By Brandon Corlette
At age 18, Guyana’s Under 19 female captain, Shabika Gajnabi remains on the radar for selection in West Indies Women’s team. In 2018, she gained selection in the West Indies Women’s training squad ahead of the Stand-alone ICC Women’s World T20.
She continued her outstanding performances at both the junior and senior levels for Guyana and she is in the current training squad that will tour Ireland and England in May/June 2019.
Born on July 14, 2000, Shabika Gajnabi hails from the humble village of Chesney but she is a current player for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC).
Gajnabi was inspired by her father to play the game of cricket and she has never looked back.
The blooming cricketing talent, Gajnabi attended the Port Mourant Secondary School; she lived a dream of becoming an international player, representing West Indies Women’s.
That dream is on the brink of reality as she is seen as one of the supreme talents in the Caribbean. Gajnabi dominated the recently concluded Regional U-19 Female tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.
A clean hitter of the cricket ball, Gajnabi was one of three Guyanese to make the Regional team of the tournament on the back of some stellar performances. The right-handed batter, Gajnabi hit 52 from 48 balls against hosts, Trinidad and Tobago following her 57 against Jamaica. Bowling her right arm medium, Gajnabi had 3-13 against Barbados U-19s and 2-15 against Canada.
In the Senior Women’s tournament, the teenager played a significant role in Guyana’s team. She was one of two batters to aggregate 100 runs in the Super50 tournament behind her Berbice team-mate, Shemaine Campbelle; Gajnabi scored 136 runs and picked up one player of the match award against the Leeward Islands.
On her quest to wear the maroon colours and represent West Indies Women’s, Gajnabi admires the current captain of the Caribbean side, Stafanie Taylor.
When asked the reason behind this choice, Gajnabi stated “I just like everything she does in cricket her captaincy, her bowling, and most importantly, her batting.
My dream is to one day bat like her”. Playing at both levels for Guyana, Gajnabi’s most successful batting performance came in the Female Inter-county tournament in 2019. The belligerent right-hander blasted a high score of 160 against Essequibo in a match played at Everest Cricket Club. Her best bowling performance was 4-12 in four overs.
Equipped with such talent, the humble being will certainly break into the West Indies Women’s team. With age on her side, she will be the next product this nation has produces that will play cricket at the highest level.
