After stubbing their toe, in surrendering a one nil series lead to Pakistan Women in February, to lose the three-match One Day International series 2-1—WINDIES Women are yet to recover. In fact, the Stafanie Taylor-led team have been swept 3-0, at home and away, in the two ODI series they have contested against England and Australia, respectively, since then. However, with key players such as Deandra Dottin, Shakera Selman, Hayley Matthews, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation missing, at some point or the other, during this torrid period, one can understand the misfortunes of this unsettled West Indies team.
Though, newly appointed interim head coach, Gus Logie, will welcome the services of Nation and Campbelle, the West Indies must, once again, make do without Dottin, Selman and Mathews (who will be available for selection for the 3rd ODI of this series). Currently 7th of the eight teams on the ICC Women’s Championship points table, with a mere 11 points, WINDIES Women have summoned, for the first time, the services of Aaliyah Alleyne and Shawnisha Hector—seemingly at the expense of the experienced Shamelia Connell. Cricket West Indies named the following 14-woman squad for the first two ODIs against India in Antigua; Stafanie Taylor (c), Anisa Mohammed (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Stacey-Ann King, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Shabika Gajnabi, Shawnisha Hector, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond.
At the time of writing, in just over a week, the Windies cricket team will be embarking on a tour which will comprise a one-off Test match against Afghanistan along with a trio of one-day internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 (T20) matches.
It will be the first set of encounters after the reappointment of head coach, Phil Simmons. That predictable announcement has come from the new Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt. The Kittitian, by his previous appointments, seemed to be sending a message to all those who cared to listen, that his philosophy was clearly not going to be of the ‘business as usual’ nature. His mantra spoke to a house cleaning and replacements would be those who, in the opinion of his affiliates, would bring new fortunes to the fading image of the region’s cricket.
There are those who expressed the thought that Skerritt was somewhat hasty in removing the previous coach, Richard Pybus, from his position, especially since he had taken the team through a 2-1 victory against the England Lions in a recently concluded Test series, and also drawing the ODI series at 2-2. All three T20 matches were lost to the Englishmen. In the interim, Floyd Reifer was named and the Windies were back to their losing ways against the touring Indians in all formats of the game.
Returning West Indies coach Phil Simmons has backed his two captains' ability to get the most of their players, and suggested that Jason Holder will benefit from the decision to hand the white-ball reins to Kieron Pollard.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Simmons said that Pollard - who was appointed captain of the limited-overs teams in September despite not having played an ODI since 2016 - is capable of "leading from the front" with the bat.
"It showed in the T20Is with India," Simmons said. "He took the reins and led in those. That's what I expect from him: that responsibility of being captain is going to make him want to always be on top of the runs and leading from the front. He is that kind of a leader - even though he asks you to do something, it is not something he wouldn't do or he wouldn't want to do."
VETERAN all-rounder Imran Khan has been appointed captain of a 14-member TT Red Force team, who will compete in the Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup, from November 6 to December 1, in both Trinidad and St Kitts.
The squad was announced by the TT Cricket Board yesterday.
The 35-year-old Khan will have, as his deputy, former TT captain and fellow all-rounder Yannick Ottley. Experienced left-handed batsman Darren Bravo is the most notable name in the list.
St. John’s, Antigua - Cricket West Indies have confirmed that Hayley Matthews will be eligible for selection from the third Colonial Medical Insurance One Day International against India. This follows her withdrawal from the previous series against Australia due to a breach of CWI’s Code of Conduct.
The matter was referred to the six- member CWI Disciplinary Committee headed by Independent Chairman, Justice Winston Anderson.
The Committee ruled that Matthews should be suspended for eight international matches, which will end after the second one-day international of the upcoming India series, which begins in Antigua this weekend.
CWI Disciplinary Committee members are:
● Justice Winston Anderson (Chairman - Independent)
● Justice Charles Pennycooke (Member - Independent)
● Mr. Carlisle Best (Member - Independent)
● Mr. Jeffrey Dujon (Member - Players Representative)
● Miss Verlyn Faustin (CWI Corporate Secretary)
Meanwhile, CWI also confirmed that star all-rounder Deandra Dottin is continuing her active rehabilitation from shoulder surgery that has kept her out of cricket since May and has commenced a gradual return to playing plan under the guidance of the CWI medical team.
