Courtney Walsh calls on public to rally behind Windies women

HEAD coach of the West Indies women Courtney Walsh is calling on the West Indian public to throw their support behind them especially as the team prepares for the 2022 International Cricket Council Women’s World Cup, scheduled to bowl off next month in New Zealand.

The tournament will be played from March 4-April 3.

West Indies recently fell 2-1 to South Africa in a four-match One Day International (ODI) series in South Africa which aided in the team’s preparations for the World Cup.

Walsh speaking to the media on Zoom following the conclusion of the series on Sunday, asked for West Indians to back the team.

“We need all the support that we can get. We need all the West Indians to support us…I do follow some of the social media stuff and I know there is a fair amount of people watching and the more people watching the more the girls would want to perform.”

Walsh said in a World Cup anything could happen.

Two leading West Indies batters could not complete the series. In the third ODI Chedean Nation was injured while fielding and captain Stafanie Taylor suffered a concussion while batting.

“Obviously disappointed that we lost the series…but more disappointed with the injuries,” Walsh said.

Walsh is optimistic with time off everybody should be close to 100 per cent when the tournament bowls off.

“I am hoping that by the end of the quarantine time everybody should hopefully be back to 90 or 95 per cent fitness and if that happens I will be very happy to start the World Cup.”

He said the series against South Africa was a gauge. “I think heading into the World Cup we are in a good space, we played some good cricket. The areas that we need to tighten up on would have been exposed and we would have seen that, so we have some work to do when we get to New Zealand.”