Delhi, 10 January (H.S.): All-rounder Cherry-Ann Fraser and uncapped fast bowler Janilia Glasgow have been included in the 15-member West Indies women's cricket squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh at home.
The white-ball series will begin with three ODIs on January 19 and end with three T20Is on January 30. St Kitts will host all the matches.
Fast bowler Shamilia Connell and middle-order batsman Rashada Williams were not with the team on the India tour.
According to a CWI release, West Indies will play without veteran all-rounder Stephanie Taylor, who is still recovering from a knee injury.
Fraser has played a total of 12 ODIs and her last appearance in this format was against Australia in October 2023. However, her last international appearance was in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Hambantota in June last year.
Meanwhile, Glasgow has featured in four T20Is, the last of these being against Pakistan in Karachi in May 2024. Although she has been travelling with the West Indies ODI squad since 2023, Glasgow has never got an ODI opportunity.
According to a CWI release, both have had successful stints in state cricket in Tasmania and have been included.
The West Indies are currently ninth in the Women's Championship table, with the top six teams automatically qualifying for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. With 14 points from 21 matches, it is impossible for them to qualify directly even if they secure the maximum 20 points with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh, while New Zealand are sixth with 21 points. However, Bangladesh, who are seventh with 19 points from 21 matches, can overtake New Zealand and make it to the top six.
West Indies head coach Shane Deitz said, The tour of Bangladesh has come at an ideal time for our preparation. They are a skilled unit who have shown impressive development, and this series gives us a great opportunity to test the depth of our squad and implement our aggressive, flamboyant brand of West Indies cricket.
He added, We have been focusing on specific areas of improvement in our training and tour, and these matches will help us assess our progress. The conditions at Warner Park will challenge both teams and make for attractive cricket. I am looking forward to seeing how some of our younger and less experienced players respond to this test.
This will be the West Indies women's team's first bilateral series against Bangladesh and Bangladesh's first bilateral series on the Caribbean tour. The last ODI between the two teams took place three years ago in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, when West Indies won the match by four runs. Overall, the two teams have clashed five times in international cricket - four times in T20Is and once in ODIs - and West Indies are yet to suffer a defeat.
However, West Indies will know they have lost two consecutive ODI series against India and Sri Lanka and would like to end a six-match losing streak against Bangladesh.
The West Indies ODI and T20 squads are as follows-
Hayley Matthews (captain), Shamin Campbell (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Nerissa Crafton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Jada James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangroo, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Cherry Ann Fraser, Janelia Glasgow.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
