Senior West Indies players and T20 World Cup winners Anisa Mohammed and Britney Cooper are among seven players selected from Trinidad and Tobago to be part of a 30-member squad set to participate in a month-long high-performance camp in Antigua beginning on May 2nd.
The veterans will be joined by Reniece Boyce, Karishma Ramharack, and uncapped players Caneisha Isaac and Rachel Vincent, and left-arm off-spinner Steffi Soogrim.
This is the second camp scheduled by Cricket West Indies since the start of the year and one in which there was an increase in players selected. Under the direction of Head Coach Courtney Walsh once again, the ladies will be optimistic about honing their skills and game awareness capability in anticipation of the upcoming international series, and in preparation for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for later this year.
Lead Selector for Women’s Cricket, Ann Browne-John has always been on the search to discover cricketers who possess great passion for the game and have long expressed her desire to expand the talent pool and bring fresh life to the senior team. “In an effort to continue to unearth talent, eight players have been included who were not in the January camp,” Browne-John said via CWI Media. “It serves as an opportunity for the coaches and selectors to look at some of the young up and coming players. Due to the pandemic, a regional tournament has not been held yet, so the players haven’t had the opportunity to impress the selectors in competitive matches.”
Head Coach Courtney Walsh was also eager to see what the younger players would bring to the table and stated that it was a great opportunity for the youngsters and new players to grasp the chance before them.
Among the uncapped players called up are Zaida James, Jannillea Glasgow, Rashada Williams, Shanika Bruce, and Mandy Mangru. Left-handed wicket-keeper/batter Kycia Knight also makes a return to the camp.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sport in Antigua & Barbuda to ensure the relevant safety protocols are in place at the various facilities, as the players and support staff will train and live in a bio-secure bubble for the duration of the camp. All players and support staff were tested with negative COVID-19 results before their arrival in Antigua.
FULL SQUAD SELECTED:
Aaliyah Alleyne, Reniece Boyce, Shanika Bruce, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Caneisha Isaac, Zaida James, Japhina Joseph, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Steffi Soogrim, Stafanie Taylor, Rachel Vincent, Rashada Williams.
