Hayley Matthews hopes to repeat 2016 ICC WT20 WC success

Ahead of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), West Indies Women skipper Hayley Matthews said that her team would try their best to win the upcoming marquee event as they did back in 2016. An 18-year-old Matthews was the Player of the Match in the final of that tournament in 2016 in India, and spoke of the impact it could have on the younger generation.

"The 2016 ICC Women's T20 World Cup win gets brought up in the group from time to time, mainly because it feels like it was so long ago," Matthews said in her column on ICC.

"The older players often talk about the emotions surrounding that victory--not just what it meant for us but also for the younger girls watching as they were coming up through the system. As a team now, we're hoping to recreate that success, knowing how much of an impact it will have--not just on us but on cricket in the Caribbean, where the sport holds such huge significance," the opener added.

This will be the first Women's T20 World Cup in the sub-continent since that 2016 event and Matthews said that she expected spin to play a significant part in the tournament.

"In women's cricket especially, spinners frequently top the charts and rankings, so I believe spin will play a significant role. Fortunately, for us we have got quite a few spinners in our arsenal, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, young Zaida James and me. We strongly believe that spin will play a major role, and the team has been selected with that in mind. Hopefully, as a spin unit, we can go out there and make a significant impact with the ball," she said.

Overall, the skipper believed that this was one of West Indies' best squads going into a T20 World Cup. The West Indies have won three of their four bilateral T20I series since the end of the last tournament, finding success against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Ireland. In the only loss they copped against Australia, West Indies still put up a spirited showing, winning a game for the first time against them in Australia.

"I think a World Cup is one of those tournaments, especially T20 World Cups, where, if you have some good performances on a big day, it can get you through the stages. This is, if not our best, definitely one of our best squads that we have had at a T20 World Cup. We have seen a lot of our senior players really improve like Shemaine Campbelle who has been so much more consistent lately. And players like Aaliyah Alleyne who has stepped up and improved her game and has played more important roles in matches," Matthews stated.

"The thing that has been really good, is the camaraderie in the group, it feels like a massive safe space and somewhere where everyone feels super comfortable. Even the young ones who have come into the group have been able to settle and gel really well with the older ones and there is tremendous mutual respect, which is really good for us," the skipper concluded. (ANI)