In prime form, few would argue that West Indies Women all-rounder Shanel Daley was one of the brightest talents in the region and destined for great things.
In 70 One Day Internationals (ODIs) her total of 73 wickets puts her at third for the West Indies, behind Stafanie Taylor (142), top wicket-taker Anisha Mohammed (151), but ahead of noted all-rounder Deandre Dottin (69). An even closer look will tell you that Daley achieved her total in much fewer games, with Taylor achieving her total in 126, Mohammed in 122, and Dotin needing 117.
In 68 T20 internationals, the order is much the same, with Daley’s tally of 72 leaving her behind Taylor (94) and Mohammed (111) but above Dottin (61). Again, Daley’s wicket haul has come in fewer games.
With the bat, she has totaled a handy 1001 runs, which is 7th on the list but in fewer matches than everyone else above her, with the exception of specialist batsman Haley Matthews.
Things, however, began to go off track for Daley when she suffered a severe knee injury in 2015, which kept her out of the game for a year. She returned to the sport but never quite seemed to attain the same heights. Following the team’s disastrous showing at the 2017 50-over World Cup, in England, and the loss of her retainer contract, Daley had had enough.
“The World Cup in England, that was a rough, rough tournament. Prior to that tournament, I had just got back, I was trying to recover from my knee injury and all the other things that were happening,” Daley told The Commentators podcast.
“It was a rough tour and I thought about it (leaving the sport) based on everything that was happening…the injury was one of the biggest things that caused me to take some time for myself, maybe it was the right time, maybe it was the wrong time. It was based on how I was feeling mentally and emotionally about cricket, especially in the region, I felt like we weren’t moving forward,” she added.
“With the injury, I wondered what if this happened again, what am I going to do. I felt like an outcast sometimes, even though my teammates supported me to the best of their ability.”
After some time off, Daley, who also spoke up about her difficult battle with depression, is actively looking to get involved with the sport again, whether on or off the pitch. She is, however, discouraged by the lack of opportunity for women, especially when it comes to the Jamaica Cricket Association.
“At the end of the day, we are representing our country. As a female, I personally don’t feel appreciated by the board. When it comes on to women, it’s always some excuse or some other thing.”