Windies mix youth and experience for Aussie tour

The West Indies have named a squad brimming with youthful talent under the direction of a new Australian coach to spearhead their campaign against Alyssa Healy's world champion side next month.

Four teenagers from the Windies U19 side have been included for the CommBank Series that consists of three T20s and three ODIs to be played across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

It will be the first series as Windies head coach for former South Australia wicketkeeper-batter Shane Deitz, who has taken on the role after Cricket West Indies moved on from Courtney Walsh earlier this year after a 2.5-year stint.

The 48-year-old Deitz played 66 first-class matches for South Australia after relocating there from Sydney in 1998 across a decade-long career. After retiring from playing he moved into coaching, with stints in New Zealand and Vanuatu before taking on women's roles with Bangladesh and the Netherlands before he took on the Windies job.

Again led by the experienced Hayley Matthews, Shemaine Campbelle and Stafanie Taylor, the squad features five players from the Barbados Royals team that won this year's Women's Caribbean Premier League tournament.

West Indies squad

Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

Former Windies U19 captain Ashmini Munisar, an off-spinner from Guyana, heads the new generation of talent coming through, having made her senior international debut in both white-ball formats for the Windies in their July home series against Ireland.

Trinidadian batter Djenaba Joseph, left-arm seamer Jannillea Glasgow from St Vincent & Grenadines and 18-year-old St Lucian Zaida James who bats at the top of the order and offers left-arm spin, will all offer a new challenge for the Australian outfit.

The Windies are fresh from an undefeated home series against Ireland where Matthews dominated, and the side will again lean heavily on her against the Aussies.

Glasgow didn't feature in that Ireland series but instead dominated a domestic U19 tournament, captaining the Windward Islands to the final with 12 wickets and 166 runs in six matches.

Windies lead selector for women's cricket Ann Browne-John said: "The selection panel has chosen to maintain most of the players who were victorious in the home series against Ireland.

"Jannillea Glasgow, after having an outstanding Rising Stars Women's Under 19 tournament, has been included in the 15-member squad and we see the return of Karishma Ramharack.

"This team is one we believe will continue to build and develop as our game evolves in the rapidly growing landscape and high-performance setting of women's cricket.

"We have continued to place confidence in some of the developing players. Several of the players are coming off title-winning performances in the Caribbean Premier League so we are expecting them to continue their good run of form.

"This is a team we believe can produce competitive cricket against a top team like Australia, under the guidance of the new head coach and led by the captain Hayley Matthews who's enjoying a very productive 2023 thus far."

CommBank T20s v West Indies 2023

First T20: October 1, North Sydney Oval, 12pm AEDT

Second T20: October 2, North Sydney Oval, 7.05pm AEDT

Third T20: October 5, Allan Border Field, 7.05pm AEDT

CommBank ODIs v West Indies 2023

First ODI: October 8, Allan Border Field, 10.35am AEDT

Second ODI: October 12, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

First ODI: October 14, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris (T20Is only), Jess Jonassen, Alana King (ODIs only), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Shemaine Campbelle (vc), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams