EXPERIENCED all-rounder Stacy-Ann King is clear in her mind what she wants to achieve when the West Indies play in the ICC Women’s Challenge in South Africa.
The 27-year-old left-handed batsman, who also bowls left-arm medium-pace, wants to be part of a winning team and she is willing to do what is required to drive the team to victory.
King has been playing at the international level for close to three years and with 27 ODIs and 19 Twenty20 Internationals under her belt, she is one of the most experienced members of the squad.
She is fully aware she has a key role to play.
“We are going to the tournament ranked in fifth place [in the ICC rankings] we want to maintain that position, so clearly that would mean we have to win the tournament down in South Africa,” King said.
The ICC Women’s Challenge is for the teams ranked from No. 5 to No. 10.
“My overall goal as a player is to continue where I left off in the West Indies Cricket Board’s 50-over league in August,” King said.
“I want to continue to occupy the crease for long periods and build a good score for the team.
“I know I have an important role to play in the middle-order. Also, as a senior player, I might be called on to offer whatever advice I can to the captain and other team-mates.”
During the camp in Barbados, King worked with Ottis Gibson, the head coach of the West Indies team, who joined the women at various stages during their training sessions.
She said it was a great opportunity to get some new ideas, especially on her bowling.
“During the camp I got to speak to Ottis Gibson about my bowling and he offered some great advice. We discussed my run up and he suggested that everything was OK, but the aim is to get the ball in the right areas and let it do the work. It was just a short period, but he offered some very useful tips,” she said.
“The camp was very good. I got to work on both in my bowling and my batting so overall it was a productive period.
“My preparations for this tour started before while I was back in Trinidad so the camp was a continuation of what I started before. I’m hoping that the hard work will pay off when I go on tour.”
