Deandra Dottin named in Windies women's T20 World Cup squad

BARBADOS allrounder and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) women's captain Deandra Dottin has been included in a 15-woman West Indies squad for the October 3-20 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Twenty/20 World Cup, which will be played in the United Arab Emirates.

Dottin, 33, the owner of the fastest century in women's T20 internationals, confirmed her desire to return to the Windies setup on July 27, having initially called time on her international career in 2022. In her retirement announcement, Dottin said, “I realise that I'm no longer able to adhere to team culture and team environment as it has undermined my ability to perform excellently.”

On August 16, in an interview with Newsday, Dottin said she missed playing for the regional team and expressed her goal to win the upcoming T20 World Cup title.

"Cricket is something I love, enjoy and play with a strong passion and determination," Dottin said.

"There's a World Cup coming up around the corner as well and I think I can be a big asset back on the team. I can help the West Indies reach far into the World Cup and hopefully win it as well."

The West Indies squad was announced during a Cricket West Indies (CWI) press conference in Antigua on August 29, and will be led by the impressive Hayley Matthews. The 26-year-old Barbadian is the leading women's T20 allrounder in the world and also copped the award for the ICC's T20 Women's Player of the Year for 2023.

Matthews will have experienced wicket-keeper/batter Shemaine Campbelle as her deputy, with former skipper Stafanie Taylor also included in the squad.

The West Indies team also includes experienced seamers Aaliyah Alleyne and Shamilia Connell, as well as spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack. Exciting 19-year-old left-arm spinner Zaida James is also in the squad, alongside 20-year-old off-spinner Ashmini Munisar.

St Lucia's Nerissa Crafton, 26, is the only uncapped player in the squad, and coach Shane Deitz endorsed her abilities and expects her to add value to the team.

Deitz welcomed the return of Dottin, and he said the team's strength will come from the flexibility and versatility of the players.

"I think West Indies cricket will be happy to have Deandra back. Her record speaks for itself and her history of being a world class player speaks for itself," Deitz said.

"On the field, her record is unbelievable. She gives us flexibility with powerhouse hitting, smart batting and she's an unbelievable fielder," he said. "She can also help the younger players going into the World Cup...she's an absolute winner and you can't have enough of those in the team."

Deitz said the aim is to establish an attacking brand of cricket and get the Windies back on par with reigning T20 champions Australia and the other premier teams in the women's game.

"The key thing in the selection of our team is the variations and flexibility. The top three teams in women's cricket are Australia, England and India, and they have been dominating international cricket for a while. It's a big challenge to try and compete with them," he said.

"We want to work on what our strengths are and those strengths are the allround status of the players."

The Windies, 2016 T20 World Cup champions, are in Group B of the T20 World Cup alongside Bangladesh, England, Scotland and South Africa, who lost to the Aussies in the 2023 final.

The Windies will begin their campaign against South Africa on October 4 in Dubai, before facing Scotland, Bangladesh and England in their remaining matches.

West Indies women's T20 World Cup team:

Hayley Matthews (captain), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Nerissa Crafton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor.