New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday announced their squad for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026.

All-rounder Hayley Matthews will lead the West Indian quest for their first world title since their triumph in the 2016 edition of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. It remains their only success in the tournament's history.

The West Indies women's team will begin their Women's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against New Zealand on June 13 at the Hampshire Bowl in Southampton, followed by clashes with Scotland on June 18 at Headingley in Leeds and Sri Lanka on June 21 at the Bristol County Ground.

They will then face hosts England in a marquee encounter at Lord's in London on June 24 before concluding their group stage against Ireland on June 27, returning to the Bristol County Ground, as a release from CWI.

Matthews will be backed by the experience of veterans Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor, who have plenty of all-round experience to boost the side in all three departments.

Matthews and Qiana Joseph are expected to take top-order roles. Dottin, Taylor, Chinelle Henry and Jahzara Claxton are some of the middle-order options in the squad, while Shemaine Campbelle will do the glovework.

West Indies bear a spin-heavy look with Ashmini Munisar, Afy Fletcher, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Matthews, as well as Zaida James, capable of turning their arm over.

At the same time, Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton, Shawnisha Hector, and Deandra Dottin will boost the pace ranks.

Perhaps the strongest suit for the Maroon Warriors is the fact that they carry several all-rounders, including Matthews, Henry, Dottin, Taylor, James, and Claxton.

Head Coach Shane Deitz said the squad reflects a deliberate strategy designed specifically for the demands of international cricket in England. 'We know that in these conditions, strong powerplay batting and sustained scoring through the middle overs will be critical to winning games. Our analysis showed that when we score positively in the power play, particularly getting beyond that 45-run mark, we give ourselves a much stronger opportunity to control matches. Alternatively, with the ball, we need to restrict boundaries in the power play and throughout the innings,' he said. 'We've therefore selected a group with flexibility at the top of the order, players who can handle both pace and spin effectively, and importantly, batters capable of maintaining intent regardless of wickets lost, along with ensuring depth in the batting so we can continue attacking deep into the innings. We also wanted bowlers who can attack when necessary but also quickly shift into defensive modes and execute under pressure at every stage of the innings,' he added. Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe expressed that the team's preparation programme was intentionally designed to acclimatise the squad to the unique demands of English conditions while building the consistency and momentum required heading into the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. 'We have been very deliberate in how we structured the team's preparation for this tournament. The camp in Wales was designed to immerse the players in conditions similar to what they will experience throughout the World Cup, allowing them to fine-tune both their technical execution and tactical awareness in that environment. Equally important was creating opportunities for the group to build cohesion, confidence and consistency together over an extended period,' said Bascombe. 'The tri-nation series in Ireland is another critical component of that process, as it gives the squad valuable competitive match exposure against quality international opposition immediately before the tournament. Every aspect of the preparation has been intentional in ensuring the players arrive at the World Cup fully adapted to the conditions, clear in their roles and building positive momentum as a team', he added.

Squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Shawnisha Hector. (ANI)