Barbadian allrounder Deandra Dottin headlines West Indies’ 15 member squad for
October’s Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates after her decision to
reverse her international retirement last month.
The squad has four changes from the more recent T20 squad that beat Sri Lanka in
June sees Nerissa Crafton who is uncapped in T20I cricket, teenager Zaida James,
Ashmini Munisar and Mandy Mangru replace Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi,
Rashada Williams and Late Wilmott.
Speaking after the squad announcement, Cricket West Indies President Kishore
Shallow was pleased with those chosen, believing the squad to have a good
balance. “We have a nice mix of experience and youth. We have some players
bordering on 19; I think Zaida is still probably a teenager and one or two of the
young players there so I’m really happy with the mix,” he explained.
“I also think we all as West Indians are excited to see Deandra Dottin back. It has
been a year of communication- back and forth- with Deandra and I particularly want
to recognise the involvement of Ann Browne-John who has led the conversations
over the last year, even when she wasn’t officially the selector. She was integral in
Deandra coming out of retirement,” Shallow said.
It will be encouraging to captain Hayley Matthews and the selection panel that
Dottin, who still holds the record of the fastest century in women’s T20Is, is currently
in good form. The 33 year old was the third highest run scorer in the Massy
Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) league phase, with 113 runs in four
innings, averaging 28.25 and striking at 111.88. She is also the only batter so far to
have hit more than two sixes this WCPL season.
Head coach Shane Deitz was quick to welcome Dottin back into the West Indies
set-up, believing her international credentials made it a straightforward decision to
select her. “Her record is phenomenal and she is doing it again at the WCPL as we
speak,” Deitz said of Dottin. “We’ve been really working hard off the field with our
team culture, and the leadership group within the team. Denadra and the other
players who are coming into the side – they are all going to be welcomed in the
same manner.
“On the field, as I said, her record is unbelievable and gives us flexibility with power-
hitting and smart batting as well. She is an unbelievable fielder, does death bowling
and some other bowling in between and she really steps up to bowl the big overs
and she is an absolute winner. She has been here at the camp past week and really
fit in well. Great to get her back in the squad and we’re looking forward to her
contributions in the World Cup,” he commented.
West Indies Women’s squad for the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup:
Hayley Matthews (captain), Shermaine Campbelle (vice captain), Aaliyah Alleyne,
Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin,
Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton, Qiana Joseph, Shamila
Connell, Stafanie Taylor, Zaida James.
The Women in Maroon are in Group B and will begin their T20 World Cup campaign
on Friday October 4 against South Africa before taking on Scotland on October 6,
Bangladesh on October 10. A mouth watering clash against England on October 15.
Each side will play four group matches at the tournament, with the top two teams
from each group progressing to the semi-finals on 17 and 18 October ahead of the
Final in Dubai on 20 October. A reserve day has been fixed for both the semi-finals
and the final.
