ICC Women's World Cup: Stafanie Taylor, the catalyst behind the fearless approach of West Indies
The undying love and immense passion for the game of cricket ensure that millions of people all over the world take up this sport to follow their dream. Many cricketing pundits are often heard saying in the commentary box that you must enjoy the game, and the results will slowly yet steadily follow. However, the major issue that arises from this cliche is that can it be possible to play the game without any pressure and just go with the flow at the international stage?
With a stadium packed to capacity and the expectations of the fans back home, there will undoubtedly be enormous pressure on the players who take the field. But, there is one team that has incorporated this fearless attitude within their game and have changed the outlook of the people towards this sport by adding their Caribbean flavour.
And, the results in the world arena is a proof of the massive dividends yielded by the West Indian cricket by adopting this culture as they won the Under-19 World Cup and followed it up with the World Cup title in the shortest format of the game for both men and women.
Most improved team in the women’s circuit
The standard of the women’s cricket has improved drastically over the past decade or so with the emergence of the young and dynamic West Indian team. The ladies from the Caribbean have evolved their game leaps and bounds to become one of the formidable outfits in the women’s cricket.
Despite their recent success on the international stage, not many people are aware of the fact that there is one person, Stafanie Taylor, who is entirely responsible for the fast growth and development of these bunch of youngsters. With Taylor at the helm, the Windies cricket has undergone a stupendous revolution of sorts with thousands of young girls taking up the sport to emulate their role model.
In the early part of the 21st century, cricket was always going to be a difficult option for Taylor citing the lack of facilities on offer in Jamaica, but that did not deter the youngster to pursue her passion for the game.
Rise of Stafanie Taylor
With not many women-centric clubs in her hometown, she started practising amongst the boys at the nearby ground. After plenty of bruises and scars due to the rapid pace of the bowlers in the nets, a 17-year-old Taylor was all set to make her maiden appearance for the national side.
The attacking right-handed batter was included in the touring party for the series against Ireland and made her debut in the first match of the competition on 24th June 2008 at Dublin. Unfortunately for her, the first outing in the national colours did not pan out according to plan as she was dismissed early in the innings in pursuit of a relatively small target of 90 runs.
ICC accolade
The failure in the opening encounter did not dampen the hopes of the teenager who vowed to return stronger in the following matches. And three days later, not only did she come back to her scoring zone but did so with some vigour by smashing 90 runs off just 49 balls against the same opposition in the shortest format of the game. The knock announced the arrival of the destructive batter at the international circuit and compelled the cricket frenzy fans to take notice of the talent emerging from the Caribbean.
The runs started flowing from her willow, and it was hardly a matter of time before she recorded the magical three-figure mark. In a league match against South Africa in October 2009, Taylor scored an unbeaten 108 runs to guide her team to a comprehensive five-wicket victory.
The year 2010 was the turning point in her cricketing career as she scored 390 runs in just five innings with an average of 97.50 at the ICC Women's Cricket Challenge to single-handedly shoulder the hope of the West Indian outfit.
The batting prowess and the exploits at the international circuit resulted in Taylor being named as the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the year. The award marked the beginning of a new era in the history of West Indian cricket and the tournament was just a snippet of great things to follow.
The elusive World Cup title
After taking over the reins of the national side from Merissa Aguilleira in the year 2015, Taylor’s performances scaled to greater heights as she often led the team from the front with her dominant displays.
The 2016 edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup was the actual test for Taylor, first as a captain and then as a key member of the West Indian squad. She not only carried the burden of her nation successfully but also performed exceedingly well throughout the tournament to guide the West Indian team to their first ever title on the women’s arena.
The journey from the early days of the competition till the final frontier was filled with jitters, but Taylor tackled all the hiccups with a cool head over her shoulder, and along with her young bunch of fearless players, she etched her name in the history of women's cricket.
The summit clash of this iconic tournament was staged at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata just before the men’s showdown. Chasing 149 runs to win the coveted title, Taylor along with a 19-year-old Healy Matthews walked in to take centre stage against the mighty Aussies.
The Australian team was gunning for their fourth successive World T20 title and were the firm favourites to win the mega event before the start of the final. However, the West Indian skipper had other ideas as she anchored the run-chase and scored a match-defining half century to help her side achieve the rare feat.
Just as Deandra Dottin scored the winning runs, the West Indies players erupted in joy and so did the men’s team as they jumped the boundary cushions and danced to the centre to congratulate the women’s team.
And as they rallied together at the Eden Gardens for their famous champion jig, the world of cricket too joined in the celebrations as it marked a new chapter in the history of women’s cricket with Taylor at the forefront.