am really working hard for fitness, determined to be there. I know that my team needs me.
CC: Shermaine Campbelle and Juliana Nero could both keep wicket. Will you be playing only as batsman and captain, or will you be wicket-keeping too? You must be very important to the team.
MA: When we get to St Kitts, and assess my fitness, we will make decisions. I have worked very hard to reach where I am today. I am very flattered to know that people have such trust in me. I know I will work diligently.
CC: You know us West Indians. We always expect victory. We would praise you now, 30 seconds later, we would abuse you. How does it feel to carry seven million people on your back?
MA: That weight is terrible, but that is sports' life. We simply have to gel into it. You were the one that actually brought that to my attention. The England games in St Kitts were my first experience of that sort of support. The crowd was really receptive to our cricket. I enjoyed every moment but at times, it was also very tough. Teams like India, who are ranked fourth, will always be a threat. We cannot take any team for granted. We have to know the objective and know how to get there. Mistakes will happen, but we have to be on our toes at all times. India is a very important team. We have to focus and plan for all teams.
CC: What of your opposite number, Chris Gayle, and the IPL? Does your team pay any attention?
MA: We have many "Chris Gayle's" in our team. Deandra Dottin, Stacy-Ann King, Stephanie Taylor and Pamela Lavine all hit the ball well everywhere. Deandra Dottin has the fastest 50 in Women's T-20. We are capable and full of confidence. Our cricket is developing quickly. For the 50-Over World Cup in Australia, we were underdogs, as our team was new, players coming together for the first time, without much experience. Now, all of the teams are watching us after the last year. The WICB has been doing much for us, getting more games for us, one of the most important things. We do not play as much as the other countries. Once we play more regularly, it would be good for the team and our improvement will continue to escalate.
CC: When do you foresee the WI Women's team becoming regular world beaters and even evolving into being professionals?
MA: 2013 will be the next World Cup. I am hoping that by then, we will be the No 1 team in the world. In the T-20's, we have been doing extremely well. We are always the team to watch, but it will take some time to become professional. In these T-20's, we must get to the semifinal. Once we do that, we could win it. We have to focus on each game. We know that the other teams are coming to pound us, in our own back-yard, so we must be very prepared. We have been working very hard. I think that with our work ethic and improvements, we deserve that home victory.
CC: Do the public at large recognise you as their captain? By the time this competition is complete, three billion could have seen you on television.
MA: Yes, people hail us out often and that feels really good. They do recognise me as the captain and are always wishing us well. I really look forward to playing in front of those cameras. That is a cricketer's dream, especially for a young woman. We have been yearning for that for a very long time. I cannot wait! I expect to be playing for the West Indies for a long time, as I have always loved cricket for as long as I can remember. With the attitude that our girls have now, we really want to push West Indies cricket to that upper level. We are doing that now, with the help of the WICB, who we must congratulate on their efforts, as we have many games planned for us now and beyond. We expect to do much better than the men's team. Once we maintain that confidence of young women in today's society, we will produce great stuff. Sometimes it is very difficult to be away from home, as partners do not always understand exactly what our plan is, or our focus. Trust has to come into it. Once we have that understanding, everything normally works out. With the technology; Face-book, Twitter, Internet etc, we just manage to keep things together and in perspective.
CC: All that I can say, for you and your team, is "good luck for the WT-20 2010!"
