West Indies Women begin eight-week camp ahead of gruelling 2026

The West Indies Women’s senior squad has commenced an intensive eight-week training camp in Antigua, marking the start of their preparation for a demanding 2026 calendar that culminates in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.

Approximately 20 senior squad members gathered on October 20 for the foundational camp, which is designed to build the capacity required to sustain performance across a schedule featuring six international tours, 15 ODIs, and a Test match.

Head Coach Shane Deitz underlined the singular importance of this training window, emphasizing that fitness and individual development would be non-negotiable elements in the drive to secure a second T20 World Cup title.

“We only get this one opportunity to do this training period, and what we do now will determine our success next year,” Deitz stated. “One area we’ve got to get right is our strength and conditioning and team fitness. We need fast, athletic, and robust cricketers who can play the style of cricket we want, entertain the crowds, put on a massive show, and win lots of games.”

The camp is built around three core pillars: strength and conditioning, individual skill refinement, and fostering strong team culture and leadership. Small-group coaching is implemented to provide tailored attention, while Mental Skills Performance Coach Nadine Sammy oversees efforts to unify team goals.

The squad’s demanding international calendar for 2026 includes:

• February: Hosting Sri Lanka (home series).
• March-April: Hosting Australia in an all-format series.
• May: Tri-series in Ireland, followed by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
• July: Bilateral ODI series in Ireland.
• September-October: White-ball tour against Zimbabwe.
• December: Hosting Pakistan (white-ball series).

The Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, noted that the camp represents an “intentional investment” in high performance across the regional setup.

The intensive training in Antigua is scheduled to conclude the week of December 8.

After that, players will return to their territories for the Christmas period before the busy season officially begins. (Modified CWI Press Release)