Windies announces squads for upcoming tour of Pakistan

^st January. Two more games will be played on 1^st and 3^rd February at the same venue.

Johnny Grave, the Chief Executive of Cricket West Indies believes this is a major step in helping Pakistan board to make other international teams travel to Pakistan again.

For a long time, no international teams visited Pakistan after an unfortunate attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009, until in 2015 Zimbabwe Men’s team toured Pakistan for 2 T20I and 3 ODI series. The Bangladesh Women's team had also toured Pakistan in 2015 for two T20Is.

Last year Pakistan had hosted the Windies men’s team in a similar three-match T20I series in Karachi. Operational success of this tour was benchmarked as Cricket West Indies was convinced to sanction the women’s tour.

Grave said, “This tour is a further major step for our friends at the PCB to bring their cricket back home. We are pleased that our players and support staff have recognised this and agreed to play the T20Is in Pakistan.”

However, Merissa Aguilleira will take over as captain for the T20Is as Stafanie Taylor as opted out of the T20I tour. The Windies squad will travel to Dubai for three ICC Women’s Championship ODIs, starting from 7 February, where Taylor will join the team and resume the captaincy.

Grave accepted Taylor’s decision as he said, “should any (player) have any personal reservations about this tour, we fully understand and accept their position.”

The Windies will also be without the all-rounder and vice-captain Hayley Matthews, who suffered a medial knee ligament damage to her right knee at the Women’s Big Bash League in December. She is expected to undergo a further 3-4 weeks of therapy before returning to action.

Squad: Stafanie Taylor (ODI capt), Merissa Aguilleira (T20I capt), Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Natasha McClean, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Rashada Williams.