Veteran quartet head contracts list, Boyce a surprise choice

Veteran quartet of Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Merissa Aguilleira and Anisa Mohammed headline a list of West Indies women’s players rewarded with retainer contracts by Cricket West Indies.
The seasoned campaigners, all of whom have already played in excess of 100 One-Day Internationals are among a relatively predictable list of 12 announced Monday.
With the Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for November in the Caribbean, the four players are expected to play a central role in the hosts’ title defence.
Twenty-year-old opener Hayley Matthews, one of the side’s leading batsmen, is among the list along with fast bowlers Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman.
Batman Shemaine Campbelle, who only returned to the international set-up for the ongoing South Africa series following a two-year spell in the wilderness, has also landed a contract.
However, Trinidadian Reniece Boyce has been included in the group despite a poor start to her international career that has seen her axed from the squad for the ongoing series against South Africa.
The 21-year-old played a single One-Day International in last year’s 50-overs World Cup in England and turned out in three Twenty20 Internationals on the tour of New Zealand last March, without mustering a score over 12 in three innings.
Meanwhile, the more experienced duo of Britney Cooper and Kycia Knight have both been overlooked.
West Indies are involved in a five-match T20 series against South Africa where they lead 2-0 after three matches. They drew the preceding three-match ICC Women’s Championship series 1-1 at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Contracts have been back-dated to run from July 1 until June 30, 2019.
CONTRACTED PLAYERS – Merissa Aguilleira, Reniece Boyce, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Akeira Peters, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor. (CANA Sports)