ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies may have dumped the entire West Indies Women’s management team but selectors have retained all 17 players from the failed World Cup campaign, for a 10-day training camp ahead of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka Women.
Britney Cooper, who was surprisingly overlooked for the World Cup trip, has been added to the contingent which will be in Trinidad from September 25 to October 4 camp.
Chief selector Courtney Browne said the region’s limited player pool meant heavy importance was being placed on training camps in order to determine final selection.
“Our women’s player pool in the Caribbean is quite small compared to other countries, and our regional tournaments do not always produce the kind of consistent batting and bowling aggregates and averages we would relish,” Browne noted.
“Hence, we rely on using strategic camps like this to give our high performance coaches time to help the players with their development.”
Windies endured a wretched World Cup campaign in England, failing to reach the semi-finals after they finished sixth in the eight-team competition.
By virtue of their T20 World Cup triumph last year, they arrived as one of the favourites but lost their first four matches to end with five defeats in seven outings.
Deandra Dottin plundered an unbeaten hundred and captain Stafanie Taylor, a single half-century, as West Indies Women enjoyed their best performance in a win over Pakistan.
But no other batsman scored a fifty and none passed 200 runs overall, while no bowler was good enough to claim 10 wickets.
The management team – including head coach Vasbert Drakes, assistant coaches Ezra Moseley and Stuart Williams along with operations manager Ann Browne-John – all paid the price for the side’s failed campaign.
An interim management team will see Hendy Springer taking over head coach duties with former West Indies head coach, Gus Logie, as his assistant.
Browne said selectors would be looking to identify certain qualities during the camp, in an attempt to move the team forward.
“Coming out of the camp, the selection panel expects keen competition for final selection, and will focus attention on players with a healthy attitude and willingness to work hard, improve fitness and team work, as we seek to restore confidence in our side following the disappointing results at the Women’s World Cup,” he said.
While Cooper has been called up, her experienced fellow Trinidadian Stacy-Ann King remains in the wilderness. The 34-year-old has played 66 One-Day Internationals and 76 T20s.
Fast bowlers Shakera Selman and Shamilia Connell have been included in the training squad subject to medical clearance, after both were forced out of the World Cup with injury.
SQUAD – Merissa Aguilleira, Reniece Boyce, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Felicia Walters.
