Former West Indies batsman Philo Wallace is surprised at the decision by the Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel to not name a vice-captain for the T20I team.
Trinidadian left-hander Nicholas Pooran was announced as the West Indies’ new T20 and ODI skipper on Tuesday following the retirement of former captain Kieron Pollard from international cricket last month.
Barbados batsman Shai Hope was named the ODI vice-captain but there was no such announcement for the T20 format.
“Shai Hope is being designated as his deputy for the 50-over squad. There’s no vice-captain for the T20 squad, which I find very interesting,” said Wallace while appearing on the Mason & Guest Radio Show in Barbados on Tuesday.
Missing international assignments has been a big problem for the West Indian players, who are involved in various T20 leagues around the world and Wallace hopes this doesn’t become an issue with the new Windies skipper.
“His first assignment is away to Holland and I hope that we don’t hear that Pooran is going to miss a lot of international cricket after being elevated to this very serious post. I do hope that the selectors would’ve sat down with him via zoom and have a serious discussion with him about what they are expecting of him and what he’s expecting of himself and try to pick the best possible squads going forward,” he said.
“All I can say is I wish him all the very best and I do hope that he can help turn our cricket around and work closely with the players, selection panel and the coaches to try to lift the quality of our white ball cricket,” Wallace added.
Pooran has so far scored 1121 runs at an average of 40.03 in 37 ODIs and 1193 runs at an average of 27.74 in 57 T20Is.
Hosts the Dominican Republic and Jamaica bowed out of the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship on Wednesday as Mexico, United States, Canada and Puerto Rico sealed places in the final four.
Reigning champions, the USA blanked Jamaica 4-0 in the first game of the day played at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal.
Amalia Villarreal scored her eighth goal of the tournament to open the scoring in the fourth minute for the winners who also got goals from Charlotte Kohler in the 32nd, Riley Jackson in the 42nd. Melina Rebimbas completed the scoring in the 56th.
Meanwhile, at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Mexico drubbed the host nation Dominican Republic, 10-0.
Tatiana Flores (16’, 33’, 41’) and Alice Soto (19’, 22’, 38’) each had a hat trick and were joined on the scoresheet by Maribel Flores (37’), Natalia Colin (49’), Deiry Ramirez (70’) and Layla Sirdah (80’).
The second game of the day at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez saw Puerto Rico meet El Salvador and in the end the spoils belonged to the Boricuas, 2-0.
Marilia Nieves-Melchor broke the deadlock in the 37’ for a 1-0 Puerto Rico lead, followed by Indigo Sims’ insurance score in the 65’ to complete the 2-0 scoreline.
Wrapping up the day at the Estadio Panamericano was Canada downing Costa Rica, 3-0.
It was a tight first half between the two teams, with each side getting good looks at goal.
However, the difference came in the second half beginning with Jaime Perrault’s goal in the 54’. Renee Watson doubled the advantage to 2-0 in the 66’ and then 2022 CWU17 leading scorer Rosa Maalouf scored her 10th goal of the tournament in the 70’ to seal the 3-0 triumph.
The Seattle Sounders are already looking ahead to taking on either Liverpool or Real Madrid after achieving "immortality" by winning the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Sounders beat Pumas UNAM 3-0 at Lumen Field on Wednesday to complete a 5-2 aggregate triumph and finally deliver a first Champions League title for MLS.
Seattle are the league's third CONCACAF champions but first in the Champions League era after a series of heartbreaks for rival clubs.
Two goals from Raul Ruidiaz and a late clincher from captain Nicolas Lodeiro sparked scenes of mass celebration in front of a raucous, record crowd of over 68,741.
Garth Lagerwey, the Sounders' general manager, gave Extratime his assessment: "Immortality. You get into sports for stuff people can never take away.
"This will be written down, it will be there forever. Hopefully it's the first of many."
Real Salt Lake, CF Montreal, Toronto FC and Los Angeles FC had each previously fallen at this final hurdle.
Now, for MLS, Lagerwey says, Seattle are "the symbol, we're the tip of the spear, we pushed through, we finally did it, we vanquished the demons".
"But everybody's welcome," he added. "We want a crowded mountaintop up here. We don't want to be up here by ourselves."
Playing just hours after Madrid had completed an epic semi-final fightback against Manchester City in UEFA's Champions League, Lagerwey could not help consider a Club World Cup clash with a European giant.
"We're going to play against Real Madrid or Liverpool in a real game for a trophy," he said, with Seattle's place in the tournament secure. "I feel like a little kid. This is the stuff you dream of."
The Sounders had already won two MLS Cups, a Supporters' Shield and four U.S. Open Cups, but this victory takes the club to another level entirely.
"I think we're going to become a global club now," the GM added.
"I've got to think my phone's got to start ringing once some people see what our fanbase, our building... it's as good a soccer environment as anywhere in the world. It just is. This is a pretty special place."
A Raul Ruidiaz brace helped secured the Seattle Sounders their first CONCACAF Champions League title, with a 3-0 victory over Pumas UNAM to win 5-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
With the scores level to open the game, it proved to be a very cagey opening 45 minutes and the Sounders faced early difficulty, with Nouhou Tolo and Joao Paulo forced off with injuries.
Brian Schmetzer's side got a break just before the interval, however, with Raul Ruidiaz scoring following a scramble in the penalty area in the 45th minute.
Needing to chase the game with the ball, Pumas really struggled to create anything of substance in the second half as the Sounders absorbed pressure.
Indicative of the second leg's complexion, the best chance with the tie in the balance fell to Seattle via Alex Roldan, who intercepted a rushed throw out from Alejandro Talavera in the Pumas goal.
Ruidiaz eventually wrapped up the tie and trophy for Seattle, scoring in transition in the 80th minute. After his two penalties in the first leg, Nico Lodeiro scored Seattle's third in the 87th minute after another Pumas loss of possession.
A Raul Ruidiaz brace helped secured the Seattle Sounders their first CONCACAF Champions League title, with a 3-0 victory over Pumas UNAM to win 5-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
With the scores level to open the game, it proved to be a very cagey opening 45 minutes and the Sounders faced early difficulty, with Nouhou Tolo and Joao Paulo forced off with injuries.
Brian Schmetzer's side got a break just before the interval, however, with Raul Ruidiaz scoring following a scramble in the penalty area in the 45th minute.
Needing to chase the game with the ball, Pumas really struggled to create anything of substance in the second half as the Sounders absorbed pressure.
Indicative of the second leg's complexion, the best chance with the tie in the balance fell to Seattle via Alex Roldan, who intercepted a rushed throw out from Alejandro Talavera in the Pumas goal.
Ruidiaz eventually wrapped up the tie and trophy for Seattle, scoring in transition in the 80th minute. After his two penalties in the first leg, Nico Lodeiro scored Seattle's third in the 87th minute after another Pumas loss of possession.
Bahamian quarter milers Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Steve Gardner have reportedly been confirmed for next month’s Paris Diamond League meeting.
The meet will be the seventh in the series, which runs off with the Doha Diamond League meet on May 13. An appearance at the Paris meeting, scheduled for June 18, could mark a long-awaited return to the city for the reigning 400m Olympic Champions.
Miller-Uibo, who has won the 200m event at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 editions and the 400m, at the 2017 event, has not appeared at the Paris meet since 2011. Gardiner has yet to win the title and last made an appearance in Monaco in 2019.
The duo has been in splendid form early this season with Miller-Uibo claiming the 400m title at the World Indoor Championship and Gardiner registering a number of impressive times indoors before opening the outdoor season with world-leading 44.22 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold meet.
Jamaica Premier League clubs, Cavalier FC and Waterhouse FC will be beneficiaries of the largesse of the Jamaican government, which is allocating JMD$ 2 million (approximately US$13,000) towards their participation in the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championships.
The clubs will represent Jamaica at the championships that will be held in the Dominican Republic between May 13 and 25, 2022. Teams from Haiti and the Dominican Republic will also be participating in the tournament.
“These are challenging times for everyone but out of love for our people and sports, the Ministry gladly obliged when called on again to assist,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Gender, Culture, Entertainment and Sports Olivia Grange.
“The nation will be rooting for Cavalier and Waterhouse and we are happy that all the games will be televised live in 26 countries.”
Jamaica international and Inter Miami CF defender, Damion Lowe, has been fined an undisclosed fee for failing to leave the field in a timely manner.
The charge, which was announced among the number of sanctions issued by Major League Soccer (MLS) this week, relates to the centre half’s conduct during an encounter against New England Revolution on April 30.
Lowe, who signed with the David Beckham-owned franchise earlier this season, was given his marching orders in the 61st minute after receiving a second yellow card for what looked like fairly innocuous contact on Revolution forward Adam Buksa. Clearly surprised by the decision, the defender stayed on the pitch for an extra minute to plead his case with the referee and a few other players. New England won the encounter 2-0.
Jamaica high jumper Lamara Distin has been named the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association National Athlete of the Week and Southeastern Conference Field Athlete of the Week.
The former Hydel standout has been recognized on the back of an exceptional performance last week where she set a world-leading high jump clearance of 1.97m to win the Texas A&M Alumni Muster.
The performance saw the jumper set yet another national record for her country and moved her up to No. 4 on the all-time collegiate list. It also bettered the previous Texas record, which she also held.
Diston, who was born in Hanover, has been on fire this season, clearing 1.93m in four of the five meets entered so far. Two of those meets have seen the athlete jumping over 1.96m.
For her country, Distin’s assault on the national record this season began with an opener of 1.96m, set during the Texas Relays, which bettered the previous national best of 1.93 held by Sheree Ruff since May 2010.
Peterborough striker Jonson Clarke-Harris could be in line for a debut call-up to the Jamaica Reggae Boyz squad as interim coach Paul Hall looks to bolster the squad ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League.
Having failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, the national team is set to return to action with a fixture against the Spanish region Catalonia on May 25. The friendly will be followed by matches against Suriname in the Nations League and another friendly against Uruguay in June.
The 27-year-old Clarke-Harris has been one of the most dependable scorers outside the Premier League in recent years and is a player the Jamaica Football Federation has kept close tabs on. Since joining Peterborough in 2020, the player has scored a healthy 44 goals in 87 appearances for the club.
In 31 appearances in the English Championship, this season, the forward has scored 11 times, coupled with 3 assists. The club will, however, be relegated from the division this season after finishing second from the bottom of the league table.
The Surrey Kings and Surrey Royals will contest the final of the inaugural Dream 11 Jamaica T10 tournament after the league stage of the competition came to an end at Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday.
The day started with the Kings losing to the Middlesex United Stars in a super over.
The United Stars win the toss and elected to field first, restricting the Kings, albeit with a number of changes to their team, to 85-7 off their 10 overs with Kenroy Williams (22) and Xavier Burton (17) being the main scorers.
Tyrone Daley was the pick of the bowlers for the United Stars with 2-14 from his two overs.
Top scores of 38 not out from captain and West Indies opener John Campbell and 21 from Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Alwyn Williams then allowed the United Stars to match the Kings total reaching 85-6 off 10 overs.
The same pair along with Daley then combined to post 13-1 in the super over before Ojay Shields restricted the Kings pair of Jeavor Royal and Brad Barnes to eight without loss to secure the win.
The Surrey Royals got the better of the Cornwall Warriors in the second match of the day by nine wickets.
The Royals restricted the Warriors to 86-6 off their 10 overs after winning the toss and choosing to field first.
Captain Damian Ebanks (25), Damion Bryce (21 not out) and Kerry Holness (18) were the main contributors for the Warriors against an excellent 2-8 off two overs from Jamaica Scorpions pacer Nicholson Gordon.
The Royals then successfully got to 87-1 off 8.1 overs thanks to 61 not out off 29 balls from wicketkeeper/batsman Romaine Morris.
With the league stage now completed, Wednesday will see the Cornwall Warriors and the Surrey Risers contest the fifth-place playoff, while the third-place playoff will be an all-Middlesex affair with the Titans taking on the United Stars before a champion is crowned on Thursday when the Surrey Royals and the Surrey Kings battle it out.
The Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) has pledged $3 million for its four-part Jubilee Series for senior athletes in a lead up to the World Championships to be held in July this year.
The second meet will be held this Saturday, May 7 at the National Stadium starting at 5pm.
The remaining events scheduled for May 7, 21 and June 4 will feature: 100m M/W, 200m M/W, 400m M/W, 400mH M/W, 100mH W, 110mH M, Long Jump (M/W), Discus (W/M).
“Track and field has been a major part of Jamaica’s history, and in the 60th year, we will continue to provide suitable competition for our senior athletes,” says JAAA President Garth Gayle.
“We thought we should offer our senior athletes an opportunity to sharpen their performances for the National Championships and other professional outings leading into the World Championships in July,” he added.
The events will be at the National Stadium and will run for two hours on each occasion running from 5 - 7 pm. As part of the offer, the JAAA will allow its dedicated fans to enter the Grandstand free of cost.
The event is being held in partnership with the Sport Development Foundation (SDF) and PUMA.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Nicholas Pooran as the West Indies Men’s One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) captain, following the international retirement of Kieron Pollard.
Pooran will take over the captaincy for the West Indies ODI and T20I teams after being Pollard’s deputy over the last year. The appointment will include the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2022 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in October 2023. Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team.
CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said: “We believe Nicholas is ready for the challenge of leading our white ball teams given his experience, performances, and the respect he has within the playing group. The Selection Panel believes that Nicholas has matured as a player and were impressed with his leadership of both teams when Kieron Pollard had been absent. The experience he has gathered playing in various franchise leagues around the world was also a factor in the decision to recommend him for the T20 captaincy.”
Pooran has already captained the West Indies Men in Pollard’s absence, leading them to a CG Insurance T20I Series win at home against Australia in 2021.
The left-handed wicketkeeper/batsman has eight half-centuries and an ODI century to his name. He has also scored eight T20I half-centuries for the West Indies Senior Men’s team. He first burst onto the cricket scene representing the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2014 ICC Men’s U19 World Cup, smashing 303 runs from six matches.
CWI President Ricky Skerritt congratulated Pooran on his appointment saying, “Nicholas Pooran is a specially gifted cricketer, and the right person to take over the white ball captaincy. We are confident that he will continue to climb the leadership learning curve speedily, and successfully. I appeal to all West Indies cricket stakeholders to give Nicholas the support and encouragement that he deserves.”
Pooran expressed his delight in his appointment saying, “I am truly honored to be appointed captain of the West Indies team. I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket. This is indeed a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together. To be named captain is indeed the highlight of my career so far and I want to drive the team forward to accomplish great things on the field for our fans and loyal supporters.”
His first outing as captain will be the three away ODIs against The Netherlands in Amstelveen starting May 31 which form part of the ICC World Cup Super League.
The Middlesex Titans scored a four-wicket win over the Surrey Risers in a low-scoring affair in their Dream 11 T10 fixture at Sabina Park on Monday.
The Risers struggled to 73-6 off their 10 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Captain and former West Indies pacer Krishmar Santokie (2-7 off two overs) and left-arm spinner Errol Thomas (2-19 off two overs) were the best bowlers for the Titans as only Delbert Gayle (23), Ricardo McIntosh (15) and current West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell (10 not out) were able to reach double figures for the Risers.
Wayne Davis (17), Brian Clarke (15) and Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Jamie Merchant (15) then ensured the Titans successfully chased the target, reaching 74-6 off 9.4 overs.
Akim Fraser (2-10 off two overs) and Gordon Bryan (2-22 off two overs) tried their best for the Risers who finished with six points from 10 matches and will play in the fifth-place playoff on Wednesday.
The Titans moved into fourth with nine points from 10 matches and will either be in the third-place playoff or fifth-place playoff based on the results of Tuesday’s matches.
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