Anisa opts out of England tour

KINGSTON: Anisa Mohammed, the leading wicket-taker in women’s T20Is, has opted out of the five-match tour of England which will be played in a bio-secure venue next month.

West Indies have named an 18-player squad for the tour, captained by Stafanie Taylor, which includes the uncapped Kaysia Schultz.“All players were given the option to decline selection for any Covid-19 related concern,” a Cricket West Indies statement said. “Anisa Mohammed was the only potential selectee who declined the invitation to travel to England. CWI fully respects her decision to choose to do so.”

When the West Indies men’s team toured England earlier in the season Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul opted out of the trip.The squad will undergo Covid-19 tests this week before taking a charter flight to the UK on August 30.

The series will mark the resumption of the top level of the women’s game for the first time since the T20 World Cup final at the MCG on March 8 with West Indies visiting England in place of India and South Africa who both cancelled proposed trips due to Covid-19.

“It is with pleasure that we are able once again to have our West Indies Women’s team involved at the international level,” lead selector for women’s and girls’ cricket, Ann Browne-John said. “This tour to England gives our players a great opportunity.

“The larger eighteen-member squad also gives an opportunity to have young developing players involved; like the two players from Guyana, left-arm bowler Kaysia Schultz and all-rounder Shabika Gajnabi. It also gives the opportunity to the young Trinidadian offspinner Karishma Ramharack to get some international experience.”

CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams said: “CWI is pleased to be restarting its international women’s program with a tour to England, where the standard of women’s cricket has grown tremendously. We thank the ECB for their invitation and the added opportunity to travel with a larger squad affords us the chance to introduce a few younger players to this level of the game, and fast track their development. With so much uncertainty surrounding cricket scheduling currently, this is a timely opportunity for our women to resume competitive cricket at the highest level.”