Women’s CPL expands to four teams as Jamaica Empress join 2026 tournament

The competition’s first expansion franchise has finalized its local player group after the draft, marking a significant milestone for women’s cricket in the Caribbean.

Barbados Royals players celebrate with the Women's Caribbean Premier League trophy after winning the WCPL 2025 title

Source: CPL

LOCAL PLAYERS CONFIRMED FOR WCPL FOLLOWING DRAFT

The local player squads for the 2026 Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have now been confirmed following the completion of the Player Draft. The tournament will expand to four teams in 2026, with the Jamaica Empress joining the competition for the first time. The draft process was adjusted this year to accommodate the addition of the Jamaica Empress. As part of the process, each franchise was allocated one Heritage player from its home territory:

  • Barbados Tridents – Hayley Matthews
  • Jamaica Empress – Chinelle Henry
  • Guyana Amazon Warriors – Shemaine Campbelle
  • Trinbago Knight Riders – Karishma Ramharack

Following the allocation of these Heritage players, the three existing franchises were permitted to protect two additional players from their 2025 squads. Once that process was completed, the Jamaica Empress selected two players from the remaining draft pool. The players retained or selected during this stage were:

  • Barbados Tridents – Qiana Joseph, Afy Fletcher
  • Jamaica Empress – Stafanie Taylor, Aaliyah Alleyne
  • Guyana Amazon Warriors – Realeanna Grimmond, Ashmini Munisar
  • Trinbago Knight Riders – Deandra Dottin, Jahzara Claxton

Following the completion of the protected-player phase, the draft continued to finalize the local player component of each squad. Each franchise will also sign five overseas players, creating 15-player squads for the 2026 season. Under this year’s regulations, all five overseas players will be eligible for selection in the playing XI, providing franchises with greater flexibility in squad composition throughout the tournament. These overseas players will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The complete list of local players for 2026 is below:

Barbados TridentsJamaica Empress
Hayley MatthewsChinelle Henry
Qiana JosephStafanie Taylor
Afy FletcherAaliyah Alleyne
Shawnisha HectorRashada Williams
Shabika GajnabiZaida James
Mandy MangruDjenaba Joseph
Cherry-Ann FraserKate Wilmott
Naijanni CumberbatchCelina Whyte
Asabi CallenderAbigail Bryce
Amrita RamtahalShriya Jairam
Guyana Amazon WarriorsTrinbago Knight Riders
Shemaine CampbelleKarishma Ramharack
Realeanna GrimmondDeandra Dottin
Ashmini MunisarJahzara Claxton
Shamilia ConnellJannillea Glasgow
Eboni BrathwaiteSteffie Soogrim
Sheneta GrimmondEarnisha Fontaine
Chedean NationSamara Ramnath
Reniece BoyceAmeila Khan
Latoya WilliamsBrianna Harricharan
Tilleya MadramootooSainavi Kambalapalli

WCPL 2026 has a refreshed identity built around three core values: empowerment, the will to win and close community. These themes are captured in the league’s new creative platform, “She’s In”, which will be promoted through a dedicated advertising campaign across female-focused social media channels throughout the region.

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