ST JOHN’S – West Indies Women have been boosted by the return of veteran all-rounder Stafanie Taylor for next month’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan.
The 33-year-old Taylor, who sustained a leg injury during the Women’s T20 World Cup last October and did not feature in their semifinal defeat to New Zealand, has been named in a 15-member squad that will compete in the tournament from April 9 to 19,
Taylor also missed the West Indies Women’s ODI and T20 home series against Bangladesh earlier this year.
She has played 160 ODIs and scored seven centuries and 41 half centuries at an average of 43.11.
Taylor has also taken 155 wickets with her offspin at an economy rate of 3.56.
Exciting all-rounders Shabika Gajnabi and Jannillea Glasgow are also in the squad that will be led by Hayley Matthews.
The team is scheduled to depart on Monday for a pre-tournament camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), before moving on to Pakistan to compete for one of two final qualification spots for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, to be hosted in India from October to November this year.
The West Indies Women begin their campaign on April 9 against Scotland at the LCCA Stadium, followed by matches against Ireland, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand.
Matthews said the team had set its goals on winning the tournament and qualifying for the World Cup.
“As we head into the World Cup Qualifiers, we know we’ve prepared well for this moment. The team environment feels like a family, and we’ve all been enjoying ourselves out on the park.”
“We trust our skills and each other and are staying focused on playing our best cricket without any distractions,” Matthews said.
“Winning this is a big goal for us as a team, and we’re confident in our chances to perform at a high level.”
Head coach Shane Deitz said he was confident the team would perform well in Pakistan.
“It’s going to be a tough tournament with some really good teams to play against, but we are right up for the challenge.
“We know how important it is to qualify for the World Cup in India later in the year but obviously, all the teams will be doing everything they can to get those two spots in the World Cup,” Deitz said.
“We’ve prepared well and played some good cricket in the last series against Bangladesh. We have got to be at our best in every game, prepare well off the field, trust our skills, play our best cricket and the result will take care of itself.”
SQUAD
West Indies Women: Hayley Matthews (captain), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.
Management: Shane Deitz (head coach), Sheena Gooding (manager), Ryan Austin (assistant coach), Damien Wright (assistant coach), Gary Belle (analyst), Angelica Holder (physiotherapist), Hector Martinez Charles (strength & conditioning coach), Dr. Nadine Sammy (performance coach), Dr. Ruchelle Brown Calvert (doctor), Nicholas Maitland (media officer)
West Indies Match Schedule:
April 9: West Indies vs Scotland – LCCA Stadium (12:30 am AST / 9:30 am PKT)
Apri 11: Ireland vs West Indies – Gaddafi Stadium (12:30 am AST / 9:30 am PKT)
April 14: Pakistan vs West Indies – Gaddafi Stadium (5:00 am AST / 2:00 pm PKT)
April 17: Bangladesh vs West Indies – LCCA Stadium (12:30 am AST / 9:30 am PKT)
April 19: West Indies vs Thailand – Gaddafi Stadium (5:00 am AST / 2:00 pm PKT)
CMC
