West Indies Women Kick Off Series Against Sri Lanka with Crucial ODI Contest
HIGHLIGHTS
- West Indies Women host Sri Lanka from February 20-25 in Grenada, as part of their ICC Women's Championship campaign.
- Captain Hayley Matthews has recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined her since June, with Chinelle Henry newly appointed as vice-captain.
- All-rounder Deandra Dottin returns to the squad after injury kept her out of most of the team's 2025 commitments.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) announces the West Indies Women's ODI squad to host Sri Lanka for a three-match One Day International series from February 20 to 25 at the National Cricket Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.
The series marks a crucial milestone in the team’s bid to rise up the rankings during the current ICC Women’s Championship, as they build toward future ODI series against Australia, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Pakistan later this year.
Hayley Matthews will captain the side, having fully recovered from the shoulder injury that sidelined her last June and caused her to miss the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.
She will be supported by newly appointed vice-captain Chinelle Henry, who takes over the role from veteran wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle. Henry's promotion recognizes her growing leadership qualities and consistent performances, both for the West Indies and in franchise leagues across the world, marking a new chapter in the team's leadership structure.
The Maroon Warriors also welcome back all-rounder Deandra Dottin into the fold after injury kept her away from the team for much of their 2025 commitments, including the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan, as well as subsequent series in England followed by the home series against South Africa.
Cricket West Indies Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe expressed his delight at hosting the start of the Maroon Warriors’ international assignments for 2026 saying,
“This home series is a cornerstone event, not just for team preparation but for the continued elevation of women’s cricket across the Caribbean. Every match played here is an investment in our future. It is about providing a visible, high-performance pathway that shows every young woman in the region what is possible and we are committed to the mission of growing the game at every level, and series like this are essential to that mission.”
“We are thrilled to have Chinelle Henry as our new vice-captain to support captain Hayley Matthews in leading the side and express our thanks to Shemaine Campbelle who previously held the vice-captaincy. Playing in front of our home fans in Grenada adds a profound layer of significance so we want our team to feel the pride of the Maroon legacy and feed of that energy to inspire the next generation of West Indies stars.
Head Coach Shane Deitz is relishing the challenge of facing Sri Lanka and says the squad is eager to make the most of home conditions.
“We’re excited to have this series against Sri Lanka, who are a really good team. They beat us in the ODI series in Sri Lanka back in 2024, so we owe them one and now we get them on our home turf.”
“We’re looking forward to a brilliant series against a team currently ranked higher than us in ODIs, so it’ll be tough and hard fought. The girls are excited about competing, putting on a good show and playing some great cricket for all our fans here in the Caribbean.”
Sri Lanka are ranked 6th in ODIs compared to the West Indies at 9. The regional side has been steadily building capacity ahead of upcoming international assignments both at home and away and their training was supplemented with two high-performance camps in Antigua last year, one in August and the other, an eight-week camp, held from October to December.
Additionally, fifteen of the region's female cricketers, who are a part of the wider women’s player pool, embarked on a specialized training camp last August at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai, India.
West Indies Women’s ODI Squad:
Hayley Matthews (captain)
Chinelle Henry (vice captain)
Aaliyah Alleyne
Shemaine Campbelle
Jahzara Claxton
Deandra Dottin
Afy Fletcher
Jannillea Glasgow
Realeanna Grimmond
Shawnisha Hector
Qiana Joseph
Ashmini Munisar
Karishma Ramharack
Shunelle Sawh
Stafanie Taylor
Team Management Unit:
Head Coach: Shane Deitz
Team Manager: Sheena Gooding
Assistant Coach: Ryan Austin
Assistant Coach: Damien Wright
Assistant Coach: Shane Dowrich
Physiotherapist: Ashley Stephens
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Hector Martinez Charles
Performance Coach: Dr. Nadine Sammy
Media & Content Officer: Nicholas Maitland
Series Schedule: (All matches will be played at the National Cricket Stadium)
1st ODI – Friday, February 20 – 9:30 AM
2nd ODI – Sunday, February 22 – 9:30 AM
3rd ODI – Wednesday, February 25 – 9:30 AM
1st T20I – Saturday, February 28 – 1PM
2nd T20I – Sunday, March 1 – 1PM
3rd T20I – Tuesday, March 3 – 1PM
