Barbados

That is the word from Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave, who remains hopeful that the tour will happen in some form of the other. If Grave has his way, the West Indies, who are currently engaged in a bio-secure three-Test #Raisethebat series in England, could be hosting South Africa as early as September.

However, he concedes Grave that there are significant obstacles to surmount.

 “We have had three calls in the last seven days with our counterparts in South Africa. The plan as we are working on now is that the players will come home a week Wednesday. They will have the weekend at home. Those that are in the Caribbean Premier League will head down to Trinidad on probably the third of August; so a very quick turnaround. The CPL will then start in mid-August and go through to the 10^th of September, and we hope very much that then South Africa will follow immediately after that,” Grave said while speaking on Mason & Guest in Barbados on Tuesday.

“Whether we can get the full tour in or whether we have a split tour between the Tests and T20s we don’t know.

“India are trying to get the IPL towards the back end of September – either in India which, I know is their preferred choice or in the UAE as a back-up choice, but there has been no announcement on that yet. We very much hope that South Africa will be able to come here in September for either a T20 only tour or a Test only tour, at the very least.

“And it will be dependent on the IPL. South Africa have a number of their Test players who have IPL contracts whereas this current Test team, we don’t have any IPL players in.”

Grave said the West Indies would be unable to play Test cricket during the IPL season.

“South Africa has made that very clear to us. They’ve got a commitment to their players to allow them to play in the IPL. So, at this stage we hope that that’s the case but at this stage I can’t confirm, with no flights between South Africa and the UK, which is the obvious route for them to travel,” he said.

“At the moment, it’s not something that South Africa has been able to confirm to us. But, we are talking to them regularly and we hope for good news soon.”

South Africa last visited the Caribbean in 2016 for a tri-nation series that also involved Australia.

The West Indies are coming off a high after winning the five-match T20 series 4-1 and are hoping to carry that momentum into the ODI series. Pollard, who missed the T20 series with a hamstring injury, expects several specialist players to come in for the longer format.

“I think for us one of the things we try to harp on is specialists and speciality positions. We have found ourselves in positions over the years where you have a lot of all-rounders, a lot of guys can bat, can bowl but you want a guy specializing in one aspect or the other with a couple of utility guys who can bring three facets of the game,” he said.

“So, in terms of our one-day set-up, if you look at the balance we have used for the last couple of years, and even in the last series, I can’t see that changing much.”

What he doesn’t expect to change is the confidence exuded by his team in their comprehensive series victory over an admittedly under-strength Australian side.

“I hope that 100 per cent of the body language that would have been shown throughout the T20 series, the guys will take it on board and we can continue that in the ODI’s,” he said.

“Obviously, it will be different personnel and personalities but having said that, fielding and movement in the field in an attitude and it’s how bad you want it and how much you enjoy it.

“So far, from a white ball perspective, we have been very good in terms of our body language and in terms of our intent in the field despite the different situations and scenarios that present themselves. So, hopefully, long may that continue and we are going to be impressing on the guys to go the extra mile.”

After starting day 2 on 27-0, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite on 11 and Shayne Mosely on eight, the pair carried the score up to 36 before Mosely was dismissed for 13. This saw a string of wickets fall with Brathwaite (29), Raymon Reifer (23), Jonathan Carter (25), and Justin Greaves (7) all being dismissed before they got to 150.

This brought Springer to the crease to join Dowrich and the pair put on a mammoth 175 before Springer was dismissed for 91, his third first-class 50 and highest first-class score, leaving the Pride 299-6.

Dowrich, who has three Test match hundreds to his name, carried on his knock before he eventually got dismissed for a well-played 86, his 29^th first-class half-century.

Some late-innings fireworks from Chemar Holder (22) meant that Barbados would eventually be bowled out for 324 at the end of the day’s play, a lead of 152 runs after the Hurricanes declared their first innings on 172-9.

Rakheem Cornwall led the bowling for the Hurricanes with 4-99 off 33 overs while Colin Archibald supported well with 3-47 off 20 overs.

Holder was involved in four dismissals as SRH restricted the Royals to 154 for 6. He ran out opener Robin Uthappa for 19 and later bowled the dangerous Sanju Samson for 36. In his final over spell, he took the wickets of Steven Smith for 19 and Riyan Parag for 20 to return impressive figures of 3 for 33.

Manish Panday’s unbeaten 47-ball 83 and Vijay Shankar, who was not out on a patient 52, then posted a 140-run stand to take SRH home with 11 balls to spare.

Afterwards, a pleased SRH Captain David Warner said it all started with the bowling.

"It was a stunning performance. We were able to bring them back after Powerplay. All in all, the kind of game we were asking for,” he said while singling out the West Indies captain Holder for special praise.

“Jason adds an extra string to our bow. His height. His experience. And he couldn't bat today, but he is an all-round package,” said Warner of the Barbadian allrounder, who was called up in September to replace Australian Mitchell Marsh who suffered an ankle injury in SRH’s first match of the season during a loss to the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

For this 2023 edition, Cricket West Indies (CWI) is introducing a two-day red ball format to add to the pre-existing 50-Over format for the Rising Stars Under 17s Regional Championships. Teams will compete for the West Indies Rising Stars U17s 50-Over Cup and the West Indies Rising Stars U17s 2-Day Championship.

Graeme West, CWI’s High-Performance Manager said: “The introduction of the Two-Day component at the Under 17s level is a significant step forward in the development of multi-format cricketers for the future. It is essential that our young talent enjoy the challenge of the red ball format, igniting their ambitions to play Test Cricket.”

The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Tournament will feature five rounds of 50-over white ball matches from August 12-20 and three rounds of two-day red ball matches from August 23-31 to be played at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), Inshan Ali Park, PowerGen Sports Ground and Gilbert Park Cricket Ground (GPCG). A champion will be crowned at the end of each format, as WI Rising Stars Under 17s 50 Over Cup Champions and WI Rising Stars Under 17s 2-Day Champions.

This tournament is a key element of the West Indies Future Stars development programme, allowing the best players in the region to test themselves within their age group. The tournament is pivotal for identifying talent and facilitating player progression to produce the next generation of West Indies senior international cricketers.

Miles Bascombe, Director of Cricket added: “The addition of the two-day format presents coaches and players with the opportunity to craft skills for the longer format at an earlier stage in the players’ development. It is also a tangible way for CWI to demonstrate its commitment to securing the future of West Indian Test Cricket.”

CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing the game at every level and these tournaments therefore play a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies players. The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Championships completes the full 2023 calendar of CWI’s regional age group cricket which featured the men’s West Indies Rising Stars Under 15s and Under 19s Championships, as well as the Rising Stars Women’s Under 19s Championship.

You can follow LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of the West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Championships matches on the new www.windiescricket.com match centre. 

MATCH SCHEDULE

West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s 50-Over Cup Championship

Matches start at 9:30am local time (8:30am Jamaica time)

Saturday 12 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at NCC

Barbados vs Guyana at GPCG

Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at Inshan Ali Park

Monday 14 August

Jamaica vs Guyana at NCC

Trinidad and Tobago vs Leeward Islands at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Barbados at GPCG

Wednesday 16 August

Leeward Islands vs Barbados at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Guyana at GPCG

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica at NCC

Friday 18 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana at PowerGen

Leeward Islands vs Windward Islands at NCC

Barbados vs Jamaica at GPCG

Sunday 20 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados at NCC

Leeward Islands vs Guyana at Inshan Ali Park

Jamaica vs Windward Islands at GPCG

West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s 2-Day Championship

Matches start at 10am local time (9am Jamaica time)

23-24 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Leeward Islands at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Barbados at PowerGen

Jamaica vs Guyana at NCC

26-27 August

Windward Islands vs Guyana at NCC

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica at GPCG

Leeward Islands vs Barbados at Ishan Ali Park

30-31 August

Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at GPCG

Barbados vs Guyana at Inshan Ali Park 

Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at NCC

FULL SQUADS

BARBADOS: Zion Brathwaite, Zishan Motara, Xaundre Baptiste, Shaquan Belle, Gadson Bowens, Joshua Branch, Preston Clarke, Reviera Cottle, Edwin Currency-Barnett, Kyron King, Akeem McCollin, Jatario Prescod, Dre Springer, Jaden Webster.

GUYANA: Jonathan Van Lange, Rampersad Ramnauth, Kevin Kisten, Vickash Wilkinson, Romeo Deonarain, Ari-Afrizal Kadir, Nityanand Mathura, Sanjay Algoo, Golcharran Chulai, Salim Khan, Bruce Vincent, Darwin Joseph.

JAMAICA: Tyriek Bryan, Jordan Pinnock, Demarco Scott, Brian Barnes, Kev-Aundrae Virgo, Aan Ennis, O’mari Wedderburn, Eejay Spence, Dantae Calrke, Niclo McKenzie, Roshawn McKenzie, Rasheed Harriott, Ralique Thomas, David.

LEEWARD ISLANDS: Matthew Miller, T’yanick Honore, Eirette Richards, Zavio Henry, Jevon Manners, Ozan Williams, Jared Jno Baptiste, De-Andre Drew, Israel Morton, Caiden Francis, Carlton Pluck, Mekaili Tonge, Xaveek Toppin, Devanand Singh.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Fareez Ali, Cristian Rampersad, Riyaad Mohammed, Luke Ali, Brendan Boodoo, Samir Saroop, Niall Maingot, Aaidan Racha, Ishmael Ali, Aneal Rooplal, Alexander Chase, Alvin Sonny, Jordan Mohammed, Stevon Gomez.

WINDWARD ISLANDS: Justin John, Jelani Joseph, Edmund Morancie, Joel Durand, Jahson Vidal, Earnisho Fontaine, Kirtsen Murray, Kirt Murray, Johnathan Daniel, Theo Edward, Khan Elcock, Tyler Venner, Devonte McDowall, Kodi Grant.

Between 1958 and 1969, Sir Wes Hall played 48 Tests for the West Indies taking 192 wickets. During the 1960/61 series between the West Indies and Australia, he featured prominently taking nine wickets in the famous tied-Test in Brisbane.

 The eight-foot tall statue created by 42-year-old fine artist Jason Hope was erected next to that of another Barbados and West Indies legend, Sir Garry Sobers.

The statue was unveiled by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley during a ceremony attended by about 200 persons from Barbadian society including retired cricketers Ian Bradshaw, Vasbert Drakes, and Floyd Reifer as well as Barbados Cricket Association President Conde Riley and Roland Butcher.

Sir Wesley Hall’s children, Dr Kerry Hall, Sean Hall and Remi Hall were also in attendance.

“I want on behalf of the Government and the people of Barbados to salute you and to say to all of the others who helped to create that moment, that we will do all in our power as a government to continue to ensure that you will not only be honoured but that the legends of Barbados will not just remain as a cricketing legacy,” Prime Minister Mottley said.

“We must merge the legacy of the legends with the current requirement of what we must do to earn.”

In addition to the Prime Minister’s message, there were also recorded video tributes from past greats including former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Desmond Haynes, Sir Charles Griffiths and current West Indies captain Jason Holder.

The 83-year-old Hall said he was humbled by the occasion.

“I really appreciate those Barbadians who came on board and made this statue here for all Barbadians to see and we did not have to go to India, Australia and England to get the funds. I want you to recognize these Barbadians that have come to the party and this is why we have this statue and I am very happy. I am very humbled,” he said.

The 27-year-old was recently dropped from the West Indies squad for the tour of New Zealand, after a nightmare run of form had seen the player averaging 19.48 since December 2017 and just 14.45 since February 2019.

 On the England tour, the scene of his triumph three years ago, Hope averaged below 18 in a 2-1 defeat against England.  Overall, his Test cricket average has slipped to around 26.27.

“He never suggested to me, even with the games where he scored those two wonderful 100s, as far as the red ball is concerned that he is a force to be reckoned with,” the former Combined Campuses and Colleges player turned analyst told the Mason and Guest radio program.

“If I remember correctly, Shai Hope took a long time before he started to score runs in our regional first-class competition and do well…I think we are always looking for heroes.  Certainly, when Shai Hope is on the go, you’d pay your money for two cover drives, but at the end of the day Shai Hope has never suggested permanence at the top,” he added.

“It’s something that at Test level, I keep stressing on his strike rate. He bats about 80 to 90 balls and gets out somewhere between the 15s to 20s.  That suggests more to me, rather than him just having to adjust his mindset, that he is technically flawed.”

Smith believes the break from the team will provide the player with an opportunity to address some of those issues.

The West Indies batting legend, after a few months of battling with an ailment, died at his Christ Church home at around noon.

Already, Cricket West Indies and Barbados Cricket Association president Conde Riley have expressed sadness at the news.

“Sir Everton was one of our greats. He has a massive contribution to Barbados and West Indies cricket. This is a sad time for cricket. We have lost a legend,” said Riley.

In a Tweet less than an hour ago, Cricket West Indies had this to say:

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of an icon. A legend, our hero, Sir Everton Weekes. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and many fans around the world. May he rest in peace.”

Sir Everton Weekes began his international career against England on January 21, 1948, and would go on to enjoy a career spanning 48 Tests in 20 years of service to the regional side.

In that time he would average a remarkable 58.61, score 15 centuries and 19 half-centuries with a highest score of 207.

In combination with Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell, Weekes was a major part of the West Indies transition from being a competitive team to being one of the most dominant units in all of sporting history.

The three Ws, along with George Headley made what used to be a talented but fickle batting line-up, into a picture of consistency.

Hales believes having, Khan, the number-one ranked T20 bowler in their side is a massive boost for an already strong side.

“I have played against Rashid Khan a few times and had a season with him at Sunrisers Hyderabad. Any team that has Rashid Khan in it, you boost your chances of winning the competition,” Hales remarked.

“For me, he and Andre Russell are probably the two best T20 players in the world. So to have Rashid, particularly on the pitches that favour spin in the Caribbean he can an absolute handful. And he is fantastic in the field and obviously smacks a few at the end, so any team that has got him in their ranks seriously boosts their chances of winning.”

Hales is also very optimistic about the addition of Stoinis.

“We have signed Marcus Stoinis as well, and playing against him in the Big Bash, he was in the form of his life and scored runs in every game that he played. We seem to have got an even stronger squad somehow than we did last year. It is really exciting,” he said.

Hales will be linking up again with his Nottinghamshire teammate, Harry Gurney, for the 2020 tournament and he was full of praise for the left-arm seamer, saying he was crucial to their championship win. Gurney arrived for the home leg of the tournament at a time when the Tridents were far from certain of making the playoffs. Hales says his efforts helped guide them to the knockouts and beyond.

“Signing Harry Gurney was massive. He learns his trade on Trent Bridge, which is arguably the flattest pitch it the world. So, for him to bowl on probably bowler-friendly pitches was huge for us for him to come in for the back-end of the tournament.

“He played a massive part in us winning the whole thing. I think we can build on that for next year, knowing that if things don’t quite work out at the start of the tournament you have got time to figure it and not panic. And that is something Jason and Phil did really well, at no point did they get edgy or concerned about playing well at the start. Everyone kept a cool head and we really turned it on when it mattered which is a really good trait in a team.”

The Leewards batting first posted 162 all out in 48 overs, with a half-century for skipper Matthew Miller. He shared in a 63-run partnership with Jaheem Clarke as the pair showed resistance to the spin of Yasir Deen and Alejandro Kassiram. Deen and Kassiram finished with figures of 3/34 and 3/9 respectively.

Lall and Dimitri Ramjattan then posted a 77-run opening partnership before Ramjattan was caught for 19. Trinidad and Tobago lost three more wickets in pursuit of victory, but Yasir Deen nudged the ball for the winning single in the last ball of the 35th over.

In the end, the champions reached 163-4 with Lall making 52 and Zane Maraj 28*. Kunal Tilokani finished with figures of 2/45.

The Windward Islands took home a four-wicket win over Jamaica at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to close of their championship on a winning note. Batting first, Jamaica posted 146 all out in 42.3 overs, thanks to a top score of 39 from Demarco Scott and 36 from Odane Binns. Theo Edward was the pick of the Windward bowlers with figures of 4/27.

Edward then starred with the bat as well with 59 as the Windwards reached 149-6 off 35.5 overs. Nicoli McKenzie, Geovanni Gray and Joel Williams all ended with two wickets for Jamaica.

In the third match, Guyana beat last year’s winners Barbados by seven wickets at Liberta Sports Ground. Batting first, Barbados was all out for 69 in 20.5 overs. Oliver Gooding top-scored for the Bajans with 23. Arun Gainda 3/10, skipper Dave Mohabir 3/13 and Jonathan Mentore 3/14 were the leading bowlers for Guyana.

Mentore then returned to score 17 runs and 14 from Romario Ramdeholl, but it was the 25 runs that came via extras that took Guyana home to a comfortable win at 70-3 in 23 overs. Akobi Crichlow-Byer was the best Barbados bowler with figures of 2/18.

Earsinho Fontaine of the Windward Islands finished as the leading run-scorer with 197 runs while T&T’s Yasir Deen ended with 14 wickets to lead the tournament. In the field, T&T teammates Christiano Ramanan (9) and Scyon Charles (6) led the tournament in dismissals and catches, respectively.

The Jamaicans, who have only managed to score over 150 once in four matches, saw their batting woes continue when they were dismissed for just 102 in 34.4 overs. No Jamaican scratched 20 as Yasir Deen (3-18 off nine overs) and Alejandro Kassiram (3-20 off six overs) were the chief destroyers for T&T.

The chase was a simple one thanks to a second consecutive fifty (50) from Brendan Boodoo and 23* from Zane Maraj. T&T needed only 30.4 overs to reach 106-4 and complete victory.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, defending champions Barbados rebounded from back-to-back losses with an eight-wicket win over the Windward Islands.

Akobi Critchlow-Byer took 4-18 from his 10 overs and Javed Worrell claimed 3-18 from seven as Barbados dismissed the Windwards for 112 in 40.1 overs.

Barbados then faced only 20.2 overs to reach 113-2, completing the easy win. The successful chase was led by Gadson Bowens’ 45* and Oliver Gooding’s rapid 14-ball 25.

Guyana used an excellent bowling effort to complete a huge 101-run win over the Leeward Islands at the Liberta Sports Club.

Guyana used valuable contributions of 28 from Razam Koobir and 22 each from Dave Mohabir and Shane Price to post 154 off 36.5 overs batting first.

Kunal Tilokani took 4-21 off his 10 overs while Jaheem Clarke took 3-21 off seven for the Leewards.

The chase then went horribly for the Leewards with three of their top four batsmen being run out and two more falling to leave them 32-5 in the 12^th over.

Eventually, they were dismissed for 53 in 28.2 overs as Arun Gainda ended with 3-13 off seven overs.

The fifth round takes place on Wednesday with Barbados facing Guyana at the Liberta Sports Club, Jamaica taking on the Windward Islands at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the Leeward Islands facing leaders Trinidad & Tobago at Coolidge.

In a match reduced to 20-overs-per-side due to rain, the Windwards, who comfortably beat the Leewards in their first game, were bowled out for 71 in 18.2 overs.

Only first game centurion Earsinho Fontaine (23) and captain Theo Edward (14) were able to get double figures as the Trinidadian bowling effort was led by Yasir Deen who took 3-9 from four overs and Brendan Boodoo who ended with similar figures.

With the bat, T&T needed just 11.5 overs to reach 75-3 with Zane Maraj and Christian Lall finishing 18* and 7*, respectively. Earlier, Boodoo top scored with 21 while Darrius Batoosingh got 16.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, Guyana got their first win when they defeated Jamaica by 15 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The Guyanese were bowled out for 121 in 42.2 overs in their turn at the crease. Romario Ramdeholl led the way with an unbeaten 54 as Nicoli McKenzie took 4-25 off eight overs and Demarco Scott 3-21 off 10.

A rain delay with Jamaica 13-0 early in their reply meant they ended up needing 112 off 33 overs for victory.

They ended up being bowled out for 96 in the 33^rd over. Tyson Gordon Jr made 23 while Joel Williams finished 19* as Dave Mohabir and Dhanesh Persaud took two wickets, each.

At Coolidge, the Leewards beat Barbados by four wickets via the DLS method.

Batting first, Barbados was restricted to 129 in 41.4 overs. Seth Smith top-scored with 23 and Jakeem Pollard made 19 against Kunal Tilokani’s 4-17 off seven overs and four balls and 3-19 off seven overs from Amoree Jones.

Due to lengthy rain delays, the Leewards’ target was reduced to 78 off 20 overs. They successfully reached 78-6 off 18 overs thanks to 18* from Matthew Miller.

The teams will next be in action on Saturday with the Leeward Islands taking on Jamaica at Liberta Sports Club, Trinidad & Tobago facing Barbados at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Guyana facing the Winward Islands at Coolidge.

At Coolidge, Trinidad & Tobago easily got the better of Guyana by seven wickets. The Guyanese batted first and were only able to make 75 in 32.4 overs.

Yasir Deen and Darrius Batoosingh starred with the ball for the young Trinidadians with 3-8 off four overs and 3-10 off six overs, respectively.

It only took 15.2 overs for T&T to successfully reach their target, finishing 76-3. Christian Lall led the way with 34*.

At the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the Windward Islands beat the Leeward Islands by 99 runs. The Windwards piled up an impressive 263-3 off their 50 overs thanks to a brilliant 130* off 146 balls by Earsinho Fontaine.

They also got healthy contributions from Jonathan Daniel (52) and captain Theo Edward (37).

In reply, the Leewards were dismissed for 164 in 44.1 overs. Jaheem Clarke led the way with 40* while captain Matthew Miller made 26 and Eirette Richards 23 against 3-15 from captain Edward and 3-14 from Elran Glasgow.

At the Liberta Sports Club, Jamaica pulled off an exciting 18-run win over defending champions Barbados.

Batting first, the Jamaicans made a modest 165 off 42.3 overs. Demarco Scott led the way with 49 while Savio Jones got 34 as R’Jai Gittens ripped through the Jamaica line-up to claim 4-24 from his seven overs.

The Barbados chase seemed to be going smoothly at 144-4 in the 36^th over but things quickly went south as they lost their final six wickets for just three runs to be bowled out for 147 in 39 overs.

Gadson Bowens led the wat with 64 while Justin Parris got 47. The Jamaican fightback was led by hero with the bat, Demarco Scott, and Adrian Silvera. Scott took 3-12 in his six overs and Silvera bowled eight overs, finishing with 3-22.

Action continues Friday with Jamaica taking on Guyana at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the Leeward Islands facing Barbados at Coolidge and Trinidad & Tobago battling the Windward Islands at the Liberta Sports Club.

Former West Indies Test and ODI captain Jason Holder was the hero of the day with four wickets in four balls in the final over as the West Indies defended their score of 179-4.

Not surprisingly, Holder was chuffed.

“What a real night last night. I just want to thank each and every fan that came to the stadium yesterday. It was a wonderful feeling seeing everyone back in the stands cheering," he while speaking with the media Monday morning. "Special thank you also to the supporters who travelled all the way from England to support their team. I think both teams played a really good series and it’s good to see the way it ended.”

Holder, who was voted Man-of-the-Series after an excellent return of 15 wickets in five matches, was pleased with the attitude of the team that saw them bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 ODI series defeat to Ireland earlier in January.

“I think it’s been great. After the start we had against Ireland in Jamaica and everybody was really down and deflated, to see the way we bounced back against England, it just shows the character in the dressing room. I think we really pulled together and it’s the first time in a long time it’s felt that close in the dressing room. It’s a great feeling,” he said.

“Hopefully we can continue this and build something special. I think this group has to be the group now, with such young and talented players, to become even closer and get better. I think if we do that, the future of West Indies cricket would be in good hands.”

The West Indies next assignment will be a white-ball tour of India where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is beginning on February 6.

“I think this series is a big series. India, for me, is the best all-round cricket team in the world and they’ve proven that over the last couple of years so to go in their backyard and beat them is not going to be an easy feat but it’s not impossible,” Holder said.

Gayle, this week, lashed out at the fast-bowling great, who said Gayle is not an automatic choice for selection in the West Indies team that will begin the defence of their ICC World T20 title on October 23 against England in Dubai.

Ambrose, speaking on Mason and Guest in Barbados, said Gayle has not had the best of form in a long time and would not walk into a team he would select.

“No, he (Gayle) is not an automatic choice for me. The few home series just played, he had no scores of significance, and I have said before that if he did not do well in those home series, he should not go to the World Cup,” Ambrose said.

“However, he will be at the World Cup, but for me, he is definitely not an automatic choice for starting… If he gets it going on the day, he can be destructive, but he has not done much in the last 18 months or so to really make me think he will set the World Cup alight.”

Gayle reacted angrily saying: “I highly respected him (Ambrose) when I came into the West Indies team. When I just joined the team, I looked up to this man. But I am now speaking from my heart. I don’t know what, since he retired, what he had against Chris Gayle. Those negative things he has been saying within the press, I don’t know if he is looking for attention but he is getting the attention. So I am just giving back the attention which he requires and which he needs.”

However, Richards, one of the greatest ever batsmen, said Ambrose has earned the right to speak.

“It's Curtly’s honest opinion and he’s entitled to that and he is just as much as an achiever as Chris Gayle at the highest level and you should have respect for that,” Richards said.

“So when you hear it’s coming from an individual who would have also been an achiever and being a legend in the department of the sport we would have represented, you must have respect for that too. He is entitled to a voice as well.
He called on Gayle to prove his doubters wrong when the World Cup begins.

“If I was Chris, the best positive way I could look at it would be to set my mind on what I would like to accomplish because it is just not Curtly because there are so many folks who would have had their criticisms about Chris being in the team,” said Richards.

“Prove people wrong and when you do that, that is what proper professionalism is all about.”

Clarke revealed that had shed tears seeing his son lead the West Indies to victory.

“This morning was very special for me. It brought tears to my eyes,” said Clarke in a specially arranged Zoom between father and son that was arranged by CWI.

“I just want to wish you continued success to you and the rest of the team. Continue to work hard. We will stay connected as usual."

In response, Mayers thanked his father who played a dozen first-class matches and five List-A games for Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges between 1999 and 2008 and is now a Level-3 coach.

"You know how hard I was working when I was preparing for this tour in Barbados. You know how I felt about this opportunity. I just want to give you thanks for the help, coaching and making sure I was prepared for this series," Mayers said.

Mayers revealed that he is always in touch with his dad, discussing personal and technical matters. The West Indies hero said he considered himself fortunate to have a coach at home during the pandemic. 

A four-match T20 International (T20I) series, has been agreed, scheduled to start on Wednesday, July 28 at Kensington Oval, Barbados. The first ball is 10am (9am Jamaica Time) for the first match, with the final three to be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Saturday, July 31; Sunday, August 1 and Tuesday, August 3 at 11am (10am Jamaica Time).

The adjustment to the Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup schedule was necessary due to the changes to the fixtures for the ongoing CG Insurance One-Day International (ODI) Series between West Indies and Australia, which are part of the International Cricket Council’s ODI Super League, which concludes on Monday, July 26.

Ricky Skerritt, CWI President said: “Together with the PCB, CWI have examined various scenarios, and we jointly agreed that the best solution in the present circumstances is to cancel the first T20I and play a four-match T20I series starting on Wednesday and keep the rest of the tour schedule unchanged. We want to express our gratitude to the PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani and CEO, Wasim Khan, and the Pakistan team for their understanding in this situation and for agreeing to the revised match schedule. Both teams are in the final stages of preparing for the ICC T20 World Cup, so we anticipate an exciting and entertaining series of games as both teams compete for Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup.”

West Indies, the two-time World Champions (2012 and 2016), are using this series as part of their build-up to the next ICC T20 World Cup which will be played from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. They enter the series on the back of a 4-1 triumph over Australia in the recent CG Insurance T20Is at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia. Pakistan won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2009.

Following the Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup, West Indies and Pakistan will then play two Betway Test matches at Sabina Park in Jamaica from August 12-16 and then from August 20-24. This is the first Test Series for the West Indies in the new 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

July 28: 1st Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Kensington Oval – 10 am local (9 am Jamaica Time)

July 31: 2nd Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 1: 3rd Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 3: 4th Osaka Presents PSO Carient T20 Cup match at Guyana National Stadium – 11 am local (10 am Jamaica)

August 12-16: 1st Betway Test at Sabina Park – 10 am Jamaica Time (11 am Eastern Caribbean)

August 20-24: 2nd Betway Test at Sabina Park – 10 am Jamaica Time (11 am Eastern Caribbean)

Following a dominant 2-1 ODI series win capped by a decisive eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval, the West Indies team heads into this series with renewed confidence. The squad announced for the first two games in Barbados showcases a mix of seasoned T20 stars and in-form players who have excelled in recent competitions.

The squad includes seasoned players such as Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer, alongside the versatile talents of Matthew Forde and Terrance Hinds. Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Shamar Joseph bring further strength to the lineup, while explosive batsmen Brandon King and Evin Lewis add depth at the top. Gudakesh Motie joins Nicholas Pooran, returning with Andre Russell after both missed the recent tour to Sri Lanka, and Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd complete a formidable squad, ready to go for another victorious series in front of home fans.

Guiding the team is Head Coach Daren Sammy, who is joined by Team Manager Rawl Lewis. Supporting Sammy are Rayon Griffith as the fielding coach, Floyd Reifer handling batting responsibilities, and James Franklin overseeing bowling. The team’s physiotherapist is Denis Byam, with Ronald Rogers providing strength and conditioning expertise, while Dane Currency attends to the squad’s massage therapy needs. Avenesh Seetaram contributes his analytical insights as the team analyst, and Jerome Foster will serve as the Media and Content Officer.

The 'Rivalry' series kicks off with two back-to-back matches at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 9 and 10, before moving to Saint Lucia for three more games at the Daren Sammy Stadium on November 14, 16, and 17. Fans across the Caribbean are set for an action-packed series as the West Indies aim to extend their undefeated home streak in T20Is, facing off against a challenging England squad in what promises to be a thrilling display of cricket.

Salt edged his second ball past slip but took two more fours in the opening over off Akeal Hosein in a rollicking start as he put on 77 in 6.1 overs with captain Jos Buttler (39 off 31 deliveries).

A 200-plus total looked to be there for the taking but they lost their way after Buttler holed out, collapsing to 171 all out in 19.3 overs after losing their last eight wickets for just 54 runs.

It was particularly gruesome at the back end as England lost their last five wickets for six runs in 15 balls.

The Windies’ fightback was led by Andre Russell, who marked his first international since the T20 World Cup with format-best figures of three for 19, including the wicket of Salt, caught on the boundary.

Jacks whacked back-to-back sixes off the expensive Alzarri Joseph, who conceded 54 in 3.3 overs including 26 in a nine-ball first over, but went for one hit too many and departed for 17 off nine.

Buttler never really got going before he was caught in the deep and England, who lost the ODI series 2-1, never really recovered. Their last 10 overs contained four boundaries and just 59 runs.

Liam Livingstone contributed 27 off 19 but chopped Russell’s slower ball on to his stumps while Adil Rashid, making his 100th T20 appearance, saw his off-stump taken out by Joseph, who finished with two in two and a three-wicket haul overall after Tymal Mills nicked off.

England, after a rough start that left them reeling at 24 for 4, rallied to post a competitive 263 for 8, thanks largely to Phil Salt’s 74 and Dan Mousley’s inventive 57. Jamie Overton contributed a brisk 32 off 21 balls, and Jofra Archer added firepower with an unbeaten 38 off just 17 deliveries. Despite their efforts, the West Indies bowlers had already left a mark, with Alzarri Joseph (2 for 40) and Romario Shepherd (2 for 48) taking key early wickets alongside Matthew Forde’s standout 3 for 35.

In reply, West Indies wasted no time asserting dominance. Brandon King launched into Jofra Archer’s first over, slamming consecutive boundaries to set the tone. Although Evin Lewis was dismissed for 19, King and Carty anchored the innings with a record-breaking 209-run partnership, the highest for West Indies against England in ODI cricket. King, who benefitted from two dropped catches, reached his third ODI hundred before being bowled for 102 with just 13 runs needed. Carty’s unbeaten 128 off 97 balls was a maiden ODI century, making him the first cricketer from St. Maarten to reach three figures for West Indies.

The win, secured with ample overs to spare, highlighted the potent combination of West Indies’ bowling strength and the emerging batting prowess of Carty and King, who have undoubtedly set a high standard for the future of Caribbean cricket.