Stafanie Taylor sets sight on getting back to best

JAMAICA IS set to bow into action in the 2024 CG United Women’s Super 50 Cup on Monday when they bowl off the tournament against defending champions Barbados in St Kitts.

Captain Stafanie Taylor is oozing confidence as she leads a rejuvenated side, stacked with seasoned campaigners and exciting new young talent.

The right-handed veteran Taylor says she will be hoping to put her injury-plagued 2023 season behind her and focus on this year’s championship, having fully recovered and feeling her best for some time.

“Last year was a bit challenging due to injuries but I am much better now and I almost feel like the old Stafanie again as I have regained my strength,” said the 32-year-old.

Taylor is keen to rekindle the glory days, examples of which came in the 2012 and 2013 seasons when she was the leading run scorer in the limited overs tournament.

Taylor has had just one-half century in her last 10 international innings, but the superstar veteran says she is not worried about those stats as she and the team are much more prepared this time around.

“Last year we got beat in our fitness but this time we are much better. I never worry about our skill area as we are an all-around team and I believe once we perform to our best ability, we will be fine.”

Taylor made it clear that the team was also brimming with confidence as players the likes of Rashada Williams and a returning Chinelle Henry will bolster the team’s chances of retaining silverware which they did a couple of seasons ago in the T20. The last time they won the Super50 though, was in 2014.

Taylor will surely be the frontrunner to retain the most runs this season as Barbados and West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews will miss the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze as she has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the Women’s Premier League in India.