GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – West Indies superstar all-rounders Hayley Matthews, Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin have been named to captain the three franchises in the historic Women’s Caribbean Premier League which bowls off in August.
Matthews will lead her home franchise Barbados Royals while Taylor, the Windies captain, will captain Guyana Amazon Warriors while Deandra Dottin will skipper Trinbago Knight Riders.
Each franchise comprises 11 local players chosen from a pool of 33 players which were identified by a Cricket West Indies’ selection committee, and will be complemented by three overseas signings, bringing each squad to 14 players.
“This inaugural Women’s version of the CPL represents a huge upward step for West Indies cricket,” said CWI president, Ricky Skerritt.
“I am grateful to all those in CPL and CWI who made it happen, especially the three pioneering franchises who have so willingly got on board.”
The women’s tournament marks the first of its kind in the CPL which since its inception in 2013 has featured only men’s teams.
Royals, formerly Barbados Tridents, will feature leading West Indies players Britney Cooper, Afy Fletcher and Chinelle Henry while Amazon Warriors will boast in their ranks internationals like Shamilia Connell and the hometown pair of Shemaine Campbelle and Cherry-Ann Fraser.
TKR will feature the Barbadian Knight twins, Kyshona and Kycia, along with hometown star Anisa Mohammed.
“The Caribbean and particularly Barbados is a destination which has always been so deeply invested in cricket, and to have a team in the region which will serve as a pillar of growth for the women’s game in and around the island nation, was such an exciting opportunity for us at the Barbados Royals,” said Royals chief executive, Jake Lush McCrum.
“With this new competition for women, it gives us the opportunity to accelerate the growth and development of female players and coaches, while attracting the next generation of talent to the sport.”
Added Amazon Warriors owner, Bobby Ramroop: “The Guyana Amazon Warriors family is excited to be at the forefront of advancing Women’s cricket, both in the region and worldwide, and we are hopeful that this newest format will provide a platform for empowering female athletes, as well as highlighting inspiring role models for young girls.”
TKR director Venky Mysore said the franchise was thrilled by the inaugural project.
“We are always most supportive of such initiatives and are on a continuous lookout to expand the sport across the globe and across demographics.”
After several campaigns of the men’s CPL, the league CEO Pete Russell said the move towards a women’s competition was a natural evolution.
“A Women’s CPL is the next logical step as we grow the brand, and we are very pleased that we have been able to make this a reality in 2022.”
