Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson and central defender Allyson Swaby were named by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as their 2021 Male and Female Player of the year, respectively, on Monday.
Nicholson, who recently completed a move from Belgian Pro League team Charleroi to Russian Premier League outfit Spartak Moscow, scored three goals in 11 appearances for the Reggae Boyz in 2021.
The former Boy’s Town attacker has been in sensational form this season scoring 13 goals in 18 games for Charleroi before making the move to Spartak.
Swaby, who captained the Reggae Girlz for the first time this year, was part of a Roma team that won their first major Women’s trophy in May by defeating AC Milan on penalties in the Copa Italia final after keeping a clean sheet.
On December 21, it was announced that Swaby would be joining National Women’s Soccer League expansion team Angel City FC following the completion of the Supercoppa Italiana this January.
Nicholson will miss the Reggae Boyz January 20, friendly with Peru in Lima but could next be in action for the Boyz on January 27 when they play Mexico in a World Cup Qualifying fixture, while Swaby's Reggae Girlz will next see action in the CONCACAF Women's Championship beginning on February 17.
The Youth One-Day-International series between West Indies Under-19s and South Africa Under-19s ended in a 2-2 draw after the Caribbean outfit secured a 19-run win in the fourth and final match at Arnos Vale on Monday.
For the fourth game in a row, West Indies U19 captain Ackeem Auguste won the toss, this time choosing to bat first.
In another disappointing batting display, West Indies U19s could only manage 126 all out in 35 overs.
Teddy Bishop top scored with 43 and Rivaldo Clarke added 30, against 4-11 from leg-spinner Dewald Brevis and two wickets each from pacers Matthew Boast and Aphiwe Mnyanda.
South Africa U19s were then skittled out for 107 in 23.5 overs to go down by 19 runs.
Mnyanda top-scored with 20 while Boast (11) and Valentine Kitime (13) were the only other batsmen to get double figures against 3-34 off eight overs from pacer Johann Layne, 3-23 off six overs from medium-pacer McKenny Clarke, and 3-14 off 2.5 overs from left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael.
Both teams will now turn their attention to the start of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup on January 14th in the Caribbean.
West Indies U19s will play Australia U19s in their first game at Providence in Guyana on January 14th while South Africa U19s will square off against India U19s at the same venue a day later.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons is expecting more energy and enthusiasm from a new-look squad as the team bowls off the year with series against Ireland and England.
The Caribbean team has endured a disappointing few months on the back of a disastrous showing at the T20 World Cup, followed by defeats in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
A few of the team’s most experienced players have retired following a lackluster showing at the World Cup and the team did not select a few other regulars for the tour of Pakistan. Despite a 3-0 T20 series loss in Pakistan, Simmons was encouraged by the team’s fervor.
“The way we started in Pakistan is the way we want to play now, have a lot more energy, more enthusiasm,” Simmons told members of the media earlier this week.
“It's a young group of guys and we are trying to mould them and get them into a winning frame of mind. We want to win, and we want to do everything that it takes to win,” he added.
The team will see the likes of Brandon King and Odean Smith returning a potential debut for Justin Greaves and spinner Gudakesh Motie set to earn a second cap.
Six England players currently taking part in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) have been asked to return home by the England Cricket Board (ECB).
The decision has been taken with the team’s upcoming tour of the West Indies in mind, and with consideration to rising coronavirus cases. With the series scheduled to get underway in Barbados on January 22, all the players are expected to be back in England on January 7.
In a statement, released on Sunday, the ECB confirmed that the players were expected to be released by their clubs. The list includes George Garton, Reece Topley, Sam Billings, James Vince, and Tymal Mills. Chris Jordan had already left the country.
"The six English players currently playing in the KFC BBL who have been selected for England’s T20 International series against the West Indies will be returning to the UK by January 7,” the release read.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, insists the organisation will find some appropriate way to honour legendary batsman Chris Gayle after the player was left out of the team's T20 squad for Ireland and England.
Shortly after the team’s unceremonious exit from the World Cup, the hard-hitting left-hander had let on that the reason that he had not announced his retirement at the World Cup was that plans were already underway for a final farewell match.
Two weeks ago CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave stated on radio that the one-off match against Ireland would represent the perfect opportunity to honour the batsman. Gayle was, however, later left out of the squad by the newly appointed selectors. Skerritt insists the plan was never for the player to be picked for the match and that the CWI had not yet finalised plans for a farewell event.
"We're not defining what such a game (farewell) will look like. The planning has not yet commenced," Skerritt told Cricbuzz.
He insists, however, that the idea remained on the cards to honour the record T20 runs scorer.
"Gayle has been a phenomenal performer for Jamaica and the West Indies since he was a teenager. He deserves to be thanked and honored by fans. CWI will find the right way to make that happen in a manner that Chris can enjoy."
Former West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman, Denesh Ramdin, is now under new management after signing with Sophie Claire Management.
Ramdin was a member of the West Indies T20 World Cup sides in 2012 and 2016. Claire reacted to the signing on her Instagram page.
“Two-time World Cup T20 winning wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin. It is a privilege to work with people you admire for all their accomplishments,” she said.
The Trinidadian is a former West Indies captain at both the Under-19 and senior levels and holds the West Indies wicketkeeping record for most T20 dismissals.
The 36-year-old scored 2898 runs in 74 Test matches at an average of 25.87 for the West Indies with four centuries and 15 fifties with his highest score of 166 coming against England in 2009.
In 139 ODIs, Ramdin scored 2200 runs at an average of 25.00 with two centuries and eight fifties with a highest score of 169 against Bangladesh in 2014.
He also represented the West Indies in 71 T20 Internationals scoring 636 runs at an average of 18.70 with one half-century
Scores of children turned out in the community of Rockfort in Kingston on Friday as the residents were treated to a Christmas treat by Reggae Boy Damion Lowe.
The Jamaica vice-captain provided gifts to over 200 children at the Marcus Garvey Square on Glasspole Avenue.
Accompanied by representatives of his local sponsors, Digicel, and members of his management team, the 28-year-old, who was the sole Jamaican named to the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI, handed gifts to the children as they came out in their numbers to greet him.
The initiative is meant to be an inaugural event for the community that was also home to his father and former Reggae Boy, Onandi Lowe.
Lowe considers himself blessed and wants to extend that to the residents of Rockfort.
“It has been a good year for me; I know how important Christmas is to the little ones and this Treat will put a smile on their faces. I have to thank my sponsors Digicel for showing up in a big way by providing all the gifts,” said Lowe.
“Hopefully next year, after the pandemic, we can have amusement rides for the children as well,” Lowe added.
Lowe currently represents Al-Ittihad in the Egyptian Premier League and has made 35 appearances for the Reggae Boyz, scoring two goals.
He was yesterday named in the Reggae Boyz squad for their friendly against Peru and will likely captain the team for the game with regular skipper Andre Blake being rested.
West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer has failed yet another fitness test, a situation that has left West Indies head coach Phil Simmons exasperated.
Hetmyer was left out of the team for the upcoming visits of Ireland and England after failing to pass fitness drills administered in his home country of Guyana recently.
The occasion is the third in the last three years that the athlete is failing to get a passing grade for the West Indies basic fitness requirement. Hetmyer was first left out of the squad in 2020, ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, and then again later that year during the home visit of the same team.
Simmons expressed frustration that Hetmyer was not only letting down himself but failing to maintain the required standards but also the entire team.
“It’s the same old, same old. He did his fitness assessment in Guyana and he came way below the required mark,” Simmons told members of the media during a conference call on Friday.
“Again, it is something that is heart-wrenching because you know that you are part of this team, and you have to keep a certain fitness to be part of this team and you keep letting down your teammates.”
Simmons added the player was also “letting down himself.”
Ireland cricketers Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate will not travel from the United States with the rest of the team to Jamaica for the upcoming series against the West Indies after testing positive for Covid-19.
Following a final round of PCR tests ahead of the team’s departure on Friday, the duo returned positive tests and will undergo a period of 10 days of isolation. As a result, it is likely that the pair will not join up with the rest of the team until January 9, depending on the status of follow-up procedures.
The West Indies are scheduled to play Ireland in three One Day Internationals and a one-off T20 match, beginning on January 8.
Richard Holdsworth, High-Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, admits that the period continues to be challenging, particularly when trying to balance the physical health of players with their mental well-being.
"It is a challenging time for all, but the players have responded very well to operating within the Managed Environment over the last two weeks. A Managed Environment is different to a bio-bubble, and is an approach being used currently to try and find that balance between risk mitigation from the virus and impacts of sustained periods of isolation on the mental and physical health needs of players and staff.”
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) interim selection panel has announced the squads for the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
Captain Kieron Pollard is fit again and returns to lead both the ODI and T20 sides that will battle the Irish in three ODIs and one T20I at Sabina Park, in Jamaica, starting January 8.
The CG Insurance ODI Series between West Indies and Ireland will form part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
The West Indies are currently eighth in those standings with 40 points, while Ireland sits fourth with 50.
The Caribbean side will then play five T20 Internationals against England, in Barbados, beginning on January 22.
“We have tried to maintain the general make-up of the squads from the Pakistan tour before Christmas, with the captain and some senior players coming back in. The challenges in the next couple of months are getting the young players in both squads to not only improve on their skills but maintain the attitude and desire we saw in Pakistan,” said West Indies coach Phil Simmons.
Simmons also emphasized the need for his team to start the year on a good note.
“We do need to start the year on a high. We know both Ireland and England have very good teams so we expect a very strong challenge as we look to improve our chances of automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2023 and building the team for the ICC T20 World Cup in 2022,” Simmons added.
ODI squad for the Ireland Series: Kieron Pollard (captain), Shai Hope (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas, and the COVID-19 reserves are Keacy Carty and Sheldon Cottrell.
T20I squad for Ireland and England Series: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Fabian Allen (England T20Is only), Darren Bravo (England T20Is only), Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Jason Holder, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr, and the COVID-19 reserves are Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, and Devon Thomas.
Fabian Allen is fully recovered from an ankle injury but is unavailable for the Ireland series after a positive COVID-19 test.
Simone Biles is prouder of the mental health lessons she gave the world with her Tokyo Olympics withdrawal than any of the medals she has won.
The United States star withdrew from four individual events for which she had qualified after pulling out of the women's team competition after just one rotation in Japan in late July.
Biles cited a need to focus on her mental health as she chose not to contest the individual all-round, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise finals.
But she returned to action emphatically as she won the bronze medal in the women's balance beam final at the Games in early August, an achievement that she stated felt far more significant than her exploits in Brazil, in which she collected four gold medals in 2016.
Asked by MARCA if she was prouder of her achievements or the message sent by her withdrawal, the seven-time Olympic medallist said: "Most definitely the lesson that I gave the world in Tokyo, because nobody would have ever thought that would happen but everything that happened because of that has brought real good attention to mental health and the awareness that it brings.
"It was kind of a whirlwind of emotions, like 'oh my God, what's happening because I've trained five years for this?'
"So, I was really sad, but I had to do what was right for the team and I knew that was the correct decision, but also what was right for me and my mental wellbeing.
"I am really proud that people are taking it more seriously. But I wish I could have gone out there and done a little bit more. But, with the cards I was dealt I'm not mad at the results."
Biles continued to reflect on mental health in sport as she pinpointed more athletes standing up to talk about a potentially sensitive topic as a positive for the future.
"I think it cost so much because everybody thought of us as entertainment and they feel entitled to our work and [wanted us to] just go out there and put on a brave face and compete," she said.
"But now you have these sports figures and heroes standing up for themselves and saying 'I'm not doing this competition, I don't get why it has an effect on you guys when I'm really the one that's being affected'.
"To have that topic come to the forefront is really great, but it's sad that it's been silenced and forgotten for so many years and not as cared about. But, luckily we're bringing more attention to that."
Though she is proud of the impact of her experience in Tokyo, Biles admitted there are still some aspects of gymnastics that she is scared to perform.
"Some of the skills which I twist a lot on and flip a lot on, I am really scared to do just because of everything that happened," Biles added.
"But, [my coaches] are really great every time I come into the gym if I want to play around. They make sure I'm doing all the proper steps, so they definitely make me feel a lot better."
While citing her coaches' help as a driving factor for her recovery, Biles also believes she would not have made it through the troubles in Tokyo without the help of her USA team-mates.
Despite a turbulent 2021, Biles remains happy as she continues on her indefinite break to rest and recover from a difficult year.
"What's next in my career right now is I'm obviously on a break," she concluded. "So, we have to see. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the sport. Right now, I think it's just relaxing taking quality time with family and with friends and just being normal for once.
"I think I'm happy with the way my life has turned out, especially starting gymnastics at six years old.
"All I wanted was a college scholarship and I've been to five World Championships and two Olympic Games. So, I think I've achieved more than my wildest dreams, so I can't complain."
South Africa Under-19s secured a one-wicket win over West Indies Under-19s to take a 2-1 series lead in their four-match Youth ODI Series in St. Vincent, on Thursday, thanks to a solid all-round effort from Liam Alder.
In the match played at the Cumberland Playing Field, West Indies Under 19s won the toss for the third consecutive game and chose to bat after electing to field in the two previous matches.
They struggled throughout their innings, eventually capitulating for 106 in 38.3 overs.
Opener Shaqkere Parris top-scored for the young Windies with 27 and the only other batsmen to reach double figures were Teddy Bishop, who got 26, and vice-captain Giovonte Depeiza who got 22.
Hardus Coetzer and Dewald Brevis each took three wickets for the South Africans while Asakhe Tsaka and Alder took two apiece.
The South Africans then made a meal of their modest target of 107, being 90-8 at one stage before getting to 113-9 in 18.3 overs to win by one wicket thanks to 24 not out from Alder, batting at number nine, which included two sixes.
Opener Ethan Cunningham top-scored with 25 for South Africa U19s.
Off-spinner Onaje Amory almost produced a match-winning spell with 4 for 8 from his four overs, while Johann Layne and Matthew Nandu got two wickets each.
The fourth and final game of the series will be played on Monday at Arnos Vale.
Interim Jamaica Reggae Boyz head coach Paul Hall has named a 23-man squad for the upcoming international friendly against Peru in Lima on January 20.
“The date of the game does not fall within the FIFA window so none of the Europe and Central America based players were called,” the JFF stated in a release today.
Hall is using this game as an opportunity to assess players that are unfamiliar to him and as such, has left out regular members of the squad like captain Andre Blake, Oneil Fisher and Alvas Powell.
All the players, including those not called on this occasion, have made themselves available and are committed to being ready for the three World Cup qualifying games from January 27 to February 2.
The 23-man squad for those games will assemble in Jamaica on January 24th while the squad for the Peru game will assemble in Jamaica on January 13th.
The full squad is as follows: Dwayne Miller, Jeadine White, Amal Knight, Damion Lowe, Richard King, Jamoi Topey, Javain Brown, Kemar Lawrence, Je-Vaughn Watson, Kevon Lambert, Tevin Shaw, Ramone Howell, Devon Williams, Peter-Lee Vassell, Lamar Walker, Alex Marshall, Dwayne Atkinson, Deshane Beckford, Kaheem Parris, Devonte Campbell, Jourdain Fletcher, Cory Burke, Oquassa Chong.
West Indies Women’s all-rounder, Hayley Matthews, is part of a three-woman shortlist nominated for the ICC One Day International (ODI) Female Cricket of the Year award.
The past year saw the talented 23-year-old put in brilliant performances with both the bat and ball. In 14 matches Matthews scored 380 runs at an average of 29.23, with one century and one half-century. She claimed 18 wickets at an average of 22.44 and had an economy rate of 3.33.
Matthews was named Player of the Series when the West Indies Women faced Pakistan in a five-match ODI series in July. She scored 168 runs, which included a century, and took seven wickets in a series that the Caribbean team won 3-2.
The player was not as impressive against South Africa but returned to full form in the following series against Pakistan. Matthews started the series with a half-century and three wickets in the first ODI and followed that up with a four-wicket haul in the second game. The all-rounder ended the series with a knock of 49 in the final match, which helped her side complete a whitewash.
Also in contention for the award are Pakistan’s Fatima Sana, and England’s Tammy Beaumont.
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