Campbelle needs to be more consistent; Schultz was unlucky to miss out

By Brandon Corlette

West Indies Women, who have lost their last 13 T20I matches in a row, will, from February 13, be in action against England at the T20 World Cup, and Guyanese Shemaine Campbelle will be the vice-captain of the team.
According to Courtney Walsh, the West Indies Women’s Head Coach, Campbelle needs to be more consistent.
Lead Selector Ann Browne-John has said the 25-year-old Kaysia Schultz missed out on selection due to the unique combination of the squad. But although Schultz, a left-arm spinner, has played only four games and bowled only 36 balls, she has not been given a fair run. She also had two wickets on her One Day International debut, and did not play a game thereafter.

“We can only pick 15 persons; we therefore have to look at our best combination. So, you would recognize that we cannot pick eight seamers or eight spinners or eight batters, we have to find a mix and a blend. So, with that being said, it is just that Kaysia was not able to find a place in the 15. As I mentioned before, we now have Zaida James in, who bowls left-arm orthodox, who is a left-arm batter. We had more options this time, and unfortunately, Kaysia did not find a place in the 15.
“As we tell the players, do not ever consider you are dropped, it is when we looked at combinations, we try to put the best combination together,” the Women’s lead selector has said.
Walsh has said that team members have put the recent defeats behind them, and are ready to go. “They are obviously disappointed with the results. We treat each game as a new game, and we try to get the best done. With everything behind us, everyone is focused on the World Cup. It is the World Cup which is the biggest stage, and this is where it will count more. The mood is very good in the camp. We are hopeful of Stafanie Taylor. Medical will update us. Staf is upbeat as well, and everything is coming together at the right time. If we can get her fit and the other injury that we had, we will get our strongest team to select from,” Walsh has said.
Campbelle, who played in 115 in T20I matches, has a high score of 47 and a batting average of 13.81. Walsh is hoping she can turn the tide with added responsibility.
“We want her to be a bit more consistent. We keep seeing scores here and there, and we are hoping (that) with the added responsibility and her experience, she can settle and be more consistent. She will give us depth, and we can bat around her. She is fit, and we hope she can help us and guide the younger ones,” Walsh has said.

Match Schedule of the T20 World Cup:
Monday, 13 February: West Indies vs England. Boland Park, Paarl, 3 pm (9 am Eastern Caribbean/8 am Jamaica)
Wednesday, 15 February: West Indies vs India. Newlands, Cape Town, 3 pm (9 am Eastern Caribbean/8 am Jamaica)
Friday, 17 February: West Indies vs Ireland. Newlands, Cape Town, 7 pm (1 pm Eastern Caribbean/12 noon Jamaica)
Sunday, 19 February: West Indies vs Pakistan. Boland Park, Paarl, 3 pm (9 am Eastern Caribbean/8 am Jamaica).
FULL SQUAD: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shemaine Campbelle (Vice Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.