DEANDRA Dottin has come out of international retirement and made herself available for
West Indies selection once again, nearly two years after her sudden decision to quit while
leading Barbados in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The development is a boost for West Indies ahead of the Women’s
T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October this year.
Representing West Indies in international cricket has always been a matter of great
pride and passion for me,” Dottin, 33, said in a letter to Cricket West Indies (CWI) that was
part of the board’s statement. “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.
“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.”
CWI welcomed Dottin’s decision. “Deandra is a
player of immense ability and experience,” CWI
director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “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.”
When Dottin announced her retirement in August
2022, citing a “non-conducive” environment within
the West Indies set-up, she had played 143 ODIs
(3727 runs at an average of 30.54) and 124 T20Is
(2697 runs). She holds the record for the fastest
century in women’s T20Is – a 38-ball hundred
against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World
Cup. She also has 72 wickets in ODIs and 62
in T20Is.
“It has a lot to do with the board, how
they handle stuff and how they handle
players and how they actually speak to
players,” Dottin said in August 2022 about
her decision to retire. “Certain people take
things different, 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.
Dottin was active on the T20 league circuit
after her retirement but hasn’t been in
competitive action since September 2023.
She will lead the Trinbago Knight Riders
team in the upcoming women’s Caribbean
Premier League, ahead of a West Indies
camp in August in the lead up to the T20
World Cup.