ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Guyanese all-rounder Realeanna Grimmond and Kittitian fast bowler Jahzara Claxton have been included in a West Indies Women 15-member squad to tour England later this month.

Grimmond and Claxton are the only two changes from the West Indies team that took place in last month’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Pakistan, replacing the Jamaican duo of wicketkeeper/batter Rashada Williams and all-rounder Chinelle Henry.

Notably missing from the squad that will play three T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals between May 21 and June 8, are veterans Deandra Dottin and Shamilia Connell, who were also excluded from the World Cup Qualifiers.

Dottin missed out after sustaining an injury in the Women’s Premier League in India, while no reason was given for Connell being dropped.

Head Coach Shane Deitz said the team was eager to move on from the disappointment of not qualifying for the Women’s World Cup.

“We brought a good team to England and we’re looking forward to putting on a good performance for the crowd over there and all our supporters watching back in the Caribbean.

“It’s going to be an excellent tour for us to re-establish ourselves as a world class team with world class players,” Deitz said.

“The girls have been working hard since the Pakistan qualification and playing some cricket at the T20 Blaze in the Caribbean. It’s now time to switch up to international cricket, put on a good display, and give our supporters something to cheer about back in the Caribbean.”

Deitz said they been playing good T20 cricket over the past year and a half and he expected the Hayley Matthews-led outfit to give a good account of themselves.

“Going to England is a fantastic opportunity to play one of the best teams in the world for a long time and to really test our skills and put in practice what we’ve talked about off the pitch.

“The talk is cheap off the pitch; we’re going to put that talk into action and go out against England and play some good cricket. We’ve got the T20Is first, and that’s where we’ve played our better cricket in the past 12 to 18 months, so we’re looking forward to getting the tour off to a good start and play some good attacking cricket the West Indian way,” Deitz added.

Meanwhile, Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe said the tour had come at the perfect time with the Women’s T20 Blaze having concluded over the weekend.

“This upcoming tour of England offers our women an important opportunity to reassert themselves on the international stage. It’s a chance to demonstrate the talent, grit, and character that are synonymous with West Indies cricket,” Bascombe said.

“The ongoing T20 Blaze competition has come at an opportune time, giving many of our senior and emerging players the chance to stay match-ready and sharpen their skills in a competitive environment. We remain committed to strengthening our women’s programme and believe this tour is a vital step forward in our collective journey.”

SQUAD:

West Indies Women — Hayley Matthews (captain), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Jahzara Claxton, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor.