Prior to the team's upcoming series, Stafanie Taylor will be replaced as the West Indies Women's team captain by Hayley Matthews. The Women's Selection Panel proposed the leadership change, and the Cricket West Indies Board of Directors approved it on June 24.
Taylor's lengthy leadership of the team, which saw West Indies win the T20 World Cup in 2016 and get to the semifinals of the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, may come to an end as a result. In T20Is, Taylor led West Indies for the first time in 2012, while in ODIs, she took the helm for the first time in 2013.
Speaking about the captaincy change, Courtney Walsh, the team's head coach, said: "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. 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."
"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," said Matthews