Women’s T20 World Cup in spotlight

PAARL, South Africa (CMC):

Former captain Stafanie Taylor’s involvement in West Indies Women’s crucial T20 World Cup opener against England Women remained in doubt late yesterday as the batting leader continued to struggle to recover from injury which ruled her out of last month’s Tri-Nations Series.

The 31-year-old has not featured for almost five months, also missing England Women’s tour of the Caribbean last December, and captain Hayley Matthews said while she was hopeful over the Jamaican’s return for today’s contest, a decision was yet to be made by tour management. Today’s match bowls off at 8 a.m. (Jamaica time).

“I think we’re still monitoring her at the moment,” Matthews told a media conference here.

“Obviously, the medical people, as well as the coaches are keeping a close eye on her. Obviously, we’d love to have her out there, but still day-to-day decisions that we have to make on that.”

She continued,“I think everyone’s ready to get out there and get on to the park. Everyone wants to 100 per cent be out there and playing.

“And like I mentioned before, [we’re] hopeful that she’s going to be ready. But if it comes down to a case where she doesn’t end up being in the 11, we have multiple other players that are ready to get out there and get going.”

Taylor was included in the final squad for the tournament, but missed both official warm-up games earlier this week as she continued to battle for fitness.

She is the side’s most experienced batswoman, averaging nearly 36 from 111 T20 Internationals and taking 98 wickets, and her absence has proven difficult to fill, especially in the wake of veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin’s international retirement last year.

With Taylor one of several first team players sidelined by injury during the Tri-Nations Series here, selectors were forced to turn to the Under-19 side for replacements.

And they have gone for the Under-19 World Cup trio of Zaida James, Trishan Holder, and Djenaba Joseph in their 15-member squad, hoping to rejuvenate the unit.

“I think we would have seen some of them progress through that Under-19 World Cup and we felt like it was the right time to bring some young players in and [it] gives them a really good opportunity not only to be here, but to learn from this experience as well,” Matthews explained.

“So you might be able to see one or two of them throughout the World Cup. And yeah, like I said, just a great learning experience for them being here.”

West Indies were whitewashed 5-0 by England Women in December and lost all four matches in the Tri-Nations Series, and will be desperate to break their wretched international losing streak.

They will also be hoping to make amends for their 2020 T20 World Cup campaign in Australia when they won just a single group stage match, to miss out on the semi-finals.

“I think we definitely had a lot to learn from last series [against England],” said Matthews.

“But at the same time, we’ve got the opportunity now for a lot of our players who’ve previously done well against England to be back in the set-up, which I think is a really good opportunity for us to go there and play a really good game.”

He added: “It’s going to be really good for us that we can get out there and have a strong group of players to pick from.

“And obviously the prospects of Staf hopefully coming back in that first game tomorrow is going to be something really good to see.”

Two matches are scheduled for today’s opening day of the Women’s T20 World Cup. In the day’s second match Australia will face New Zealand at noon (Jamaica time).

SQUADS:

WEST INDIES WOMEN – Hayley Matthews ​(captain), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

ENGLAND WOMEN – Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt.