West Indies women to tour Europe

West Indies women are set to embark on a 12-match tour of Europe from June 21 to July 14 which includes tours to Ireland, the Netherlands and England. The matches in Ireland and the Netherlands include a series of one-dayers and Twenty20 internationals while the England leg consists of two one-dayers only.

The squad will undergo a training camp in Barbados from June 18-20 before departing for Ireland. The Ireland trip, which commences on June 24, includes three one-dayers and a Twenty20. The Netherlands tour, starting July 1, consists of an additional one-dayer and a Twenty20. They finally proceed to England before departing on July 14.

Commenting on the tour, Tony Howard, the chief cricket operations officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, said it was an opportunity for the team to show their ability at the international stage.

"We have what we believe is a very good team," Howard said. "This tour is not just about winning but trying to give our players some much needed exposure. It is also another avenue for young women in the Caribbean to excel and prove their worth on the global stage."

The forthcoming tour will be valuable to their preparations for the Women's World Cup in Australia early next year. They incidentally haven't played an official one-dayer since 2005, when they beat South Africa 2-1 in a three-match series. They were placed fifth at the 2005 World Cup in South Africa.