BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — West Indies Cricket selectors have released the names of the 15-member squad to represent the region at the International Cricket Council’s Women’s World Cup in Mumbai, India and, to me, the list demonstrates the considerable shift in Caribbean parents’ preference for baby names that has taken place over recent decades.

Formerly popular names like Jean, Joyce, Jennifer, Joan and so on seem to have been tossed out with the baby’s bath water. Also, previously preferred Christian names from the Bible seem to have few takers these days.

Much of what has become popular with many black families in the region have their origins on the African continent and in popular American “movies.”  The big news in this latest WI Women’s Team is that 20-year-old twin sisters Kycia and Kyshona Knight are both included but my attention rapidly skipped past that rarity because I was more fascinated by the evidence that things have really changed since “my day” and, glory be, I found my breath when eventually I came upon a June and a Juliana among the 15 names.

I have here re-ordered the official listing so that I can start with the twin sisters: Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Merissa Aguillera, Stafanie Taylor,  Sharmaine Campbell, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smart, Natasha McLean, June Ogle.

The top eight women’s sides in the world will battle it out to be crowned ICC Women’s World Cup champion across five venues. Champions England, along with New Zealand, Australia and India all qualified for this year’s event. They did so by virtue of finishing in the top four of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009.

Because the West indies Women emerged victors when the lower four of the eight competing teams had to battle it out in a qualifying series of matches played in Bangladesh in November 2011, they now find themselves having to battle the big guns in the opening rounds of the coming tournament.

Along with West Indies in the top group are England, Australia with some powerful hitters and bowlers, and India, which, of course, will have strong home crowd support.

It is India that West Indies is scheduled to face in the opening match, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Jan. 31. New Zealand, beaten finalist at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Australia, is scheduled to open its campaign against South Africa, also at Wankhede Stadium, on Feb. 1.

The English champions are to begin their trophy defense — also at Wankhede Stadium — against Sri Lanka on Feb. 2.Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa make up the remaining places in the tournament.

The preliminary matches will determine which three of the eight teams — divided into two groups of four — will progress into the Super Sixes stage of the tournament.

A total of 25 matches will be played across the five venues in Mumbai — Wankhede Stadium, Bandra Kurla Complex, Cricket Club of India, Middle Income Group Club Ground and DY Patil Stadium. Cricket Club of India is scheduled to host the final of the tournament on Feb. 17 in a day/night One Day International.