Women’s T20I game is getting more competitive, teams at bottom are climbing up: Hayley Matthews

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews believes women’s T20 cricket is getting more competitive with lower-ranked teams "starting to climb up" and said that her side would look to put their best foot forward in the T20Is against India starting here on Sunday. While world No 3 India had a disappointing T20 World Cup in October, failing to make it past the group stage, the sixth-ranked West Indies made their way to the semifinal where they lost to eventual winners New Zealand.

“They're the top four for a reason because they probably are a better team and have better records. But at the same time I feel like every team is really starting to compete now,” Matthews said when asked if the gap between top-ranked teams and those in the bottom was big.

“When you look at a World Cup like just now the one that we played, you had no idea who would have beaten who in every single match," she told the media after WI's training session here on Saturday.

“I'm pretty sure no one had it to be a final four of West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Probably, no one had a final of New Zealand and South Africa settled as well. It just shows that the women's game is getting more and more competitive. I feel like the teams towards the bottom are starting to climb up,” she said.

Matthews said West Indies, the winners of 2016 T20 World Cup, were in a long transition period but they have finally started to find a firm footing as a squad.

“We were going through some type of transitioning period within the team and our record against anyone probably wasn't the best throughout that period,” Matthews replied when asked about how determined is her side to end their eight-game losing streak against India.

“We've been working really hard and been really focused on our game and what we can improve. Coming up against a team like India, we know it is going to be a tough assignment."

“But we have been playing some really positive cricket over the last year and back ourselves to hopefully go out there and be able to change things around a bit.” West Indies have had a strong showing this year in T20Is with nine wins in 13 matches and Matthews said the Caribbean players will look forward to getting some good news from the mini auction of the Women’s Premier League, which will also be held on Sunday.

“I don't feel like too many of us are watching it too hard. We obviously know that it is coming up tomorrow but we also have a pretty important T20 match tomorrow as well. That's definitely (our) No 1 priority,” she said.

“If it is (the case) that a few of the girls (do) get picked up, that'll be great. The more players we can have playing in these kinds of competitions, it'll be better for the team.” “Especially coming off of a World Cup like the one we've just had, it certainly has opened a lot of eyes to the West Indian girls and what they can do. I would absolutely love to see a few of our girls getting picked up,” said Matthews, who played a key role in Mumbai Indians' title win in the inaugural edition. (PTI)