West Indies signs 14 women on one-year contracts

(Reuters) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has signed 14 female players on one-year contracts to boost their prospects at international tournaments, the governing body said yesterday.

The new deals follow the Maroon Warriors’ impressive run to the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup, where they lost to New Zealand.

“Awarding contracts to these talented female players underscores CWI’s commitment to advancing cricket in the region,” CWI director Miles Bascombe said in a statement.

The athletes are Melicia Clarke and Kimberley Anthony from the Leeward Islands; Earnisha Fontaine, Abini St. Jean, and Nerissa Crafton from the Windward Islands; Shanika Bruce and Alisa Scantlebury from Barbados; Shenetta Grimmond, Plaffiana Millington, and Mandy Mangru from Guyana; Celina Whyte from Jamaica; and Shalini Samaroo, KD Jazz Mitchell, and Reniece Boyce from Trinidad and Tobago.

CWI has also renewed the annual contracts of 90 male players across six territories, bringing the total number of regional players under contract to 164 senior and academy cricketers.