ST. JOHN’S, Antigua- Deandra Dottin has been named with twenty other players by Cricket West Indies’ Selection Panel, for a pre-world cup camp from January 6-25 in Antigua to finalise their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Deandra returns to West Indies Women’s duty after shoulder surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period, which ensured her full recovery and availability for the team. Captain Stafanie Taylor, who missed the T20 International series against the visiting Indian Women’s team in November, will also be returning, along with bowlers Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman.
CWI’s Women’s and Girls Head Selector, Ann Browne-John said, “The panel has selected a squad showing a mix of youth and experience in preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The recently concluded Women’s Franchise Tournament in Trinidad also gave the panel an opportunity to view the players in a T20 setting just prior to the World Cup.”
First there was an accident and it followed the trauma of not being able to walk for six months as future looked bleak and uncertain for the then 20-year-old Nicholas Pooran.
And then the big man Kieron Pollard stepped into the scene like a guardian angel, motivated him and in three years, he is proving to be a vital cog in West Indies' white-ball set-up under former's captaincy.
"He's been a like a big brother to me, a father figure. He's been there since I returned to cricket. He gave me opportunity. I'm thankful for that," said Pooran, who has started repaying his skipper's faith with scores of 29 not out off 23 balls, 75 off 47 balls and 89 off 64 balls in the recently-concluded ODI series against India.
Following the completion of their final assignment of the calendar year, on Sunday night local time in Cuttack—where India rallied to a 4-wicket win in the series-decider to edge the three-match One-Day International series 2-1—the West Indies can depart the subcontinent taking heart from their 7:6 win/loss ratio over the last six weeks. WINDIES were able to cop their first ODI series victory in five years, with a 3-0 whitewash of over Afghanistan. And despite the series loss to India, (in the same format) there have been positive signs from Pollard’s men.
There is a saying: ‘there’s a way to lose’—not only the accumulation of losses, in recent times, that has been a bother to Caribbean fans, but what was seen as a lack of fight from the players. And so, fans would have been pleased by the threat the West Indies posed throughout this series. Although finishing on the losing side, the West Indies were by no means swept aside.
Jamaica and West Indies women cricketer Stafanie Taylor was, on Tuesday, named in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) One-Day International (ODI) Team of the Year.
In a year that saw some poor results from West Indies women, Taylor's performance stood out. With the responsibility of captain on her shoulders coupled with the absence of Deandra Dottin, Taylor tapped into her unwavering work ethic to earn her place amongst the best ODI players of 2019.
Amassing 472 runs across 11 innings, Taylor is also listed second place in ICC Women’s ODI players ranking for both batting and all-rounders.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, remarked on Taylor's achievement.
Jamaica and West Indies seamer Sheldon Cottrell was bought by the Kings XI Punjab for a whopping Rs 8.5 crore or over US$1 million in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction on Thursday.
Cottrell made a splash in the World Cup in England, emerging as West Indies' highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in nine games at an economy rate of 5.85.
The Jamaican, at base price of 50 lakh, attracted a bidding war between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab before Delhi Capitals made it a three-way race.
Punjab eventually took the left-arm seamer making him the second most expensive bowler after Pat Cummins (15.5 crore).
