St. John's (Antigua), March 13 : Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced womenâ??s squad for the T20I series against Australia, set to take place from March 19â??23 at Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The West Indies will use the same 15 players that were in action during their recent T20I series against Sri Lanka.

The squad blends proven match-winners with exciting young talent. Senior stars Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, and captain Hayley Matthews bring experience and firepower, while wicketkeeper-batter Shemaine Campbelle stands on the verge of a milestone, expected to earn her 150th T20 International cap during the series.

Emerging prospects Eboni Brathwaite (17) and Jahzara Claxton (19) add youthful energy as the West Indies look to challenge Australiaâ??s dominance and build momentum in a pivotal year of white-ball cricket.

The series forms a key part of the teamâ??s build-up to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup later this year in the United Kingdom, offering the perfect opportunity for the regional side to test their strength against one of the gameâ??s most dominant teams.

Head Coach Shane Deitz welcomed the opportunity to face the worldâ??s best in Caribbean conditions.

â??We're really excited about the opportunity to play the number one ranked ODI and T20 team in the world. It's just before the World Cup, so it's a great opportunity to see where we are in our preparation. Playing against the best team in the world, we can see where our deficiencies are and where things are working well as we look forward to the tournament in June in England," Deitz said.

â??It's going to be a very tough series, but the players are up for the challenge. We haven't played them in a competitive match since October 2023, so it'll be good to see the progression of the team since that last meeting, namely in how much we've improved in certain areas and where we still need to improve moving forward," he added.

Following the T20Is, the teams will travel to Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis for a three-match ODI series.

West Indies squad: Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry, Aaliyah Alleyne, Eboni Brathwaite, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Shawnisha, Hector, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor

/IANS