West Indies Women Aim for T20 World Cup Glory in UAE, Says Skipper Hayley Matthews

New Delhi, India, September 28: As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 approaches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), West Indies Women skipper Hayley Matthews expressed her team’s determination to win the event, just as they did in 2016.

Matthews, who was only 18 years old when she was named Player of the Match in the 2016 final in India, highlighted the impact of that victory on the younger generation. She said, “The 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup win gets brought up in the group from time to time, mainly because it feels like it was so long ago. The older players often talk about the emotions surrounding that victory—not just what it meant for us but also for the younger girls watching as they were coming up through the system. As a team now, we’re hoping to recreate that success, knowing how much of an impact it will have—not just on us but on cricket in the Caribbean, where the sport holds such huge significance.”

This will be the first Women’s T20 World Cup in the sub-continent since the 2016 event, and Matthews expects spin to play a significant role in the tournament. She noted, “In women’s cricket especially, spinners frequently top the charts and rankings, so I believe spin will play a significant role. Fortunately, for us we have got quite a few spinners in our arsenal, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, young Zaida James and me. We strongly believe that spin will play a major role, and the team has been selected with that in mind. Hopefully, as a spin unit, we can go out there and make a significant impact with the ball.”

Overall, Matthews believes this is one of the best squads West Indies has had going into a T20 World Cup. The team has won three of their four bilateral T20I series since the last tournament, achieving success against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Ireland. Even in their only loss against Australia, West Indies managed to win a game for the first time in Australia.

“I think a World Cup is one of those tournaments, especially T20 World Cups, where, if you have some good performances on a big day, it can get you through the stages. This is, if not our best, definitely one of our best squads that we have had at a T20 World Cup. We have seen a lot of our senior players really improve like Shemaine Campbelle who has been so much more consistent lately. And players like Aaliyah Alleyne who has stepped up and improved her game and has played more important roles in matches,” Matthews stated.

She concluded by emphasizing the strong camaraderie within the team, saying, “The thing that has been really good, is the camaraderie in the group, it feels like a massive safe space and somewhere where everyone feels super comfortable. Even the young ones who have come into the group have been able to settle and gel really well with the older ones and there is tremendous mutual respect, which is really good for us.”