Austin sees bright future for West Indies Women’s cricket

West Indies Under-19 Women’s Head Coach Ryan Austin believes the Caribbean’s emerging female cricketers are in good hands, following the recently concluded Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 Championship and the commencement of a two-week High-Performance Camp in Antigua.
Austin said the camp, which began on August 17, is aimed at getting to know the players, assessing their strengths and identifying areas requiring further development as CWI continues preparations for the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2027.
“Basically, the camp is to get to know the girls, to understand them. For the first week we are looking at skills, understanding what areas they need to strengthen and develop, and obviously understanding their strengths as well, to put them into specific roles in terms of the teams,” Austin explained.
Reflecting on the recently completed Under-19 Championship, Austin highlighted several players who emerged with strong performances. Among those with previous West Indies Under-19 experience are Samara Ramnath, Brianna Harricharan and Kaela George, who he said have brought valuable experience into the current group.
He also singled out Jamaica’s Brianna Plummer for her performances with the left-arm spin, while Barbados’ Eboni Brathwaite was praised for her experience after making her senior West Indies T20I debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year.
Austin believes the current crop possesses considerable ability but stressed that continued development will be essential.
“I think there’s some level of importance and some level of acceptance that West Indies girls and West Indies women’s cricket are in good hands,” he said, while acknowledging that there remains room for improvement.
The coach said the focus will now be on shaping the players, strengthening their skills and helping them understand their roles and long-term ambitions as they progress towards the international level.