CWI team announced for series against South Africa Women

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming white-ball home series against South Africa Women, scheduled to take place at the 3Ws Oval in Barbados. The series, set from June 11 to June 23, will comprise three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is).

According to a CWI release, the West Indies Women’s team, known as the Maroon Warriors, return to the Caribbean following a challenging tour of England, where they did not secure a win in the six-match ODI and T20I series. Back on home soil, the team intends to regroup, reset, and improve their performances in more familiar conditions, aiming for greater consistency at the international level. Despite the setbacks in England, the team showed signs of potential, particularly through debutants Jahzara Claxton, the first woman from St. Kitts to play international cricket, and Realeanna Grimmond from Guyana, who scored a half-century on her ODI debut. Captain Hayley Matthews was a standout performer, accumulating 177 runs and taking three wickets across the T20I series, and was named player of the series.

The South Africa Women, known as the Proteas Women, arrive in the Caribbean ranked higher than the West Indies in both formats. South Africa is positioned fifth in both ODI and T20I rankings, whereas the West Indies are ranked ninth in ODIs and fifth in T20Is. The squad will be led once again by Matthews, with one change from the England tour: experienced all-rounder Chinelle Henry replaces Cherry-Ann Fraser.

Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, expressed confidence in the team’s ability to rebound: “After a challenging tour, this home series offers the perfect opportunity for the team to regain their footing and reestablish their confidence playing in familiar conditions and in front of West Indian fans. We believe in this group’s talent and resilience, and we look forward to seeing them play purposeful, passionate cricket.”

Head Coach Shane Deitz underscored the importance of the upcoming fixtures: “Obviously, England’s results didn’t go how we wanted, but it was a great learning opportunity and a chance to bring some young players into our team and give them their first taste of international cricket. We had five players aged 21 and under in our last ODI against England, so it was great to see a young team go out there and mix it up with one of the best teams in the world. All those younger players learned some valuable lessons during that series which we hope they will bring into this series to contribute some more for the team and put in some match-winning performances.”

Deitz added, “It’s great that Hayley is now available for this series — her home series in her hometown — and she’ll be really excited to put on a great show in front of her family, friends, and supporters of West Indies cricket. It’s also great to welcome back Chinelle Henry. In the last 12 months, she has been a world-class player, so it’s great to have her back in the team, on and off the field.”

He concluded, “This is going to be a wonderful series and a great opportunity for our girls to test their skills and abilities against one of the best teams in the world, so I am looking forward to getting out there and putting on a great show for our West Indies supporters. We can’t wait to hear and feel their support when we go out to play on Wednesday.”

The team arrived in Barbados on June 8, in preparation for the first ODI scheduled for June 11. The series schedule at the 3Ws Oval is as follows:

– 1st ODI: Wednesday, June 11, 10:00 AM
– 2nd ODI: Saturday, June 14, 10:00 AM
– 3rd ODI: Tuesday, June 17, 10:00 AM
– 1st T20I: Friday, June 20, 2:00 PM
– 2nd T20I: Sunday, June 22, 10:00 AM
– 3rd T20I: Monday, June 23, 2:00 PM

The second T20I on June 22 will be particularly notable as it coincides with the CWI and West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) Awards ceremony, which celebrates achievements across Caribbean cricket for both men’s and women’s teams.

Admission to all matches is free, and live broadcasts will be available across the Caribbean and internationally on ESPN Caribbean.

West Indies Women’s Squad:

– Hayley Matthews (Captain)
– Shemaine Campbelle (Vice-Captain)
– Aaliyah Alleyne
– Jahzara Claxton
– Afy Fletcher
– Shakiba Gajnabi
– Jannillea Glasgow
– Realeanna Grimmond
– Chinelle Henry
– Zaida James
– Qiana Joseph
– Mandy Mangru
– Ashmini Munisar
– Karishma Ramharack
– Stafanie Taylor

Team Management:

– Head Coach: Shane Deitz
– Team Manager: Sheena Gooding
– Assistant Coach: Ryan Austin
– Assistant Coach: Damien Wright
– Team Analyst: Gary Belle
– Physiotherapist: Angelica Holder
– Strength & Conditioning Coach: Hector Martinez Charles
– Performance Coach: Dr. Nadine Sammy
– Media & Content Officer: Nicholas Maitland