Taylor: No weakness in new-look Warriors

The Guyana Amazon Warriors women’s team boasts a wealth of top-flight regional and international talent for the second Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) T20, which bowls off in Barbados on August 31.

The squad is captained once more by Jamaican Stafanie Taylor, but has several additions to its 2023 roster.

Among them are the first Indian player to be signed to the WCPL, young spinner Shreyanka Patil; New Zealander Sophie Devine – who became the first player, male or female, to score five consecutive T20I 50-plus scores; experienced South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail; and another Kiwi, veteran batting all-rounder Suzie Bates.

Besides skipper Taylor, the women Warriors retained regional players Karishma Ramharack (TT) and Guyana’s Shemaine Campbelle, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi and Kaysia Schultz.

Transferring to the franchise this year from other WCPL teams were Shakera Selman (Trinbago Knight Riders) and Sheneta Grimmond (Barbados Royals).

Jamaican Natasha McLean, Guyanese Ashmini Munisar and TT’s Djenaba Joseph are also new additions to the team and tournament.

The women Warriors finished third of the three teams in last year’s first edition, which only featured four matches. This year, however, the WCPL has been expanded to seven games, with the final scheduled for Trinidad on September 10.

This time around, the group stage will feature a double round-robin format, with the top two qualifying for the final.

Trinbago Knight Riders are defending champions, with Barbados Royals the only other contenders.

Skipper Taylor believes they have a good mixture of regional and foreign talent to bolster their chances of lifting the title.

“I’m looking forward to this year. I believe that the team is a good one and the strength of the side is quite balanced. When I look at the composition of the team there’s not one area I can say that the batting or bowling is weak, I think we’re quite balanced this year and I’m quite happy about that.”

The right-handed batter said she’s excited to lead the team in its second year and was pleased head coach Rayon Griffith was able to sign such high-calibre players.

“I feel really good. I was actually surprised about the signing that we got. I remember talking to Rayon early on and he was telling me the players he wanted. I told him it was going to be challenging to get those players.

“And then when he came back and said we got these players that he actually wanted, I was really surprised and happy.”

Taylor welcomed the opportunity to play on the same team with some of the internationals, despite having competed against them in other franchise tournaments around the globe.

“One of the persons I’m probably most happy about is Devine. I played with Devine at Women’s Big Bash League and at Fairbreak T20s as well. So it’s really nice to have her on my team. And I’ve always wanted to play with Ismail, so it’s really nice to know she’s on my team as well.”