Kyshona?Knight was on top of the world when she was called up among the 18 players for the ongoing West Indies women’s camp at the 3Ws Oval.
She said it was a “special” moment as she joined twin sister Kycia in the squad.
The sisters, aged 20, are the first twins to be named in a West Indies squad, and they are hoping to make the final cut for the visit by South Africa in January and the International Cricket Council Women’s World Cup in India in February.
The two are identical in many ways: they are both left-handed batters; they are both pursuing tertiary level studies in physical education; and both want to become school teachers.
“We enjoy each other’s company. She’s my best friend and I’m her best friend,” said Kyshona, who is the more forthcoming. “I’m so delighted to be in the West Indies camp and join my sister and the other girls.
“This is a step towards the dream we share. We have a dream that we would both play together in the West Indies team and do really well and it’s up to me now to force my way into the team.
“I’m excited to be here, but I’m not going to let the excitement get in the way of the hard work. The hard work will get me to the top.”
Kycia made her international debut a year ago when West Indies beat Pakistan in a home series and was a member of the squad which reached the semi-finals of the ICC World T20 Championship in Sri Lanka two months ago.
“Having her in the camp is really good for both of us. We have set high standards and we push each other to get better and do better,” said Kycia, who appears shy but thoughtful.
“In the evening after we leave training, we sit and talk about what happened during the day and see how we can improve the following day.”
The sisters are natural athletes and have represented Barbados in cricket, football and track and field. As schoolgirls they were part of the all-conquering Springer Memorial Secondary School athletics team. In one unforgettable race, they fnished one-two in the junior girls’ sprint hurdles.
They have both played football for the Barbados junior and senior teams.
In addition, Kycia represented the island in hurdles at the Central American & Caribbean Games for juniors, while Kyshona did field events at the CARIFTA Games.
The road to the Windies team has not been easy for Kyshona, who underwent resconstructive surgery on her right knee at the age of 16.
“I could not play any sports for over two years and it was a very tough time for me, but my sister was always there for me and she always helped to lift my spirits,” she said.
“It was a lot of pain and a lot of physical therapy, but I never let the dream die. After I recovered I tried to get back as fit as possible and she helped me at every stage.” (PR/EZS)
