TAYLOR IN CHARGE
Veteran batsman Stafanie Taylor, along with fellow West Indies teammates Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell and Britney Cooper, will star in the Cricket West Indies Women’s Super50 Cup and T20 Blaze but West Indies Captain Hayley Matthews will miss the tournament.
Taylor will lead the Jamaica squad, Campbelle captains Guyana and Cooper takes charge of T&T, while Connell will feature for reigning double champions Barbados led by Kycia Knight, who quit international cricket early this year.
The 25-year old Matthews, will be absent for Barbados due to her commitments with Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League which runs from Feb. 23 to March 17.
“We will miss Hayley’s profile and impact in the regional tournament,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe.
“She is our gold standard. I am sure she will make us proud at the WPL which will be excellent preparation for her ahead of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year.”
Hayley Matthews of West Indies plays a shot during the first one-day international cricket match against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. Associated Press/Fareed Khan, file
Taylor, who Matthews replaced as captain two years ago, will oversee a side which includes the likes of Rashada Williams, Natasha McLean, Vanessa Watts and Chedean Nation.
Campbell, will also have the services of Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Ashmini Munisar, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Mandy Mangru and Kaysia Schultz.
Cooper, a veteran of One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals, will be accompanied by West Indies players Karishma Ramharack, Djenaba Joseph and LeeAnn Kirby, while the 36-year-old Kirbyina Alexander played the last of her 26 internationals 14 years ago.
Amanda Edwards will lead Leeward Islands who is supported by Shawnisha Hector and Jahzara Claxton.
Windward Islands will be captained by West Indies leg-spinner Afy Fletcher and will have the international trio of Zaida James, Jannelia Glasgow and Qiana Joseph. Pearl Etienne, at age 41, will also feature in the tournament.
“This year’s CG United Women’s Super50 and T20 Blaze has a whole new context as we seek to professionalise the women’s pathway with the first cohort of regionally contracted Women being signed on from Oct. 1, 2024,” said Bascombe.
The Super50 Cup is being played at Warner Park, Conaree Cricket Center, and St. Paul’s Sports Complex which started Monday, March 2, with the T20 Blaze set to get underway at Warner Park on March 17.
