The music of the islands she represents helped Deandra Dottin prepare for her West Indies return.
The all-rounder initially announced her retirement in 2022 but reversed her decision ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
During her time away from the international stage, the sounds of dancehall and reggae were what occupied Dottin’s time and gave her a chance to reflect.
“I have missed playing international cricket and playing in the maroon,” the 33-year-old said.
“It is always a good feeling but sometimes as players, we might think that there is nothing wrong but deep down inside, something is happening.
“Many of us deal with things differently, some speak to psychologists, some take breaks, some listen to music and stuff.
“That break did a lot in terms of mentally helping me to deal with things better.
“It was good to have a lot of time on my hands, but it did feel strange, not being in the international set-up anymore but I used it to relax, have the muscles and brain relax and not think about cricket.
“You are usually just on that rollercoaster, just thinking about cricket and batting and bowling and stuff like that.
“I tried to do different stuff that is not cricket focused, and that didn’t have stress. I just played games, listened to music, just did the natural, normal stuff.”
Dottin spent her time away from the international scene in Canada, finding a peace there that prompted to feel ready to come back to the world stage.
And she showed no signs of rustiness, scoring two half-centuries during a West Indies camp to see her selected for the 2024 World Cup.
It is the tournament where she made her name, scoring the first women’s T20I century in the 2010 edition before helping the Windies claim a stunning win in 2016.
Now, it becomes the scene of her return, and it will see not just a different Dottin but a different West Indies.
However, she believes they will approach the tournament in the same way they did eight years ago.
She added: “I deal with things, especially mentally, on a different level.
“I try to create a stronger mentality where I control what I can control and what I can’t control. I forget about it and let God deal with it. It has made me a better person than I was before.
“There is a difference in the whole team too, the management staff and the players are all on the same level.
“They are executing their plans and have created a different culture and actually think it is in a good mental space, their determination and hunger is really there.
“It will mean a lot to compete at a World Cup again, I will have some nerves coming back but it will feel really awesome.
“In this World Cup, every team wants to win it, and we are the ones that are hungry and determined to do it.
“So, I think that once we stick to the basics and execute our plans then there is no stopping us.”
