Windies take on Pakistan, SA in official warm-ups

LONDON, CMC – West Indies will play official warm-up matches against Pakistan and South Africa ahead of their campaign in the ICC Women’s World Cup starting this June in England.

The Caribbean side face the Pakistanis in Leicestershire on June 20 before clashing with the South Africans two days later in Oakham.

West Indies then play their first game of the tournament on June 26 when they take on reigning champions Australia at the County Ground in Taunton.

Stafanie Taylor

Captain Stafanie Taylor said the two official warm-up game would be crucial in her side’s preparation.

“We are waiting eagerly for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 and these practice matches will be just the kind of preparation we need ahead of it,” the Jamaican batting star said.

“We know this is going to be a tough tournament but we have the confidence of the ICC World Twenty20 victory behind us and go into the World Cup with confidence.”

West Indies were good enough to reach the final of the last tournament four years ago in India before going down to the Aussies by 114 runs.

The reigning Twenty20 World champions, West Indies will enter the tournament as one of the favourites, especially having matured as a 50-overs side in recent years.

Each side will the other once in the round-robin preliminary phase with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.

The tournament runs from June 24 to July 23 and will see 31 matches played across five venues.

West Indies, along with Australia, England and New Zealand qualified automatically for the tournament based on their top-four ranking in the ICC Women’s Championship, while India, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan came through a qualifier staged in Sri Lanka in February.