Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 05/Sep 19:03

‘Disappointed’ Hayley Matthews ruled out WCPL due to surgery

THE 2025 edition of the Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) has been hit a huge blow as West Indies skipper and Barbados Royals star Hayley Matthews has revealed she will miss this year's tournament because of surgery. The 2025 WCPL bowls off with a clash between Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium, Guyana from 2 pm on September 6. On September 5, Matthews, the leading women's T20 allrounder in international cricket, announced she will be in Guyana solely as a spectator. "I'm super disappointed to have to announce that I'll be missing out on the WCPL this year. Unfortunately, I've had to bring forward a planned surgery, not being able to be at my best for the start of the competition," Matthews said, via an Instagram video which was shared via CPL's and Barbados Royal's official accounts. "I'm just super disappointed to be missing out in that aspect," said Matthews, who was named Player of the Tournament in the 2024 edition after the Royals won their second successive title. "However, I do have a chance to head down to Guyana and interact with some of the girls, interact with the teams but also to engage with you fans coming out and supporting the competition. Everyone knows who I'm backing, Barbados Royals to go three from three." The 27-year-old Matthews injured her left shoulder in a One-Day International (ODI) against England in May. She subsequently featured for the Windies against South Africa in ODI and T20 series in June and had planned to undergo surgery after the WCPL. She also featured for Welsh Fire in the Women's Hundred tourney which concluded on August 31. She scored 133 runs in eight innings at an average of 19 and was one of the tournament's leading wicket-takers with 14 wickets and an economy of 6.08. In the 2023 WCPL finale against Guyana, Matthews earned the Player of the Match award after scoring 82 off 59 balls and snaring figures of two for 38 to help her team to a nervy eight-run victory. This year will be the fourth staging of the WCPL competition which started in 2022 and will be held from September 6-17 at Providence Stadium. The three competing teams are the Royals, Amazon Warriors and 2022 champs TKR. For the 2025 season, the WCPL show will have to go on without its biggest star. The post ‘Disappointed’ Hayley Matthews ruled out WCPL due to surgery appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.