THE WEST Indies Women will begin their bid to qualify for the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup when they take on Scotland in their opening match of next month’s qualifiers in Pakistan.
The schedule for the round-robin tournament, which will be played in Lahore from April 9-19, was released on Friday by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The West Indies, along with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, Thailand, and Scotland, will vie for the final two spots in the Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, scheduled to be played in October and November this year.
West Indies Women will feature in a double header on April 9, with Pakistan also set to take on Ireland.
AMBATI RAYUDU struck a scintillating half century to lead India Masters to a comfortable six-wicket victory over the West Indies Masters to claim the inaugural International Masters League (IML) title yesterday.
Lendl Simmons scored 57 off 41 balls with five fours and a six, while Dwayne Smith made 45 off 35 balls inclusive of six fours and two sixes, as the West Indies Masters posted 148 for seven off their 20 overs at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
Vinay Kumar (3-26) and Shahbaz Nadeem (2-12) delivered impressive spells to help restrict the visitors after they were sent in to bat.
Statement from Dr. Kishore Shallow, President of Cricket West Indies
On behalf of Cricket West Indies, I extend profound gratitude to Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley for his exceptional service to the region and his unwavering commitment to West Indies cricket. As he prepares to demit office on March 16, 2025, and has stepped down as Chair of the CARICOM Subcommittee on Cricket, we reflect on his remarkable leadership and enduring legacy.
Dr. Rowley is a giant amongst men—an unwavering advocate for Caribbean unity, progress, and the institutions that define us. His tenure as Chair of the CARICOM Subcommittee on Cricket was marked by visionary leadership, bold decision-making, and an unshakable passion for the game. The historic CARICOM Cricket Symposium held last year under his stewardship stands as a testament to his determination to chart a stronger future for West Indies cricket.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are jointly launching the inaugural West Indies Breakout League, a new cricket tournament designed to spotlight emerging talent across the region.
The competition is scheduled to take place from 25 April to 10 May 2025, featuring six teams and 17 matches. All the games will take place at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
The six teams taking part will be Barbados Pelicans, Guyana Rainforest Rangers, Jamaica Titans, Leeward Islands Thunder, Trinidad & Tobago Legions and the Windward Islands Infernos.
Players eligible to participate must be under 30 years old or at the start of the 2025 event, with limited professional experience—fewer than 40 List A T20 matches and fewer than 10 International T20s.
Twenty20 leagues have transformed women’s cricket from a sport that once relied on public support for survival into an appealing spectacle, according to West Indies white-ball captain Hayley Matthews.
The all-rounder, who shot to fame in the West Indies’ 2016 T20 World Cup triumph, said T20 leagues like the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India have fostered global exposure and helped develop the women’s game.
“I feel like once upon a time, women’s cricket was probably like, ‘Come and watch the game to support the women,’ whereas now I feel like we have a product that’s entertaining, and we have these skills that people want to see us play cricket,” Matthews told Reuters.
“I think just getting the opportunity to play these leagues and have all the games televised and have people watching and supporting is naturally going to help the game to grow.
“There’s plenty of opportunities for women to grow in cricket, and I think competitions like the WPL give a platform for the game to grow. It introduces people to the game . . . shows the level of skill that we have in women’s cricket.”
