Deandra Dottin returns as West Indies squad for Women's T20 World Cup 2024 gets announced

West Indies Women's National Cricket Team have named their squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. What has caught the attention of many was Deandra Dottin has been included in the team for the tournament. This comes after she announced her retirement two years ago.

Deandra Dottin, who holds the record for the fastest century in women's T20Is, surprised many when she during the 2022 Commonwealth Games decided to retire. She stated a "non-conducive" environment within the West Indies set-up was the reason behind her decision.

Since then she has been playing in the T20 leagues and has been scoring runs consistently. Deandra then in a drastic turn of events took a U-turn and reversed her decision to retire last month, keeping an eye on the upcoming World Cup, which has been shifted from Bangladesh to UAE.

As she announced her decision to unretire, Cricket West Indies included her in the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. The governing body named a strong 15-member squad for the tournament. The team will be captained by Hayley Matthews and the team also features an uncapped player in Nerissa Crafton.

Deandra was last seen in action during the WCPL 2024. She ended the league stage as the leading run-getter with 113 runs in four innings at an average of 28.25 and a strike rate of 111.88. She was also the only batter to have hit more than two sixes this WCPL season as she took her team into the final.

Dottin played a vital hand for her team in the final of the tournament. She scored 53 off 38 balls against Guyana Amazon Warriors as the game went into the super over at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. In the super over, she slammed an unbeaten 13 off four balls as Trinbago Knight Riders won the tournament.

Here's the West Indies squad for the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup

Hayley Matthews (capt), Shermaine Campbelle, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton, Qiana Joseph, Shamila Connell, Stafanie Taylor, Zaida James

West Indians are excited to see Deandra Dottin back - Kishore Shallow, the CWI president

Kishore Shallow, the CWI president, talked about the squad for the Women’s T20 World 2024, saying that they have a combination of youth and experience in the team. Shallow also talked about the inclusion of Deandra Dottin and said that West Indians will be excited to see her back. Shallow elaborated:

"We have a nice mix of experience and youth. We have some players bordering [on] 19; I think Zaida [James] is still probably a teenager and one or two of the young players there. So, really happy with the mix.

"Also, I think, we all as West Indians are excited to see Deandra Dottin back. It has been a year of communication - back and forth - with Deandra, and I particularly want to recognise the involvement of Ann Browne-John who has led those conversations over the last year, even when she wasn't officially the selector. She was integral in Deandra coming out of retirement," Shallow concluded.