Deitz wants Windies to prove they are ‘good’ against Australia 

West Indies head coach Shane Deitz is eager for a bounce-back showing in their upcoming T20 International series against Australia. Ahead of Thursday’s start to the three-match contest, which is set to be played exclusively in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Deitz expressed his desire for the Caribbean side to execute in areas they “didn't quite do against Sri Lanka." 

“We've got to express ourselves, show our skills, and back ourselves against the very best, and that will be a bit of a mental shift,” Deitz began. The West Indies lost both the T20I and ODI home series to Sri Lanka last month after repeated top-order failures across both formats. 

Despite this, Deitz, an Australian himself, does not want his team to fall into the trap of playing timid cricket, even against the number one side. “It's great to test yourself against the best, to see where we're at, individually and collectively, so we’re looking forward to the contest," he said.

“The intensity and the aggression of the Aussies will come at us,” he stressed. “We've got to match that; we can't be too complacent or too within ourselves.” The West Indies were semi-finalists at the most recent edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024. They have lost eight of their 14 games since then. 

The series against Australia and the tri-series involving Pakistan and hosts, Ireland, which follows, will form the remainder of their competitive preparation for the next edition of the tournament in England in June. 

“We've got to maximize this opportunity, work out some good combinations, play some good cricket, obviously get some confidence in the roles that we're playing in different parts of the game and different scenarios of the game, and work out what's best going into that World Cup, which is obviously the focus.”

Deitz is also desperate to gain the support of the region before jetting off to Europe. “We need to bounce back well and show everyone that we're a good side so everyone can back us,” he said. 

To do that, Deitz acknowledges his team will need to adapt to the change in conditions. “The pitch will be pretty different from what we had in Grenada, so we've got to adjust fast,” he stated. “We didn't do that in Grenada. So getting used to the conditions is the focus.”