ST JOHN’S, Antigua – West Indies legend Stafanie Taylor believes that the continued investment in women’s cricket will bear fruit and she’s excited to join the younger players at the ongoing West Indies Women’s High-performance camp at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). Taylor is in Antigua as part of her overall rehabilitation. She is working alongside the 15 players aged 25 and under who have been in camp since last week.
“It is great to see the investment in women’s cricket. I feel good about it … that we can see there is focus and commitment to grow women’s cricket and develop our young players from the grassroots level all the way to the senior team,” Taylor said.
The development of women’s cricket is a major priority for Cricket West Indies (CWI) and resources have been allocated to ensure there is growth of the young talented players across the region. Over the last year, CWI introduced the Women’s Rising Stars Under 19 programme, aimed at ensuring there is a pathway from the age group levels to the international stage. CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources to develop women’s cricket at every level.
Taylor sits among the greatest players of all time, and she is the most successful player in west Indies Women’s history. She has scored 5,367 runs with seven centuries and 38 half-centuries in 148 One-Day Internationals and another 3,166 runs in 113 T20 International with 21 half-centuries. She has also excelled with the balls as an off-spinner with 153 wickets in ODIs and 98 in T20Is.
Taylor has grown from a girl to a global star in the game, and she recalled her early days as a 17-year-old on her debut against Ireland Women in Dublin, “when we played, maybe, a series a year and hoped for more”. One of her most memorable moments on the field came back in 2016, as captain when she lifted the ICC Women’s T20 trophy after West Indies beat Australia in the memorable final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
“We have moved from amateur to professional and we play a lot of cricket and that is a really good thing for women’s cricket all around the world. The game is really growing and I’m happy to be part of it. I want to encourage the young players here to take it seriously and reach for their goals. I achieved a lot in cricket because I was willing to work hard and I still have more to achieve,” she noted.
