Former West Indies fast bowler Tony Gray believes the Australia series could be make or break for veteran batsman Chris Gayle, insisting he would give him just another two games to turn things around, if he were on the panel of selectors.
The 41-year-old Gayle has struggled to make a positive impact with the bat since being recalled to the team in February of this year, after two years away from the squad.
The batsman's selection to the preliminary World Cup squad has proven to be a source of controversy with opinion sharply split into two camps. On one hand, many believe the batsman's ability to change a game within a few deliveries continues to make him an indispensable asset heading into the tournament, others point to his decline in explosiveness and fitness as evidence that the spot should be taken up a younger player.
His performances so far have done little to make a strong case for his inclusion. In eight matches, against Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Australia, Gayle has averaged 12.71, with a combined 89 runs, and has a highest score of 31. In addition, the batsman has a strike rate of 94.68, well below his career average of 139.71.
Speaking just before the start of the Australia series, Gray suggested the batsman could be running out of time to repay the faith of the selectors.
“I think initially the selectors did a good job of picking this T20 squad. You have to give Chris Gayle the chance to show he has some kind of form, but if he is getting the opportunity and not firing, I would not pick him,” Gray told the Mason and Guest radio show.
Gayle is the all-time leading runs scorer for the West Indies in T20 international cricket, having scored 1716 in 66 matches.
"I think they need to have a serious word with Chris Gayle in the sense that he is 41 years old now, and obviously they have to have some sort of system where they say to Chris Gayle that 'we're giving you about nine games,'" Gray said.
"If you're not firing for nine games, then the remaining games before the World Cup, we have to give a young player', so that's the sort of system they need with Chris Gayle,” he added.
"If he doesn't fire against Australia for the first two games, I'm not taking him to the World Cup. That would be seven games - against Sri Lanka and South Africa - and the next two games would be nine games, he had an opportunity to fire.”
Gayle made just 4 runs in the opening match against Australia on Friday.
West Indies took six Australia wickets for just 19 runs as the hosts secured victory in the sides' T20 opener.
The Windies put on 145-6 in St Lucia, where Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh did most of the damage with the ball in an 18-run triumph.
Andre Russell's maiden half-century was also a telling contribution in what was a fifth win in six for the Windies against Australia in this format
Australia had looked in good shape after restricting the home side to 35-3 off 7.4 overs, but Russell's 51 came from 28 deliveries to help his side to a credible total.
The tourists lost the dangerous Aaron Finch in the second over of their response before rallying to reach 108-4 at just past the midway point.
With Australia firmly on track for the win, the Windies needed something special and it was McCoy and Walsh who produced the goods.
Wickets tumbled as McCoy took 4-26 and Walsh claimed 3-23, with seven of Australia's batting order limited to a single-figure contribution in an innings where they were all out for 127 in 16 overs.
THE REAL MCCOY
It was a devastating spell with the ball for McCoy, who accounted for Josh Philippe, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
But it wasn't just his wicket-taking that impressed, with McCoy suppressing Australia's run rate by delivering 13 dot balls in a man-of-the-match display.
"It feels great," said McCoy. "I've been working really hard. It was just all about execution and sticking to the team plan.
"Normally on that surface the ball has nice bounce and carry but I was just trying to mix up my pace as much as I can."
NO EXCUSES FROM FINCH
Australia captain Finch offered no excuses for what was a shocking collapse from his side.
Finch admitted his team needed to show a little more intelligence in their approach.
He said: "We've been working on trying to be a little more aggressive in the middle overs but maybe just need to rein it in and have some more smarts.
"I thought the wicket played a little better batting second. There's no excuses for our batting display there.
"You've got to dust yourselves off and come again with the same attitude but just execute a little bit better under pressure."
MLS' last fixture before the international break proved a feisty one, with 10-man Columbus Crew coming back to draw 2-2 with rivals FC Cincinnati.
Aiming for their third win in four games, Jaap Stam's Cincinnati team were ahead inside 24 seconds when Edgar Castillo's powerful effort found the roof of the net, sending the huge crowd at TQL Stadium into raptures.
It marked Castillo's first strike in three seasons, as well as bringing up the fastest goal of the 2021 MLS campaign.
Lucho Acosta's third goal for Cincinnati – who recorded their first win over the Crew last season – put the hosts 2-0 ahead before the half-hour mark, and Columbus seemed all but down and out when Harrison Afful received his second yellow card in the 42nd minute.
Yet Caleb Porter's team hit back in stoppage time, Lucas Zelarayan's wonderful long-range effort leaving Kenneth Vermeer flat-footed as it found the bottom-left corner.
It was a momentum the Crew carried with them into the second half and, in the 77th minute, substitute Miguel Berry tucked in his first MLS goal to restore parity.
Though no doubt disappointed to miss out on a morale-boosting win, the draw does at least snap a six-match losing streak at home for Cincinnati, who sit 11th in the Eastern Conference.
They are three places and five points shy of the Crew, whose focus now will be on pushing for a playoff spot.
Denis Shapovalov felt he had the game to win Wimbledon this week as he explained why his emotions spilled over after suffering a disappointing semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic.
The Canadian had tears in his eyes as he walked off Centre Court on Friday, beaten in straight sets as his opponent booked a place in the final against Matteo Berrettini.
Shapovalov was rightly proud to have reached the last four of a grand slam for the first time in his young career and feels he will benefit from the experience.
But he was left to rue failing to even take a set against Djokovic, who will now seek a 20th grand slam title on Sunday.
Shapovalov was two points away from winning the first set and converted only one of 11 break-point opportunities in a match that lasted just short of three hours.
He ultimately went down to a 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-5 defeat in a competitive contest and was upset by the outcome.
"It hurts a lot," explained the 22-year-old, who had only won one match in his three previous Wimbledon appearances.
"What hurt so much this time was just that I felt like the game is there and it's possible to go and play for the trophy.
"It's a feeling I've never had before, so that's why it just hurt so much.
"I felt like I was outplaying Novak in parts of the match. If you're outplaying Novak, you can beat anyone."
Elaborating on his visible disappointment on court, he added: "It just hurt a lot - it's been a lot of pressure, a lot of mental fatigue.
"Like, it all kind of spilled out on the court before I could control myself.
"It's almost good to have a little bit of a taste, because it just makes me want it that much more going into the next slams and into the future.
"Now I know exactly what I'm capable of and where my game can be at.
"Also the things that I can improve, too, to beat Novak next time or go one step further. A lot of positives. This has made me more hungry to try to win a trophy.
"It's a level I've never played before. The confidence and everything, the way I carried myself these two weeks, it's been different. I don't consider myself the same player."
The victorious Djokovic comforted Shapovalov in the locker room area after the match.
Shapovalov said: "He just told me he knows how difficult it is for me right now.
"He told me that everything will come. For me, it's big coming from someone like him. He doesn't have to do this. It just shows the type of person he is.
"It's just really nice for someone like me to hear from him. I have tremendous respect for him. He's definitely for sure one of the greatest players of all time.
"It's awesome to hear those words from him."
All-rounder Hayley Matthews starred with both bat and ball as the West Indies cruised to an 8-wicket win over Pakistan, at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, to take a 2-0 lead in the CG Insurance five-match One Day International Series.
Matthews ended the match with figures of 2 for 17, going to work with the ball first of before smashing 49 from 58 balls in pursuit of 120.
In stifling Pakistan, Matthews had plenty of help from the duo of Anisa Mohammed, Karishma Ramharack as the trio combined for eight wickets.
Overall, it was Mohammed who led the way with 4-27 off 9.4 overs, while Matthews had 2-17 off eight and Ramharack got 2-27 off nine.
Opener Muneeba Ali top-scored for Pakistan with 37 from 63 balls but runs and partnerships came at a premium. Aliya Riaz also contributed 26 for the tourists.
In reply, West Indies Women were solid from the get-go as Matthews and Kyshona Knight put together 65 in 17.5 overs effectively ending the contest.
Matthews was eventually dismissed after being run out by Diana Baigs, while Knight remained unbeaten on 39. Kycia Knight fell for 12, and Deandra Dottin was on 13 not out when victory was achieved.
Game three will take place on July 12 from 9:30 pm at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
West Indies chief of selectors, Roger Harper, has admitted that much better performances were expected from the team’s senior batsman after a sub-par showing against South Africa in the recently concluded T20 series.
Despite starting the series in strong fashion, the West Indies were beaten eventually beaten 3-2 after failing to successfully chase a target of close to 170 in three of five matches.
Fabian Allen had the team’s highest average with 67 in four matches, followed by Evin Lewis with 35.60 in five and Andre Fletcher 32.50 from two matches. However, there will have been major concerns about some of the team’s seasoned batting stars who struggled to find a way into the series.
Veteran batsman Chris Gayle played four games and averaged just 18.66, with a high score of 32. Andre Russell averaged 15.50, also in five games, with a high score of 25, team captain Pollard had a high score of 51, but also struggled, managing to average just 22 in five matches.
A few of the team's younger, but seasoned T20 players also struggled, with Shimron Hetmyer averaging 19 and Nicholas Pooran 17.75.
The panel of selectors has come under pressure in some quarters for picking the veteran’s trio of Gayle, Fidel Edwards, and Darren Bravo. However, while Edwards picked up two wickets in two matches and Bravo was the leading wicket-taker with 10, the spotlight has continued to shine on Gayle’s struggles.
“Certainly, Bravo was the leading wicket-taker and Fidel played a couple of games and started to get into stride in the second game. But from a batting perspective we expect quite a bit more from the senior guys,” Harper told the Mason and Guest radio program.
“Maybe we just got carried away with the manner and the method that we used to win that first game from a batting perspective and just thought that we could continue in the same vein and found ourselves in a hole in the middle overs because South Africa adjusted their approach.”
The Cricket West Indies Selection Panel has announced the 14-member squad for the first of the five-match CG Insurance T20 International (T20I) series against Australia. The match will be played under lights at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium on Friday, July 9 with the first ball at 7:30 pm (6:30 pm Jamaica Time).
Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr has been named in the match-day squad while all-rounder Fabian Allen returns from an injury sustained in the recent series against South Africa. All-rounder Jason Holder is being rested for this series as part of his workload management, and he is expected to feature in upcoming One-Day Internationals and Test matches.
Roger Harper, Lead Selector said: “Hayden Walsh Jr adds variety and another wicket-taking option, while Fabian Allen, who was unavailable for the last game because of injury, returns. Considering the opposition, it is important that the team plays well in all departments, especially the batting, which needs to deliver more consistently.”
This CG Insurance T20I Series forms part of the West Indies’ World Cup preparation with a total of 15 T20Is to be played across three months in the build-up to the ICC T20 World Cup to be played from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Fans in the Caribbean can watch exclusively live on Flow Sports or via the Flow Sports app. West Indies fans can also follow live ball-by-ball scoring in the www.windiescricket.com live match centre, featuring the new live match blog. Live radio commentary is available on a number of radio stations across the Caribbean and available worldwide, except in India and Bangladesh, on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
Fans in Australia can follow this match and the entire West Indies vs Australia CG Insurance T20I and ODI Series live on Foxtel’s Fox Cricket channel as well as via live stream on Kayo Sports.
Fully vaccinated patrons will be able to buy tickets for the series from the stadium ticket office at the East Gate on presentation of their vaccination documentation and their national ID, with tickets available at EC$50 per match. A three-match ticket promotion is available for just EC$120, with a special Series five-match season ticket special at EC$200.
FULL SQUAD: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Nicholas Pooran (Vice-Captain), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Travelling Reserves: Akeal Hosein, Kevin Sinclair, and Oshane Thomas.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce admits she was not happy to lose to Elaine Thompson-Herah at the 2021 Gyulai István Memorial in Hungary on Tuesday but says she has time to fix what went wrong in the race.
Thompson-Herah, the 2016 Olympic champion, stormed to victory in 10.71 to turn the tables on her compatriot and fierce rival, who had beaten her at the Jamaica Olympic trials on the night of Friday, June 25.
“If I am being honest, nobody is happy when they lose. It is what it is,” said Fraser-Pryce, who ran 10.82 for second place in Hungary.
“You know what you need to do, you know what happened in the race and you know what needs to be fixed and I think you have that time to fix it.
“You can always go back, you can watch the race and where your downfall was and how you work to make sure that it doesn’t happen in the Olympics. It’s a moment for learning and you use it to fuel you for the next one.”
However, the four-time world 100m champion said she is excited about the depth of talent among the Jamaican women that currently has several of the best female sprinters in the world including Shericka Jackson, Briana Williams, Kemba Nelson and Thompson-Herah.
With regard to the men, she believes patience is required.
“The men always have trouble. There are always some issues with the men,” she joked.
“On the female side, I think females are a lot more competitive so it’s almost as if its innate for them to always want to compete and do what’s necessary while for the men, I don’t know what’s the issue, but I definitely think that eventually, it will work itself out.
“It always happens. Before we had Usain, we had a lull, so I think we just have to give it time and I think they have to want it more for themselves than anything else and I think they don’t need to think about filling Usain’s shoes because those are huge shoes to fill. They just have to focus on them and what they’re able to do to show what they have to offer to the sport.”
Fraser-Pryce competes over 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco today. She will go up against Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Marie Josee Ta Lou in what is expected to be a competitive race.
As the West Indies heads into their five-match T20 series against Australia, white-ball captain Kieron Pollard has conceded that the team struggles with rotating the strike but says they are constantly working to resolve the problem.
Sergio Santos scored a late leveller to earn 10-man Philadelphia Union a 1-1 road draw against New York Red Bulls in MLS on Thursday.
The Brazilian substitute leapt high to head home at the back post in the 85th minute from Olivier Mbaizo's cross.
Despite being reduced to 10 men after goalkeeper Matthew Freese's inexplicable red card, Philadelphia were good value for a draw, edging possession 54-46 per cent and having more shots on target (7-3).
The Red Bulls had been hoping to move up as high as third spot in the Eastern Conference and looked on track when Patryk Klimala put them ahead from the spot.
New York won the penalty when Freese made a comical error, trying to dribble past Wikelman Carmona from a backpass.
Freese's touch was poor, opening the door for Carmona to tap in, with the keeper resorting to tackling the Red Bulls midfielder for a clear-cut penalty and red card.
Polish midfielder Klimala sent substitute keeper Joe Bendik the wrong way from the spot, but New York would be denied late by Santos' pinpoint header.
Philadelphia, remain winless from their past three games, but are third, four points behind Eastern Conference leaders New England. The Red Bulls stay seventh.
Nashville moved up to fifth with a 2-2 home draw against 10-man Atlanta United.
United had opened the scoring after captain Anton Walkes' fifth-minute header but Nashville replied with Hany Mukhtar setting up Jalil Anibaba to equalize before netting a 48th-minute penalty following Erick Torres' handball.
Atlanta's teenage substitute Jackson Conway equalized shortly prior to the hour mark but United were forced to hang on with Irish defender Jake Mulraney sent off late.
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz have established themselves as genuine title contenders in the flagship Concacaf Gold Cup.
Over the three consecutive editions, the Jamaicans were beaten finalists in 2015 (3-1 to Mexico) and 2017 (2-1 to the United States), and were losing semi-finalists in 2019 (3-1 to the U.S.), performances that underline their pedigree in the biennial tournament.
Having come so close to being crowned champions, the only thing left for the Reggae Boyz at this stage it seems is to lift the trophy.
Still, veteran Damion Lowe says while the team will be targeting the title, it’s a goal they aim to pursue with an air of cautious optimism, and with as little pressure as possible.
“There is no pressure because people always write us off, and even now people don’t give us the recognition that we deserve and how good we are as a team, especially in tournaments,” he said.
“Nobody expected us to become a powerhouse in Concacaf as we started from scratch and built the programme,” Lowe added.
When Jamaica kick-starts its Group C campaign against Suriname at Exploria Stadium in Orlando on July 12, Lowe notes that the plan is to let the country’s football do the talking.
“So for us, the job is the same and that’s to prove people wrong. We will do our best and let the football speak for itself,” said the Al-Ittihad defender, who will be participating in his third Gold Cup tournament.
Lowe, 28, says he has grown to love playing in the Gold Cup.
“Playing in the Gold Cup tournament is always a joy. We are grateful for the experience and how far we have come as a nation and we just want to move on to higher heights,” he said.
The Jamaicans, who are currently hosting a pre-tournament training camp in Orlando, have quality within their ranks with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon and Bailey and former Manchester United wonder kid Ravel Morrison.
With the pair, plus a host of English-born players and local-bred talent, the Boyz are quite capable of ruffling more than just a few feathers in the 2021 edition of the confederation’s marquee competition.
The Boyz also have group stage matches against Costa Rica and Guadeloupe.
Meanwhile, Lowe says he is still getting used to life playing in the Egyptian topflight.
Haiti arrives at the Concacaf Gold Cup with momentum gained from their 4-1 victory over Bermuda in the Prelims to qualify for the main tournament.
This will be the eighth Gold Cup for Les Grenadiers, as the Haitian squad is nicknamed. Unlike some other teams in the tournament, Haiti has full focus on the Gold Cup, since earlier this year the squad was eliminated from World Cup Qualifying.
Though the team once won the earlier version of the Concacaf tournament (in 1973), they have never won the modern version, called the Gold Cup. Coach Jean-Jacques Pierre, who is a former Haitian national team player and is in his first year coaching the squad, will have the players looking to build on their dynamic play from the qualifying tournament.
With a mix of players from teams abroad in Europe sprinkled in with Major League Soccer members and others from Caribbean clubs, Pierre has an intriguing ensemble to manage.
Haiti is coming off their best-ever participation in the 2019 Gold Cup, where the team reached the semifinals. One of their best matches in the tournament was a thrilling comeback 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Canada, who is one of their Group B opponents this year.
Haiti came up against eventual winners Mexico in the semifinal, but fought hard in a 1-0 extra-time loss, with the goal against them coming from a penalty kick taken by Raul Jimenez.
Frantzdy Pierrot was the break-out star for Haiti in the 2021 Prelims. The forward, who plays in France’s Ligue 2, scored three of the team’s four goals in the match against Bermuda. Duckens Nazon, another experienced forward for Haiti who plays in Belgium, scored the final goal from the penalty spot.
Both also scored for Haiti in the team’s electrifying 2019 Gold Cup run, so the pair is likely to slide back into a scoring groove for the team once the tournament begins.
Having ultimately qualified on July 6, Haiti is a bit of a wildcard in Group B, since other coaches haven’t had much advance notice in order to prepare for the squad. Haiti opens up Gold Cup play on July 11 against the United States
Eastern Conference leaders New England Revolution rallied late but went down 3-2 at home to bottom club Toronto in the MLS on Wednesday.
New England sensationally trailed 3-0 within half an hour against lowly Toronto after early strikes from Yeferson Soteldo, Kemar Lawrence and Tsubasa Endoh.
Japanese midfielder Endoh's strike was spectacular, cutting inside before lashing a fine curling shot home in the 24th minute.
Revolution came into the game after stumbling in their past two games, with a draw and a loss following six straight victories and the defeat extended that winless run.
New England fought in the second half, with Spanish midfielder Carles Gil pulling one back in the 56th minute.
In the 78th minute it was 3-2 when Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng laid off for Adam Buksa to net his fourth of the season, but there was no late equalizer.
New England's lead in the east remains three points as second-placed Orlando City lost 3-1 to Chicago Fire who claimed back-to-back wins.
Seattle Sounders returned to winning ways and extended their unbeaten season with a 2-0 home victory over Houston Dynamo.
Raul Ruidiaz netted his 10th goal of the campaign in second-half stoppage time after Kelyn Rowe put Seattle ahead just past the hour.
The undefeated Sounders have 29 points from 13 games and are three points clear of the west's second-placed Sporting Kansas City.
LA Galaxy are third in the Western Conference, aided by a 3-1 home triumph over Dallas despite the absence of top scorer Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez.
Rayan Raveleson, Kevin Cabral and Ethan Zubak netted for the Galaxy, who were without Hernandez to a calf injury.
Real Salt Lake inflicted more pain on struggling Vancouver Whitecaps with a 4-0 road win with Damir Kreilach netting a brace, while Colorado Rapids got past Minnesota United 2-0.
Montreal extended their unbeaten run to five games after Romell Quioto's 73rd-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over New York City, while LAFC moved up to fifth in the Western Conference with a 2-0 win at Austin.
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