ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Lead selector Ann Browne-John has backed West Indies Women to be competitive Down Under, after keeping faith with the bulk of the squad for the six-match tour against Australia Women next month.

Selectors made only minor changes to the squad that faced Ireland last July, bringing in teenaged seamer Jannillea Glasgow and off-spinner Karishma Ramharack while leaving out left-armer Qiana Joseph, who took four wickets in three matches against the Irish.

“The selection panel has chosen to maintain most of the players who were victorious in the home series against Ireland,” Browne-John said in a media release after Cricket West Indies announced the 15-member squad for the October 1-14 tour.

“Jannillea Glasgow, after having an outstanding Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 tournament, has been included in the 15-member squad and we see the return of Karishma Ramharack.

“This team is one we believe will continue to build and develop as our game evolves in the rapidly growing landscape and high-performance setting of women’s cricket.”

She continued: “We have continued to place confidence in some of the developing players. Several of the players are coming off title-winning performances in the Massy Caribbean Premier League, so we are expecting them to continue their good run of form.

“This is a team we believe can produce competitive cricket against a top team like Australia, under the guidance of the new head coach [Shane Deitz] and led by the captain, Hayley Matthews who’s enjoying a very productive 2023 thus far.”

For the 19-year-old Glasgow, the appearance will be her first since making her debut in a Tri-Nations Series in South Africa last January involving the hosts and India, where she featured in the final Twenty20 International.

Ramharack, 28, last turned out for West Indies in the T20 World Cup in South Africa last February. She has played 17 One-Day Internationals and 22 T20 Internationals.

West Indies Women take on Australia Women in three T20Is from October 1-5, with the first two matches scheduled for Sydney and the third for Brisbane.

The series will be followed by three ODIs from October 8-14 — the first game set for Brisbane and the last two carded for Melbourne.

SQUAD — Hayley Matthews (captain), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams