Hayden Walsh

Hayden Walsh is an Antiguan-American cricketer and leg-spinner, born in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. He began his international career representing the USA before joining the West Indian team. Cricket runs in his blood, with both his father and uncle having played first-class matches for the Leeward Islands.

Walsh made his first-class debut for the Leeward Islands during the 2011-12 Regional Four Day Competition, where he quickly showcased his talent by taking a four-wicket haul against Trinidad & Tobago in just his third match. His career took a significant turn when he was named in the United States squad for the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Oman. He made his ODI debut against Papua New Guinea in the tournament's third-place playoff and played his first T20I game for the United States against the United Arab Emirates.

In 2019, Walsh was included in the West Indies ODI and T20I squads for their series against Afghanistan in India, making his debut in both formats. The following year, he was set to make his Test debut against Bangladesh, but a positive Covid-19 test ruled him out. Despite this setback, Walsh made a significant impact in July 2021, taking his first five-wicket haul in ODIs and earning the Player of the Series title in the five-match T20I series against Australia by picking up 12 wickets.

After this memorable series, Walsh struggled to maintain his form in the Caribbean Premier League and for the West Indies, leading to limited success. He was selected for the 2021 T20 World Cup but failed to make a notable impact with the limited opportunities he received. It wasn't until the 2023 Super50 tournament that Walsh rediscovered his form, taking 20 wickets from 8 games for the runners-up Leeward Islands Hurricanes. He continued this strong performance in the American Premier League, claiming 16 scalps from 6 matches.

Walsh participated in a five-game T20 series during West Indies A's tour of Nepal, an audition for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Despite taking two three-wicket hauls, his inconsistency saw him left out of the World Cup squad. Nevertheless, Walsh has been given another chance, being selected for the T20I series against South Africa leading up to the global event. He aims to make the most of this opportunity and make the selectors reconsider their decision.