WI Women set for crucial ODI, T20I tour of Zimbabwe

Fresh off the high of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), the West Indies Women’s team is set to return to international action with a crucial tour of Zimbabwe scheduled for late September and October.

The Caribbean side will engage the Zimbabwe Women in three One-Day Internationals (ODI) and three T20 Internationals (T20I), marking their first assignment since the conclusion of the domestic WCPL season, which saw the Guyana Amazon Warriors clinch the title.

The tour carries significant weight for the regional side, as the three 50-over matches will form part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

The race for crucial points towards the 2029 World Cup qualification will begin at the Harare Sports Club, with matches slated for September 24, 27, and 30.

Following the ODI leg, the focus will shift to the shorter format, with the teams moving to the Takashinga Cricket Club.

The T20I series is scheduled to bowl off on October 3, with the second and third matches taking place on October 5 and October 7, respectively.

While the West Indies will be looking to assert their dominance and climb the championship standings, the hosts will be viewing the series as a vital development tool.

Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni acknowledged the importance of hosting a team of the West Indies’ calibre.

“We are delighted to welcome West Indies Women to Harare for what promises to be an exciting series,” Makoni said in a media statement. “Regular exposure to high-quality international cricket is vital to the development of Zimbabwe women and playing a side of West Indies’ stature gives our players another opportunity to test their skills, learn and build the experience and confidence they need to become more competitive.”

The West Indies squad will enter the series with confidence, particularly knowing the hosts are currently enduring a difficult run of form.

Zimbabwe are currently playing a five-match T20I series at home against South Africa and trail 0-4. They will aim to avoid a whitewash in the final T20I in Bulawayo on September 19 before turning their attention to the Caribbean visitors.

For the West Indies, the tour represents a chance to build momentum after the WCPL and secure valuable ICC Championship points in foreign conditions.

A number of players, including Jamaica’s Rashada Williams and finals hero Chedean Nation will be hoping that they will be among the touring players named by coach Shane Deitz, as the full squad list and coaching staff for the Zimbabwe tour are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.