Fast-bowling all-rounder Cherry-Ann Fraser and uncapped quick Jannillea Glasgow have earned call-ups to the 15-member West Indies' squad for the six white-ball fixtures against Bangladesh at home. The series will begin with a first of three ODIs on January 19 and conclude with the last of three T20Is on January 30, with St Kitts hosting all the games.
Fast bowler Shamilia Connell and middle-order batter Rashada Williams are the two absentees from West Indies' last assignment, tour of India. West Indies will continue to be without veteran allrounder Stafanie Taylor who is still recovering from a knee injury, according to a CWI release.
Fraser has played a total of 12 ODIs and her last appearance in this format was in October 2023 against Australia. Her last international appearance though was against Sri Lanka in a T20I in Hambantota in June last year. Meanwhile, Glasgow has took part in four T20Is, last of these was against Pakistan in Karachi in May 2024. Though she has been travelling with the West Indies ODI squad on and off since 2023, Glasgow never got an opportunity in ODIs. According to the CWI release, both of them "had successful stints in state cricket in Tasmania and have been included."
West Indies are currently ninth in the Women's Championship table, with top six teams getting the automatic qualification for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. With 14 points from 21 matches, it's impossible for them to secure a direct qualification even if they finish with a maximum of 20 points with a 3-0 sweep over Bangladesh with New Zealand at sixth position with 21 points. However, Bangladesh with 19 points from 21 matches and placed seventh could move past New Zealand for a top-six finish.
"Bangladesh's visit comes at an ideal time in our preparation cycle," West Indies head coach Shane Deitz said. "They're a skilled unit that has shown impressive growth, and this series gives us an excellent opportunity to examine our squad depth and continue to implement our aggressive, flamboyant brand of West Indian cricket.
"We have been focusing on specific areas of improvement in our training and touring, and these matches will help us gauge our progress. The conditions at Warner Park will challenge both teams and make for compelling cricket. I'm looking forward to seeing how some of our younger and less-experienced players respond to the test."
This will be West Indies Women's first-ever bilateral series against Bangladesh, and Bangladesh's first bilateral series tour of the Caribbean. The teams' last ODI meeting was three years ago in the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, when West Indies clinched the game by four runs. Overall, the two teams have met five times in international cricket -- four times in T20Is and once in an ODI -- and West Indies are yet to suffer a defeat.
However, West Indies will be aware that they are coming off two consecutive ODI series defeats against India and Sri Lanka and will be keen to end the six-match losing run when they take on Bangladesh.
West Indies ODI and T20I squad
Hayley Matthews (capt), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Nerissa Crafton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Cherry Ann Fraser, Jannilea Glasgow