The West Indies are currently preparing for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in June-July in England and Wales. After a disastrous start to the year in the shortest format of the game, the team have already won two back-to-back games in the ongoing tri-series involving Ireland and Pakistan. In the World Cup, they are placed in Group 2 alongside the hosts England, defending champions New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Scotland, and Ireland. They are also scheduled to play warm-up games against India and Australia.
Squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Shawnisha Hector
Strength
Hayley Matthews, the skipper, remains the biggest key factor behind West Indies’ success. In eight wins since the 2024 T20 World Cup, she has featured in seven of those matches, scoring 422 runs at an average of 140.66 and a strike rate of 146.02, including five fifties. Those numbers clearly show that whenever she performs well at the top of the order, the Windies usually come out on top as a unit.
Apart from Matthews’ charismatic leadership, another strength could be their pace trio in English conditions — Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, and Jannillea Glasgow. The way Henry bowled and generated swing with the new ball in the WPL earlier this year suggests she could trouble batters in England if she maintains the right line and length. Dottin’s ability to bowl at the death will once again be crucial. Not only as bowlers, but all three can score quick runs down the order, which might become a match-turning factor for the team.
Weakness
They are heading into this World Cup without much momentum. Yes, they have won two consecutive games in the ongoing tri-series, but before that, they had lost five in a row (three T20Is against Australia and two against Bangladesh). In fact, among all 12 participating teams, the West Indies have the worst win-loss ratio since the 2024 T20 World Cup, standing at 0.727 despite playing 20 matches (eight wins, 11 losses, and one no result).
Opportunity
This tournament presents an opportunity for the West Indies to reclaim the title they won in 2016. However, they have struggled in this competition in recent years compared to the way they began their journey. Between 2010 and 2016, they reached three semi-finals and won the title once in four editions, defeating Australia in the 2016 final. Since then, in the next four editions, they have managed only two semi-final appearances and suffered two group-stage exits.
They also failed to qualify for the 2025 ODI World Cup, which was a major setback. Therefore, this ICC tournament offers a great platform for them to make a statement and send a strong message to the rest of the cricketing world.
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Threat
Over-dependence on players like Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin could be the biggest threat. While Matthews has been consistently delivering as an all-rounder, players such as Dottin and Henry need to contribute more regularly alongside their skipper.
Therefore, how quickly and effectively the team clicks as a unit, especially against strong sides like England, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka in the group stage, remains to be seen. If the supporting cast fails to step up, West Indies could once again find themselves under pressure despite possessing match-winners in their squad.
Possible Playing XI: Hayley Matthews (c), Deandra Dottin, Qiana Joseph, Stafanie Taylor, Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Jannillea Glasgow, Afy Fletcher, Zaida James, Karishma Ramharack
Also Read: Women’s T20 World Cup 2026: Scotland – SWOT Analysis
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