West Indies Women’s Squad Unveiled for Australia Tour

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has revealed the lineup of 15 players who will represent the West Indies Women’s team during their upcoming tour to Australia in October. The series will consist of six matches, comprising three T20Is and three ODIs.

Following their impressive performance against Ireland Women in the CG United ODI Series and the T20I Series in Saint Lucia earlier in the summer, the selection panel has decided to maintain the same squad for the Australia tour, with Hayley Matthews as the captain. This tour will mark the debut for their new Head Coach, Shane Deitz, who joined the West Indies team at the end of August, as stated by CWI.

One notable addition to the team is the ‘Rising Stars’ quartet, including Ashmini Munisar, Djenaba Joseph, Zaida James, and Jannillea Glasgow. These young talents will have their first opportunity to showcase their skills against the reigning T20I and 50-over World Champions, Australia.

Ann Browne-John, the Lead Selector for Women’s cricket, commented, “The selection panel has opted to retain most of the players who achieved victory in the home series against Ireland. Jannillea Glasgow, who had an outstanding performance in the Rising Stars Women’s Under 19 tournament, has earned her spot in the 15-member squad, and we welcome back Karishma Ramharack.”

Browne-John further stated, “We believe that this team will continue to grow and develop as women’s cricket advances in the rapidly evolving landscape of high-performance settings. We have faith in the development of some of our rising players. Several team members are coming off successful campaigns in the Massy Caribbean Premier League, so we anticipate their good form to continue. Under the guidance of the new Head Coach and led by Captain Hayley Matthews, who has had a productive 2023 so far, we expect this team to deliver competitive cricket against a top-notch side like Australia.”

The ODI series against Australia is West Indies’ fourth fixture in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-2025, following matches against New Zealand, England, and Ireland. Each match presents an opportunity for West Indies to earn valuable points and improve their position in the Championship standings, where they currently rank 9th out of ten teams. After the Australia Series, West Indies Women will engage in four more three-match ODI series over the next two years. At the end of the cycle, the top five teams in the ICC Women’s Championship will secure a spot in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025, alongside hosts India. The remaining teams will need to compete in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.