Cricket West Indies (CWI) women’s team will face Bangladesh in the momentous inaugural bilateral series taking place in the Caribbean from January 19 to January 31. This upcoming tour includes a series of three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 International matches, all of which are set to occur at Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts. This series marks a significant milestone for both teams, as it represents West Indies Women’s first-ever bilateral series against Bangladesh and also commemorates Bangladesh’s first tour of the Caribbean for a bilateral series.
Miles Bascombe, Director of Cricket at CWI, expressed enthusiasm for the series and highlighted its importance in fostering international cricket relationships. He stated that the tour will not only provide essential match practice for the West Indies team but will also contribute to crucial points in the ICC Women’s Championship. Bascombe sees this as an opportunity to draw a larger home audience to witness women’s cricket, giving fans a chance to engage with international competition firsthand.
“These bilateral series are essential for the continued development of women’s cricket worldwide and in our region. We expect some highly competitive matches across both formats,” he said.
The last encounter between the two teams took place during the group stage of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE, where the West Indies emerged victorious.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has her eyes set on securing a series win to aid in her team’s quest for automatic qualification for the ODI World Cup in 2025. Under her leadership, the team features a balanced mix of experienced players and promising newcomers. Coach Shane Deitz noted the timing of Bangladesh’s tour as ideal for their preparation cycle, especially in evaluating younger talent, stating:
“The conditions at Warner Park will challenge both teams and make for compelling cricket. I’m looking forward to seeing how some of our younger and less-experienced players respond to the test.”
While Stafanie Taylor continues to recover from injury, others like Jannillea Glasgow and Cherry Ann Fraser, both of whom recently performed well in state cricket, are included in the squad. Matches will be broadcasted on ESPN Caribbean, and fans can attend the games for free.
The Windies women teased to deceive on the recent Indian tour where more questions were raised than answered about who will step up to provide consistent help to Matthews in the batting department.
The suspect bowling attack is more of a concern as our bowlers can’t seem to mount a sustained, penetrating attack needed to trouble and restrict the opposition.