Dottin returns to West Indies duty
Barbadian female cricketer Deandra Dottin has made herself available for West Indies selection ahead of the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
The 33-year-old shocked the cricketing world two years ago when she suddenly announced her decision to retire from international cricket while captaining Barbados during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England.
In a letter to Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dottin penned her recommitment to West Indies cricket earlier today. She said, “Representing the West Indies in international cricket has always been a matter of great pride and passion for me. After a period of reflection and thoughtful dialogue with various parties within Cricket West Indies, including Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow, I am pleased to inform you that I am eager to return to the game that I love and contribute my utmost to the West Indies women’s team across all formats, with immediate effect.”
She continued, “I am confident that my experience, maturity, and skills will add value to the team as it has done in the past, and I am prepared to furnish my best efforts in every match and training session to ensure the team’s winning trajectory in international cricket. Moreover, I am enthusiastic about mentoring younger players and contributing to the overall development of women’s cricket in our region.”
Director of Cricket for CWI Miles Bascombe welcomed Dottin’s U-turn, believing her presence to be important to the squad’s chances moving forward. “We are pleased with her decision to return to international cricket and be eligible for selection. There is no doubt that she could add significant value to the West Indies Women’s teams.”
In August 2022, the Barbadian all-rounder cited a “non-conducive environment” within the West Indies setup as the reason for her decision to end her international cricket. Her explanation at the time was, “It has a lot to do with the board, how they handle stuff, how they handle players, and how they actually speak to players. Certain people take things differently, so it is a lot of work that West Indies Cricket will need to be done, and I think they need to do it as fast as possible because it’s not going to end well for West Indies Cricket or cricket in the Caribbean.”
By that time, she had played 143 One Day Internationals, scoring 3,727 runs at an average of 30.54, as well as 127 T20Is in which she has scored 2,697 runs. Dottin still holds the record for the fastest century in Women’s T20Is, a 38-ball century against South Africa at the 2010 T20 World Cup.
Her first match back for the Women in Maroon will likely be in September when West Indies Women face India Women in a T20 World Cup warm-up match in Savar, Bangladesh. (JC)
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