Deitz targets improved fitness for Windies Women in 8-month absence from international cricket
Head coach Shane Deitz says he wants the West Indies Women’s team to be fitter when they return to international cricket in 2026. Almost a full quota of the senior team started training camp in Antigua and Barbuda on Monday and will remain there through the first week of December. “One area we've got to get right is our strength and conditioning," Deitz said.
Since his appointment in July of 2023, the Australian has insisted he wants the team to play the ‘Caribbean way.’ He reiterated, “We need fast, athletic, and robust cricketers who can play the style of cricket we want, entertain the crowds, put on a massive show, and win lots of games, but also stay fit and healthy through a tough period.”
The West Indies are in the fourth of an 8-month drought of competitive cricket after failing to qualify for the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup. They have been inactive since their 2-1 T20I home series win over South Africa in June and will not feature until February, when Sri Lanka travels to the Caribbean for a white-ball tour.
Deitz covets to maximize the idle spell. “We only get this one opportunity to do this period of training, and what we do now will determine our success next year,” he said. "[This camp is] also about getting our players focused on what they're [in the team] to achieve, pushing harder than they've ever pushed before, and maintaining that motivation to train every day.”
Following Sri Lanka’s visit, the West Indies will host Australia for an all-format tour beginning in March, including a one-off Test, their first in 22 years. They then head to Ireland for a tri-series with the hosts and Pakistan in May before heading to England for the T20 World Cup. After the tournament, the team will return to Ireland for a bilateral ODI series in July.
September and October will see them do battle against Zimbabwe in a white-ball tour before closing the year with another white-ball home series against Pakistan in December.