Stafanie Taylor: A 24-year-old leader who made West Indies and Cricket proud

Stafanie Taylor: A 24-year-old leader who made West Indies and Cricket proud

Cricket is a team game. However, there are instances when one cannot deny that a single person should be credited for the team’s success. It is even more compelling when a cricketer as young as 24 does it. Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies Women skipper, has become a household name at the end of ICC Women’s World T20 2016, at least in the Caribbean. There are surely very few players in cricket who can toggle between batting, bowling, fielding and leadership with seamless ease, and excel in all divisions. They do not let even one of those criteria go for toss for the sake of the other. And Stafanie is surely counted among that rare bunch. Australian skipper Meg Lanning is another example, but Stafanie outdoes her counterparts across the world with her all-round skills. Full Cricket Scorecard: Australia Women vs West Indies Women, Final match, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2016

West Indies Women faced Pakistan Women in their opening match of World T20 2016. Four West Indians were dismissed for single-digit scores (including three ducks), but Stafanie stepped up with a top-score of 40 from 48 balls. She stayed at the crease for more than half of their innings before falling to Pakistan’s best bowler, Anam Amin. While she failed to provide a breakthrough, she was the most economical bowler with 16 runs in 4 overs. West Indies won that contest by 4 runs.

West Indies next faced Bangladesh Women, and the crowd witnessed another gem from the West Indian skipper. She found support from her opening partner Hayley Matthews, and the duo went on to put 67 runs on board for the first wicket before the latter was dismissed. They set 149, and Stafanie reserved her best for the second innings when she ran through the opposition with figures of 3 for 13 from 3 overs. She had done the job once again.

The West Indians did face a defeat in World T20 2016.

England Women were the only team to beat the eventual champions in the group stage. The No. 2 team, that probably have the best bowlers in the shortest format, dominated West Indies Women completely in the game. Even Stafanie, who had been fighting the odds to always come up with a remarkable knock, struggled to score runs freely. That was the only time in the tournament when Stafanie’s strike-rate was below 90.  However, she ensured the side left the defeat behind and made their way forward to the next level of the tournament.

West Indies faced India next in a must-win match. Barring Stafanie, the top- and middle-orders failed again, once again putting the skipper in a ‘must-perform’ situation. She did not disappoint. She top scored, again. She set up the game for the bowlers, again. The only difference in that match was she was expensive with ball, and did not come into action after bowling 2 overs. The decision proved to be correct, as West Indies Women won by a whisker. READ: Women’s World T20 2016 XI: Stafanie Taylor, Charlotte Edwards and others

However, the best of Stafanie was reserved for the two-most important matches of West Indies Women in this edition of World T20 — the semi-final and their maiden final. She did not succumb to the immense pressure that was on her prior to these fixtures. She was the pick of the team that had performed consistently and that automatically raised the bar of expectations on her.

Just when the downfall of West Indies cricket was well visible due to the political scenario in the board and their bad situation with the players, the future generation, in other words, the Under-19 boys gave a hope of reviving cricket in their country when they won their first-ever ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup earlier in 2016. West Indies Women were just two wins away from strengthening that hope.

The entire country hoped Stafanie to pull off something special. Her performance in the two crucial matches would be crucial if the women wanted to emulate the boys. New Zealand Women managed to dismiss Stafanie for 25 runs, but she had her revenge: her 3 for 26 from 4 overs, including both Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite, who were threatening to take the match away from West Indies. It was the first defeat the White Ferns encountered in the tournament.

The Australians almost had the game in pocket when they posted 148 in the intense final. It was the highest-ever total in a World T20 final, and chasing it down required West Indies Women to be at their best. What followed next was near-unbelievable: Stafanie and Hayley ripped apart the Southern Stars with their first-wicket stand of 120 runs. The scoring of runs was flawless and seemed so effortless that one could just wonder what had happened to the three-times defending champions, Australia Women.

West Indies Women lifted their maiden Women’s World T20 trophy, beating Australia by 8 wickets. A bold team, led by a confident Stafanie, fought all the odds to end a dominant Australian streak in the T20s. The likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo and others were seen running into the field to celebrate with their countrywomen showing some moves of their Champions Dance. The same celebration was repeated when these men lifted the trophy that night. But it was the first time for the women, it was the first time for a young and sharp skipper, Stafanie. She ensured the West Indies Cricket stayed alive. WICB should be forced to make peace with the players and start all over again.

Thank you, Stafanie, for all the entertainment.

(Sakshi Gupta, reporter with CricketCountry, is a sports fanatic whose mantra in life is “do only what you enjoy.” Her Twitter handle is @sakshi2929)