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World T20 preview: West Indies

They claimed their maiden crown in 2016 and now the World T20 hosts are looking to go back to back

West Indies squad: Stafanie Taylor (c), Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Natasha Mclean, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman

Fixtures: 9 November v Bangladesh, 14 November v South Africa, 16 November v Sri Lanka, 18 v November v England

Best result: Champions (2016)

ICC ranking: 4th

The talking point: The reigning champions are out to defend their 2016 crown on home soil. They’re led by captain Stafanie Taylor, the world’s second-ranked T20I batter, and boast in their ranks one of the world's best T20 allrounders in Hayley Matthews alongside the big-hitting Deandra Dottin.

Taylor tears the Sixers apart

The star: Australians will be familiar with the ability of Windies skipper Taylor, who has been a key member of the Sydney Thunder line-up for three seasons now. Taylor is the world’s second-ranked T20I batter and it’s top-ranked allrounder and her record in the shortest form of the game speaks for itself: only New Zealand’s Suzie Bates has scored more T20I runs, while Taylor is seventh on the all-time wicket-takers list. How the 27-year-old fares on home soil will go a long way to determining how her team fares in their bid to retain the World T20 crown they claimed in 2016.

The one to watch: Matthews burst onto the international scene as a 16-year-old and while she initially drew attention for her abilities with the bat, she’s since proved she’s equally, if not more, damaging with her off-spin. She now sits third in the T20I bowling charts and has 33 T20Is to her name. A talented athlete who also excelled at track and field growing up, Matthews – who’s played for Hobart in the Rebel WBBL – starred in the Windies 2016 World T20 final victory over Australia and she’ll hope to produce more of the same this time in front of a local crowd.

High-five for awesome Matthews

The verdict: They won it in 2016 and this time, they’re on their home turf. Don’t be misled by their poor showing at last year’s 50-over World Cup, the Windies are a much different prospect in the shortest form of the game and they have plenty of firepower to drawn upon. In addition to Taylor and Matthews, the Windies have the raw power and canny bowling of big-hitting allrounder Deandra Dottin at their disposal, while no woman has taken more T20I wickets than veteran off-spinner Anisa Mohammed.

2018 ICC Women's World T20  

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

November 9: Australia v Pakistan, Province Stadium, Guyana

November 11: Australia v Ireland, Province Stadium

November 13: Australia v New Zealand, Province Stadium

November 17: Australia v India, Province Stadium

November 22: Semi-finals, Sir Vivian Richards Ground, Antigua

November 24: Final, Sir Vivian Richards Ground