Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the FairBreak Foundation have announced a new partnership aimed at promoting and supporting women's cricket throughout the Caribbean. This collaboration will leverage the strengths of both organizations to elevate women's cricket from grassroots programs to professional levels.

The FairBreak Foundation, renowned for promoting gender equality through its Women's Invitational T20 tournaments, has successfully hosted two ICC-sanctioned events in Dubai (2022) and Hong Kong (2023). The new partnership with CWI marks the first collaboration between FairBreak and an ICC Full Member Board, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing women's cricket.

CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are pleased and enthusiastic to be the first ICC Full Member Board to partner with FairBreak. One of the new strategic objectives of CWI has been to achieve parity between women and men in cricket by 2027, and we believe that this partnership will allow us to showcase the talent and potential of female cricketers in the West Indies while promoting inclusivity and gender equality within the sport.”

Cheryll Rogers, FairBreak Chief Executive Officer, echoed this excitement: “We are delighted to partner with CWI and bring the support of FairBreak to the communities of the Caribbean. It has been my pleasure to bring FairBreak up to a new level for women’s cricket. Our aspiration is to partner with cricket boards and charities to uplift community cricket as well as create new pathways into the women’s professional game. The new FairBreak team and their commitment to the highest standards of safety and governance are setting a gold standard for the environment in which we invite players to play. Our tournaments will now be held in the best stadiums in the world, including the West Indies. A truly unique opportunity.”

A key element of this partnership is FairBreak’s investment in grassroots cricket programs. These programs will benefit and inspire future generations of female cricketers across the Caribbean. Additionally, the partnership will engage local coaches, match officials, and other support personnel in upcoming FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments, providing them with invaluable experience and exposure.

The partnership also aligns with CWI's strategic objective of achieving gender parity in cricket by 2027. By collaborating with FairBreak, CWI aims to promote inclusivity and gender equality within the sport, showcasing the talent and potential of female cricketers in the West Indies.

This groundbreaking partnership between CWI and the FairBreak Foundation represents a significant step forward for women's cricket in the Caribbean. With plans to host future FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments in world-class stadiums, including those in the West Indies, the partnership promises to provide unparalleled opportunities for female cricketers and further the development of women's cricket in the region.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday announced the match schedule for the West Indies Men’s “A” Team series against Bangladesh Men’s “A” Team in August.

The series will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia and will feature two four-day first-class matches and three 50-over matches from 4 to 20 August.

This will be the first West Indies Men’s “A” Team series since 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic restricted opportunities and the resumption of West Indies Men’s “A” team matches sees the return of a key development opportunity for players pushing for selection to the West Indies senior team and for emerging players to build their First-Class International experience.

Roland Holder, CWI’s Senior Operations Manager said the series will provide exposure for a number of players and noted it was part of CWI’s commitment to continually developing talent for the international level.

“We are pleased to have confirmed the itinerary for the Men’s ‘A’ Team series with the BCB and we are excited to host Bangladesh in the region again,” Holder said.

“This is a vital part of the development of our players in the pathway toward full international selection, and no doubt this upcoming series of matches in Saint Lucia will provide a platform for further exposure and progress.”

He added that CWI and BCB are also in the planning stages for a reciprocal tour by West Indies “A” to Bangladesh in 2023.

 BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said the “A” Series provides an excellent opportunity for players of both teams to prepare for international commitments.

 “The international schedule is getting busier by the season and therefore it is very important for the cricketers to keep themselves ready through good competitive cricket. We thank CWI for accommodating the A tour. The four-day ‘Tests’ and the One-Day matches will be an invaluable experience for the players,” he noted.

“The BCB and CWI share a warm longstanding relationship and have worked tirelessly to make this tour happen. I hope we will see more reciprocal programmes between the two boards in the future.”

Match schedule:

Daren Sammy Cricket Ground

4-7: August: 1st Four-day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)

10-13 August: 2nd Four-Day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)

16 August: 1st 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)

18 August: 2nd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)

20 August: 3rd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am)

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that Hayley Matthews has been appointed as the West Indies Women’s Captain.

Matthews, who is one of the leading all-rounders in world cricket, will assume the leadership role from Stafanie Taylor ahead of the next West Indies Women’s Series, expected to be played later this year.

Taylor, the most successful female player in West Indies history and ranked among the all-time greats, has led the team for over seven years since 2015. She was at the helm when West Indies won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2016 and earlier this year when they reached the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.

CWI Women’s Selection Panel recommendation was ratified at the CWI Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, 24 June.

“The selection panel has done a review of the team including the leadership. After this review the panel took the decision to recommend that Hayley Matthews takes over the role as captain,” said Lead Selector for Women’s cricket Ann Browne-John, who thanked Stafanie for her years in the role.

“Hayley has made notable progress over the years, serving as vice-captain of the West Indies Women’s Team and is the current Captain of her National Team, Barbados. She has matured as a player and is one of the leading players worldwide with a good grasp of the game. Given the experience that she would have gained in both roles, we are confident this is the ideal time for her to step into the role of captain.

“We recognize that leading the team for seven years is a considerable achievement to which Stafanie has given huge levels of commitment and energy. We believe Stafanie is a world-class performer who will no doubt continue to add tremendous value to the team as one of the top all-rounders in the game.”

West Indies Women Head Coach Courtney Walsh endorsed the change in leadership.

“The selection panel felt that it was time to make the change. We figured the timing was right with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup coming up early next year, if we were thinking of making any changes now would be the best time so that we give the new captain a couple of series under her belt before she enters into a World Cup,” Walsh said.

“Hayley Matthews is young, she has longevity in the game, and she can lead the team for a longer time to get the experience and we are here to support her. For us it’s a win-win as we will have Stafanie to concentrate on her best cricket and passing on guidance to Hayley as she grows in the role of taking the team forward.”

Hayley Matthews expressed her pride and gratitude in the appointment.

“I am both humbled and honored to be given the opportunity to Captain the West Indies Women’s Team. It is definitely an exhilarating feeling and I welcome the experience to lead and learn with open arms,” she said.

“This team has been very close to my heart from the beginning of my professional career eight years ago and the influence of Stafanie’s leadership throughout those eight years has played a major role in the player I am today. I eagerly anticipate working with the players to continue building on the progress in which the team has made thus far.

“I would like to thank Stafanie for her astounding leadership of the team over the years. We’ve accomplished some of our biggest milestones with her at the forefront and I look forward to continuing playing alongside her.”

Matthews and Taylor have both been among the best players for West Indies. In her career, Taylor has scored 5,298 runs in 145 One-Day Internationals and 3,121 runs in 111 T20 Internationals. She has also taken 152 wickets in ODIs and 98 in T20Is. Matthews, like Taylor is a right-handed top-order batter and off-break bowler. She has an impressive international record with 1,764 runs and 78 wickets in 69 ODIs, and 1,055 runs and 58 wickets in 61 T20Is.