West Indies Women selectee Schultz motivated, and hopeful of international debut

By Brandon Corlette

Kaysia Schultz, the 23-year-old Guyanese left-arm spinner, remains motivated and hopeful of an international debut for the West Indies Women team.
Schultz was a member of the West Indies Women’s squad that toured England; unfortunately, she did not get an opportunity to debut. In a recent interview with this publication, Schultz disclosed that she is still motivated and hopeful, and the drive to work hard is still within her.

Born in Bartica, the township of Region 7, Schultz spoke about her journey in cricket and her aspirations therein: to remain disciplined and consistent, and to evolve into a bowling all-rounder for the West Indies Women’s Team.

“Cricket was ‘my thing’ ever since. Growing up, playing in the streets with the boys even though I did not know much about the hard-ball aspect of the game, I used to go home to a whipping and a half,” Schultz said.
She disclosed that her career began with wind ball cricket in school, and she had experience playing against Barbados. Her friend and DCB team mate Lashana Toussaint introduced her to the hard-ball aspect of the game, and the first club for which she played was the GNIC.
“I trained, and never took anything for granted. I continued to work hard, and here I am,” she declared.
Great achievements are usually born of great sacrifices, and that has been the Kaysia Schultz experience when she sacrificed her job to play the sport she loves. One of her fondest memories is the moment she received a call-up for the West Indies training camp. “Three months after I got that call-up, I sacrificed my job,” she said.
Speaking about her maiden tour with the West Indies to the United Kingdom, and the conditions under which cricket is played in England, Schultz disclosed that she had to adapt as quickly as possible. “It was really an eye opener to witness different strategies of the game,” she disclosed.
Describing how she dealt with the COVID-19 restrictions, Schultz said she had not expected this pandemic, but as time progressed, she put systems in place to keep herself fit and ready to play the game she loves.
The left-arm spinner is seeking consistency in her cricket, which requires self-discipline and hard work. She is also hoping to work on her all-round game and evolve into a bowling all-rounder.
“In life, you will always face challenges, but as long as you embrace it, that is what makes you. Just trust in your abilities, work hard and believe in yourself. Once you believe in yourself, you are almost there,” Schultz explained in a message to young, aspiring female cricketers.
She expects that she would one day reap the benefits of the hard work she is sowing in a West Indies debut.