By Tapiwa Chawagarira
The Zimbabwe Women are set for a historic six-match white-ball series against the West Indies Women, as the first bilateral meeting between the two sides in any format is scheduled to begin at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.
The tour will begin with three One-Day Internationals on September 24, 27, and 30, all of which will count toward the ICC Women’s Championship. The teams will then switch to the T20 format, playing three matches at Takashinga Cricket Club on October 3, 5, and 7.
The series comes at a crucial stage in Zimbabwe’s Women’s Championship campaign. The hosts are currently 10th in the standings after losing all six of their matches in the current cycle, while the West Indies occupy fifth place with four wins from nine games.
The West Indies will arrive in Harare after a 3-0 ODI series sweep over Ireland, while Zimbabwe have had a busy international schedule, which has included Championship assignments in New Zealand and Pakistan, as well as their ongoing home T20I series against South Africa.
The West Indies have named a 15-player squad for the tour, with Hayley Matthews set to captain the side in the ODI series before taking personal leave and missing the T20I leg. Veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin will also miss the tour for personal reasons.
Eboni Brathwaite has been brought into the squad in place of Dottin, while Chinelle Henry returns after recovering from the injury that kept her out of the ODI tour of Ireland.
West Indies coach Shane Deitz said the unfamiliar conditions in Zimbabwe would present a challenge while allowing younger players to establish themselves at the international level.
“They are a side we haven’t played often, and in their conditions, there will be some challenges,” Deitz said.
For Zimbabwe, the three ODIs provide an opportunity to collect valuable Championship points while facing a West Indies side that brings recent international momentum into the series.
The opening ODI is scheduled for Thursday at Harare Sports Club, with the second and third matches following on Sunday and September 30, before the T20I leg begins in October.
