Chinelle Henry sends thoughts and prayers to Jamaica after being drafted by the Heat for the coming WBBL season.
Chinelle Henry sends thoughts with Jamaica ahead of first WBBL season.
Inspired by the great sprint queens of Jamaica and considering her fellow countrymen affected by Hurricane Melissa, Chinelle Henry, the first WBBL draftee of the Brisbane Heat, has promised to play up to her big-hitting reputation.
The 30-year-old, who was chosen by the Heat to offer big-hitting and medium pace in the late innings, aspires to emulate West Indies teammates Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin in making waves in Australia.
At least 28 people died as a result of the devastating winds and storms that destroyed homes and businesses in Jamaica while Henry was training in Antigua before taking a plane to Australia via Miami.
“Every time I pick up my phone .. it’s the first thing I see and there’s not really much I can do but send support,” Henry said on arrival in Brisbane on Monday, ahead of Sunday’s season opener.
“It’s a really hard time for people in Jamaica who’ve lost a lot due to this hurricane and now it’s about how we regroup as a country.”
Henry acknowledges that picking cricket over football or track and field was the “correct choice” and has played 57 ODIs and 65 T20Is for the West Indies.
However, the former sprinter has been impacted by her nation’s sprint heroes just as much as its cricket players, including Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
“Track and field … that was my first love,” she said. “But dad was always playing and just dragging me along and somewhere along the way it developed. I’m really proud to be here today [representing Jamaica].”
She expects India’s title on home soil to supercharge the women’s game and has faith West Indian cricket can rise again.
“Every time we have a game or series, that’s the first comment,” she said when asked to assess the state of the game in her country. “Our cricket’s not what it used to be [but] every time we put on that maroon we fight for the badge.
“It’s about trusting and believing in the process to getting back to that team that everyone was so used to talking about.”