St John’s, Antigua: West Indies women’s cricketers Anisa Mohammed, Shakera Selman, Kycia Knight and Kyshona Knight have confirmed their retirement from international cricket.
Mohammed and Selman both served as vice-captains during their 20- and 18-year careers respectively, all players recently communicated their decisions to Cricket West Indies (CWI).
Mohammed made her debut for the West Indies Women in 2003 at the age of 15 against Japan Women in an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in the Netherlands. Her last match was against Australia Women in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in March 2022.
She played 141 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 117 T20 Internationals (T20Is). She took 180 ODI wickets, with a career best of 7-14 against Pakistan. She took 125 T20I wickets and in 2016 she became the first cricketer (male or female) to take 100 T20I wickets. She also has the distinction of being the first West Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in a Women’s T20I. She was a member of the West Indies Women’s team which won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India in 2016.
In her announcement, Mohammed said: “The last 20 years have been truly amazing. I have enjoyed every single minute of it. The highs and the lows. I believe the time has come for me to step away from the game and allow the young players to live their dreams as I have lived mine. I was privileged enough to step onto the field wearing my maroon 258 times in my career. I have represented West Indies in five (5) ODI World Cups and seven (7) T20 World Cups. To my fellow teammates, thank you for all the love and respect shown to me during my time with you. You’ll have made my journey a memorable experience. I would also like to thank WI, coaches, managers, and medical staff for believing in me and always ensuring I was in the best possible place to represent the West Indies. To my fans, it has been an honor representing you over the last 20 years. The love, support, encouragement, and respect from you’ll gave me the motivation to keep doing what love most.”
Selman started her international career against Ireland Women in Dublin in 2008 and quickly established herself as a key member of the West Indies Women’s team. She played 100 ODIs taking 82 wickets and 96 T20Is taking 51wickets. Selman was also a member of the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup winning squad.
In a heartfelt statement, Shakera Selman said: “This marks my final bow after 18 incredible years. I am proud of playing with and against legends, and lucky to have dismissed a few. My aim was always to inspire and assist others in their dreams. I owe immense gratitude to God, my supportive family and friends, and to CWI, my teammates, and the medical and management teams for their unwavering guidance. To the fans, your support has been my motivation. As I transition to the next phase of my career, I look forward to continuing to share my passion for the game in new ways.”
The Knight twins Kycia and Kyshona made their debuts for West Indies Women in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Kycia a left-handed wicketkeeper/batter holds the record for the most dismissals in Women’s T20I innings with 5, as well as the most stumpings in an innings of 4 and tied for most catches in an innings also with 4. She played 87 Odis, amassing 1327 runs and played 70 T20Is, scoring 801 runs. Kyshona played 51 ODIs, scoring 851 runs and played 55 T20Is, scoring 546 runs.
In their announcement, the Knights said: “As this marks the end of an enjoyable and amazing journey, we would like to take this time to thank our family, friends, teammates & supporters for the continued love and support throughout the years. None of this would’ve been possible without the support and love from you guys and for that we are forever grateful. Lastly, thank you to CWI for the opportunities granted and memories that will be forever cherished”.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe paid tribute to the four cricketers: “Anisa, Shakera, Kycia and Kyshona have had all made significant individual impacts on women’s cricket the West Indies and the world. Their dedication, skill, and sportsmanship have not only elevated our team but also captivated cricket fans worldwide. Their legacies, as members of the title-winning ICC Women’s T20 World Cup squad of 2016 and individual milestones, will continue to influence and guide future generations to aspire to wear the Maroon.”
Mohammed, Selman, Kycia and Kyshona Knight were all part of the West Indies Women victorious ICC Women’s T20 World Cup winning squad of 2016 in India.
(IANS)
