King and Fletcher recalled for Windies tour of Sri Lanka

Stacy King

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC- The experienced duo of Stacy Ann King and Afy Fletcher, as well as rookie all-rounder Chinelle Henry have been recalled to the West Indies Women’s cricket squad announced yesterday for a tour of Sri Lanka.

Stacy King
Stacy King

King, Fletcher and Henry have been named on a 14-member squad leaving this week to participate in a training camp in Colombo ahead of the matches starting May 13.

The 31-year-old King, a left-handed batsman and left-arm medium-fast bowler, has made 53 One-day International and 61 Twenty20 International appearances for the Windies Women. Her previous international appearance was a Women’s World Twenty20 semi-final against reigning World champions Australia last year in the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

Fletcher, aged 28, will be making her first trip with the women’s side in six years. She has appeared in 13 ODIs and two T20Is between 2008 and 2009, with her last international a Super Six match against England Women in the 2009 ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia.

Sherwin Campbell
Sherwin Campbell

The 19-year-old Henry has appeared in two ODIs and four T20Is between October 2013 and February last year before losing her place in the side.

Three members of the side that played in the previous ICC Women’s Championship series in Australia will not be making the trip.

The three are left-handed all-rounder Shanel Daley, who has been sidelined with a knee injury; leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne and medium-fast bowler Shakera Selman.

The tour comprises three Twenty20 Internationals and four One-day Internationals, the last three of which will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship.

The ICC Women’s Championship is a multi-year, bilateral competition between the top eight international women’s sides that will lead to qualification for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup to be hosted by the England & Wales Cricket Board.

Meantime, the WICB has named a new coach for the Windies women cricketers.

Former West Indies fast bowler Vasbert Drakes has replaced the long-serving Sherwin Campbell, the former West Indies opener, who has guided the side for the last seven years.

Also joining the team management unit are physiotherapist Oba Gulston and fitness trainer Dave Bernard Sr. Both have worked with various territorial and West Indies sides in recent times.

The squad is set to depart from Barbados today, arriving two days later in the Sri Lanka capital of Colombo, where they will begin a nine-day training camp before the start of the series.

SQUAD: Merissa Aguilleira (Captain), Stafanie Taylor (Vice-Captain), Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Stacy-Ann King, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Tremayne Smartt.