Fastest centurion in T20, West Indies' Deandra Dottin warns teams that she's hungry for more ahead of the opening encounter against hosts today
As hosts India take on West Indies (placed fifth in the tournament) in the opening game of the January 31 to February 17 ICC Women’s World Cup at the Brabourne Stadium today, West Indies batswoman Deandra Dottin looks to make the most of it.
WI’s Deandra Dottin celebrates her unbeaten century during the T20 World Cup match against SA at Warner Park in St Kitts on May 5, 2010. PIC/Getty Images
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The 22-year-old holds the world record for the fastest century in a Twenty20 International — by a man or woman. The milestone came off just 38 balls against South Africa in 2010 during the ICC Women’s World T20. She hopes to accumulate as many runs in the World Cup and aims to break into the top five batswoman in the world.
Gibson’s cousin
“I have scored runs but never been consistent. I like the way Indian captain Mithali Raj bats. She is calm and composed. My aim is to break into the top five by the end of this year. One of my goals is to score the most runs in the World Cup, but the overall goal is to win the tournament for West Indies,” said Dottin, the cousin of former West Indies player Ottis Gibson, who was part of the Caribbean team which figured in the 1996 World Cup here.
Dottin said that her cricketing dreams wouldn’t have become a reality had it not been for mother Melva’s efforts. “Having Gibson as my cousin doesn’t make my life any easy. We hardly meet, but keep in touch via text messages. I lost my father Harvey in 2001. It’s my mother who took up the job of a security guard to fulfill my cricketing needs. She has sacrificed a lot to make sure that I get what I want. “My dream is to earn enough money so that I can afford to buy a ticket for my mother to come and see me play,” she said.
Inspired by Sir Viv
The West Indies all-rounder is thoroughly inspired by West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards. “I used to love watching Sir Viv on television. I grew up playing roadside cricket and it was great to see the way he played.
“I didn’t realise back then that someday I would be fortunate enough to represent the West Indies. When I started to play I tried to do everything the way he did it,” said Dottin, who also represented Barbados in athletics and football before she made the switch to cricket.
Her favourite film is ‘Fire in Babylon’, which brings to focus how West Indies became world-beaters from mere entertainers. “Whenever I watch Fire in Babylon, I feel inspired and proud. I can watch it a thousand times and still not be tired,”
she signed off.u00a0
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