ST JOHNS, Antigua, CMC – Britney Cooper is set to make her return to the international stage when West Indies Women face Sri Lanka Women in three Twenty20 Internationals this week here.
Cricket West Indies announced yesterday a 13-member squad for the matches at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, adjacent to the V.C. Bird International Airport, bringing Cooper in to replace her compatriot Reniece Boyce.
The series comes on the heels of the Windies Women sweeping the three ICC Women’s Championship matches against the Sri Lankans played over the last week at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in south Trinidad.
“Results from the ICC Women’s Championship matches against Sri Lanka Women were encouraging and the team needs to build on the momentum going into the Twenty20 International series,” said Chairman of the CWI Selection Panel, Courtney Browne, in a media release.
“Britney was brought into the T20 squad, as she has shown in the past that she can be aggressive with the bat and increase the scoring rate when needed at times. She was part of our T20 World Cup-winning squad and played her part in that memorable victory.”
In easily her most memorable performance, the 28-year-old Cooper hit 61 from 48 balls in the semi-final of the Women’s World T20 against New Zealand Women last March in India to give the Windies Women their first win in a semi-final of that tournament to set up a mouth-watering final with Australia Women which they won.
She failed to come anywhere close to that innings during the remainder of the year and lost her place in the Windies Women’s side, failing to make the cut for the ICC Women’s World Cup this past July in England.
Cooper has appeared in 49 T20Is since making her debut seven years ago and has managed a paltry 379 runs at an average of 10.82, with that World Cup semi-final innings being her only score over 50.
In a side whose batting continues to be of great concern, she will have to produce way beyond the numbers to make a huge impact.
Squad: Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice-Captain), Merissa Aguilleira, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Shakera Selman
