The Cricketer's in-depth look at the West Indies squad ahead of the tournament in New Zealand
Coach: Courtney Walsh was appointed head coach of West Indies in October 2020, replacing Gus Logie. Under the watchful eye of the legendary fast bowler, West Indies have won seven and lost eight of their 18 ODIs and completed two series wins (home and away) against Pakistan. However, they lost 2-1 against South Africa in their most recent outing.
Captain: Allrounder Stafanie Taylor will captain West Indies in New Zealand, her fifth major tournament at the helm. Since replacing Merissa Aguilleira as captain in 2015, Taylor has skippered West Indies in 53 ODIs, winning 21 and losing 29.
Superstars
Stafanie Taylor: Taylor has been a superstar of West Indies cricket since bursting onto the international scene as a teenager in 2008. In 137 ODI appearances prior to the 2022 World Cup, she has scored 5,147 runs and taken 148 wickets with her right-arm spin. She is ranked seventh in the ICC’s allrounder standings, among the top-10 run-scorers in the world since the 2017 final and West Indies’ leading wicket-taker in Women’s World Cups. She wasn’t in her best form against South Africa but blasted two rapid centuries in 2021 to suggest her big-hitting best isn’t too far away.
Deandra Dottin: Like Taylor, Dottin has been a mainstay of the West Indies line-up for many years and despite barely bowling since 2019, she remains a key figure with the bat. A powerful top-order batter, she has scored over 1,000 runs at a strike rate of 80.67 since the 2017 final and has two centuries – 132 and 150 not out – since the start of November 2021.
With the ball, vice-captain Anisa Mohammed is West Indies’ all-time leading ODI wicket-taker and a veteran of four ODI World Cups. In 2017, she was her side’s leading wicket-taker (7) and second-most economical bowler (4.43) and has continued her stellar form over the past four-and-a-half years, picking up 31 wickets in 28 appearances. A miserly bowler, she and Taylor will lead the spin attack with their right-arm offies.
Rising star
Despite being only 23 years old, Hayley Matthews is not a new face on the international circuit. She is, in fact, a veteran of 61 caps, with over 1,500 runs and 68 wickets. However, since scoring 158 runs and taking three wickets at the 2017 tournament, Matthews has come on leaps and bounds. Since the start of 2021, she is West Indies’ joint-leading wicket-taker (23) and most economical bowler (other than Mandy Mangru, who has bowled just three overs).
And though she’s proved inconsistent with the bat, including three single-figure innings in her past five ODIs, three of her four 50-plus knocks since the 2017 final have come in the past nine months. This will be a big tournament for the allrounder.
Stafanie Taylor is the lynchpin of this West Indies side
BATTING
Power hitters
West Indies are unlikely to be short on boundaries with the likes of Taylor and Matthews at their disposal. However, the biggest hitter of them all is Dottin, who has smashed a huge 110 fours and 21 sixes over the past four-and-a-half years – only four other players have scored 20-plus sixes over the same period.
And she gave South Africa a taste of her power in January, striking 18 fours and four sixes on her way to 150 not out. You’d back West Indies in a Super Over with these three in their squad.
Anchor
With two centuries and nine half-centuries since the 2017 final and a steady strike rate of 69.67, Taylor could be deployed as a handy anchor in order to allow Dottin, and perhaps Matthews later on, to free the shackles.
However, another option is Kycia Knight. The former keeper has been deployed as a specialist batter in recent matches and came into good form against South Africa, posting knocks of 69 and 48. Runs haven’t come easily for the 30-year-old, but she may be beginning to settle into a new role in the international line-up.
Finisher
Unfortunately, no one really leaps out in this department. Perhaps their best bet, aside from praying at least one of Dottin, Taylor or Matthews is in at the end, is Chinelle Henry. Her career statistics – 186 runs at 10.84 and a strike rate of 59.23 – are not inspiring but against South Africa in January, she struck a valuable 26 off 28 to help get her side’s chase back on track.
Problem areas – West Indies lack batting depth. Beyond Taylor, Dottin and Matthews, only two players – Knight and Rashada Williams – have scored more than 200 runs since the start of 2021. And even they have their faults.
Knight looked good against South Africa but is yet to produce runs on a regular basis while Williams hasn’t passed 15 in eight innings heading into the World Cup. Top six contenders Shermaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation are also looking mighty lean on runs and once you add in the absence of a standout finisher, you have a batting line-up precariously balanced on the fortunes of just three players.
Deandra Dottin offers power at the top of the order
BOWLING
Speed merchants
Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman lead the seam department for West Indies. Connell, a genuine fast bowler, returned to the ODI side after a two-year absence in July 2021 and has 12 wickets in seven matches heading into the World Cup. Fellow right-hander Selman is a vastly experienced wicket-taker, picking up 73 wickets in 90 appearances, and miserly to boot. Her economy since the 2017 tournament is 3.83, the lowest of any West Indian to take more than 10 wickets.
Inexperienced trio Aaliyah Alleyne, Chinelle Henry and Cherry Ann Fraser are West Indies’ other pace options while Dottin is also a quality fast-medium bowler, amassing 69 ODI wickets in 135 appearances. However, the allrounder has only been used sparingly with the ball since 2019.
Variation
West Indies have an imposing spin attack headed up by off-spinning trio Stafanie Taylor, Anisha Mohammed and Hayley Matthews. Since the 2017 final, they have taken a combined 99 wickets while Matthews and Mohammed have impressive economies of 4.07 and 4.06, respectively.
Leg-spinner Afy Fletcher was West Indies’ leading spinner post-2017, picking up 29 wickets in 20 appearances – including five in three outings in New Zealand – before going off on maternity leave. She has only made one ODI appearance since November 2019, leaving her short on match time.
Karishma Ramharack, a 27-year-old off-spinner with 10 caps to her name, completes the quintet.
Problem areas
West Indies’ seam department is a concern. If you exclude Dottin, who has bowled just 15.4 overs since the start of 2021, Connell and Selman are the only pacers with World Cup experience. Together, they have taken 108 wickets in 139 matches; Alleyne, Fraser and Henry have 19 in 35.
They risk being over-reliant on their senior pair and also their plethora of spinners – and if the conditions prove to be unfriendly for the latter, West Indies could be in trouble. The entire attack also lacks a bit of variety - four of their five spinner bowl off-spin and every bowler is right-handed.
Hayley Matthews is an exciting prospect
FIELDING
Gun fielder
Taylor can bat, she can bowl and she’s also an electric fielder. Not only a brilliant catcher - she’s completed the most catches of any West Indian woman (excluding wicketkeepers) in ODI cricket - she’s also athletic in the field, as evidenced by her diving stops in the outfield during The Hundred.
Who takes the gloves?
Since returning to the ODI XI in November 2021 following a two-year absence, Shemaine Campbelle has held the gloves in six of her eight appearances. The 29-year-old has long been West Indies’ first-choice T20I wicketkeeper but has only featured behind the stumps in 15 of her 91 50-over outings. Kycia Knight, who may otherwise be deployed as a specialist top-order batter, and Chedean Nation are the other options.
Squad: Stafanie Taylor, Anisa Mohammed, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams
Reserves: Kaysia Schultz, Mandy Mangru, Jannillea Glasgow
Fixtures: March 4 – New Zealand (Mount Maunganui), March 9 – England (Dunedin), March 12 – India (Hamilton), March 15 – Australia (Wellington), March 18 – Bangladesh (Mount Maunganui), March 21- Pakistan (Hamilton), March 23 – South Africa (Wellington)
Possible starting XI: Dottin, Williams, Knight, Taylor, Matthews, Campbelle (wk), Henry, Connell, Fletcher, Selman, Mohammed
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