West Indies

Chasing 203, Will Jacks put England into the ascendancy with a sparkling 73 off 72 balls, including four sixes and six fours, but his downfall left the tourists wobbling on 116 for four in the 20th over.

Buttler, who had been averaging 14.1 since the start of a miserable World Cup for himself and his team, gradually bloomed and his unbeaten 58 off 45 deliveries – his first fifty in 14 ODIs – sealed England’s six-wicket win.

Harry Brook finished on 43 not out as England prevailed with 17.1 overs to spare although the architect of them ensuring a decider in Barbados on Saturday was Curran, who took three for 33 in seven overs.

Having recorded the most expensive figures by an England bowler in Sunday’s four-wicket defeat, leaking 98 runs in 9.5 overs, the left-arm seamer snared top-order trio Keacy Carty, Brandon King and Shimron Hetmyer.

After the Windies lurched to 23 for four, captain Shai Hope did his bit for nominative determinism, following up his match-winning ton a few days ago with a run-a-ball 68 and rookie Sherfane Rutherford chipped in with 63 before the pair were dismissed by Liam Livingstone, who took three for 39.

Curran was initially wayward again and belted for three fours by King but an opening stand that put on 104 on Sunday was snuffed out for 15 here after Gus Atkinson scythed through Alick Athanaze, with England’s review for caught behind showing a big snick on UltraEdge.

Curran’s fortunes shifted as angled deliveries took the edges of Carty and King to Zak Crawley before Hetmyer was rapped on the back pad by a fuller ball. The not-out verdict was overturned after Ben Duckett seemed to persuade Buttler into sending the decision upstairs.

Curran’s three wickets in eight balls left Hope and Rutherford, in his second ODI, with a mountainous rebuild. A 129-run stand followed as smoke from the barbecue vendors beyond the stands occasionally drifted across the ground, Hope settling with three straight driven fours in an Atkinson over.

Brydon Carse was taken the distance by Hope as the partnership grew, with both Windies batters going past fifties, Rutherford doing so with a mighty heave off the otherwise parsimonious Rehan Ahmed.

Having been held back until the 26th over, Livingstone broke the union when Rutherford drove loosely to Phil Salt in the ring while Yannic Cariah was castled through the gate by a floaty off-spinner.

Livingstone had the big fish with a precision piece of bowling, his leg-spinner leaving Hope in two minds, missing an indeterminate prod and his off-stump as a consequence.

Livingstone’s figures were dented by Romario Shepherd’s four fours in an over but the Windies subsided after he holed out to Rehan, whose figures of 10-1-40-2 were identical to what he recorded on Sunday.

Despite tricky conditions, Salt and Jacks were authoritative from the off, evoking the spirit of predecessors Jason Roy and first Alex Hales then Jonny Bairstow.

The pair rode their luck, edging wide of slip off Alzarri Joseph before Salt’s luck ran out on 21, bowled by Shepherd, after a 50-run stand.

The early battle between Joseph and Jacks was worth the entry fee alone. A rising snorter took Jacks’ glove and ballooned over Hope but the opener responded by hammering over backward square-leg and then repeated the trick off Shepherd. Jacks then smeared Oshane Thomas over backward point for a third six.

Crawley chopped on off Gudakesh Motie, who found the glove when Duckett went for a customary sweep before Brook edged agonisingly short of slip from his first ball as tension crept in.

Nerves may have been jangling when Jacks was lbw to one that kept low from Rutherford, bringing out Buttler, who had been dismissed for single figures in five of his previous eight innings.

He made a cagey start and was beaten twice on the outside edge by leg-spinner Cariah but he steadily grew in confidence alongside Brook.

A whipped four off Joseph was followed by a skip down the track and thump for back-to-back sixes off Cariah as Buttler started to find some rhythm.

The second of those monstrous blows was measured at 94 metres before another mighty mow off Thomas brought up a 43-ball half-century. Buttler took 16 off that Thomas over to level the scores.

It was left to Brook to get over the line and he did so by sweeping Motie behind square for four in the 33rd over.

Three days on from being belted for 98 in 9.5 overs – the most expensive ODI figures by an England bowler – Curran snared top-order trio Brandon King, Keacy Carty and Shimron Hetmyer.

Windies captain Shai Hope did his bit for nominative determinism after his side had slipped to 23 for four, following up his match-winning hundred in the series opener with a crucial 68 at the same venue.

Hope put on 129 in 138 balls with Sherfane Rutherford but Liam Livingstone took out both en route to figures of 6-0-39-3 to make sure Curran’s three for 33 were not wasted on a fresh strip.

The England all-rounders endured a poor World Cup, with Livingstone averaging 10 with the bat while Curran was dropped after three anonymous performances and his woes followed him to the Caribbean.

But England persisted with the pair and named an unchanged side from the one beaten by four wickets on Sunday, and were rewarded as they look to take this series to a decider in Barbados on Saturday.

Curran was driven for fours in each of his first three overs by King but Gus Atkinson made the breakthrough by jagging one back through Alick Athanaze. It appeared the ball missed everything en route to a diving Jos Buttler but England’s review was vindicated by a snick on UltraEdge.

A partnership that put on 104 at the weekend was snuffed out for 15 and it got better for England as Carty aimed a cross-batted shot at Curran only to top-edge through to Zak Crawley at slip.

The duo combined again as Curran gained revenge over King following an indeterminate push while the left-arm seamer had big-hitting left-hander Hetmyer lbw later in the over.

Buttler was persuaded to review by Ben Duckett after Hetmyer was pinned on the back pad by a fuller delivery and HawkEye predicted the ball would have clattered into leg-stump.

Having lost their first four wickets in 20 balls, the Windies relied on skipper Hope and Rutherford, in his second ODI, to rebuild. Hope drove fluently and took three straight fours off Atkinson in the over while his more junior partner was initially content to swim in his captain’s slipstream.

Will Jacks was given his first bowl of the series, having been curiously overlooked on Sunday, but conceded 27 in four innocuous overs while Brydon Carse was belted back over his head for six.

As the smoke from the barbecue vendors beyond the stands drifted across the ground, the partnership had extended well into three figures, with both batters going past 50 before Livingstone, held back until the 26th over, ended the union as Rutherford drove loosely to Phil Salt in the ring.

Yannic Cariah was then castled through the gate by a floaty off-spinner from Livingstone, who produced a precision piece of bowling to leave Hope in two minds as he was beaten through bat and pad.

Livingstone had his figures spoiled slightly as Romario Shepherd took four fours in five balls off the all-rounder before perishing in the deep for 19 after looking to take down Rehan Ahmed.

The Windies got past 200 but they had 10 overs unused as Atkinson bookended the innings, taking a return catch after Alzarri Joseph top-edged straight up in the air.

Sammy, a former West Indies captain who led the regional side to World T20 triumphs in 2012 and 2016, was hired earlier this month as coach of the West Indies ODI and T20I sides despite not having a level 3 coaching certificate.

The former all-rounder previously coached Pakistan Super League (PSL) outfit Peshawar Zalmi in 2020 and 2021 before returning for the 2023 season. He also coached the St. Lucia Kings in the 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Despite this, critics have said his hiring as Windies head coach sets a bad precedent but the 39-year-old says he is “blocking out the noise” and focusing on the task at hand, returning the West Indies back to the top of the white-ball game.

“I’ve made it known; coaching was not something I aspired to do during my playing days but it’s a role that actually chose me. I’m a work in progress. I am aware of all those things,” Sammy said during a press conference on Friday.

“I understand the challenges ahead of me but I also believe in the impact and the effect that I could have on this generation right now and I will not let my lack of a certificate stop me from taking on the challenges that I know that I’m equipped to handle,” Sammy added before clarifying that he has, in fact, began the process of attaining the certificate.

“I have already started the process to be certified and, during that process, working with the West Indies team, working with further developing myself as a coach in terms of the qualifications needed,” he said.

“Don’t think for one minute that I will ever question myself that I’m not fit to do this job,” Sammy added.

His first two assignments will come next month when the West Indies battle the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before they head to Zimbabwe to take part in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9.

The 37-year-old Sammy led the regional team to the T20 World title in 2012 and 2016, memorably criticising the then administration after claiming the latter title.

Earlier this year, Sammy stepped aside from Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team St Lucia Zouks, moving behind the scenes to become a T20 cricket consultant and brand ambassador.  He is also the current head coach of Pakistan Super League (PSL) team Peshawar Zalmi.

According to Cricket West Indies (CWI), it is hoped the appointment of the former captain will provide a fresh and youthful perspective to some of the challenges faced by the board.

“I am delighted to welcome Daren Sammy as an independent, non-member Director whose role will be to ensure that all the right questions are being asked while contributing to the shaping of new ideas and solutions. Daren’s fairly recent experience as a two-time World Cup-winning captain will bring with him a much-needed modern-day cricketer’s perspective, which should add valuable insights to Board discussions and decision-making. His appointment is testament to our commitment to strengthen CWI’s governance, and to utilize expertise from across all stakeholder groups,” CWI president Ricky Skerritt said.

For his part, Sammy expressed delight with the opportunity to continue playing an active role in West Indies cricket.

“It is an honour to be appointed as a CWI Director; this is another great opportunity for me to give my best to West Indies cricket in a new way, off the field. All my local, regional, and international experiences have prepared me to make a significant ongoing impact in West Indies cricket. I am excited and thankful for the chance to serve and look forward to giving back to the sport and region that I love so much,” Sammy said.

Sammy is one of three appointed Independent Directors approved at last Thursday’s CWI Board of Directors’ meeting.  The appointees will serve for the next two years. He joins Trinidadian Attorney Mrs. Debra Coryat-Patton and Jamaican Surgeon and University Administrator, Dr. Akshai Mansingh, who were both re-appointed to serve a second term.

The issue of societal racial inequality barged its way into public discourse after an unarmed African American man, George Floyd, was killed in the United States by white police officers a few months ago. 

As part of the process of reckoning, Sammy had himself reacted with anger when he discovered that the name previously used to refer to him by Indian Premier League (IPL) teammates, a few seasons ago, was the equivalent of the derogatory term ‘blackie.’  Since then, several players have admitted that they too have been impacted by racism in the sport.  Sammy, who has found himself at the forefront of the cricket movement, believes a lot more can be done to address the issue.

 “We made the recommendations.  You know racism is real. It’s not something that we can hide,” Sammy told Reuters news agency in a recent interview.

“So I urge them, the same emphasis they put on protecting the integrity of the game.  Why not protect the integrity of the human being?”

Sammy chose to help in a fairly unique way, recognizing that medical workers, on the job for long hours do not have the time to stock up on essentials the way other members of the society in St Lucia do.

With that in mind, the big-hitting all-rounder visited the Saint Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, where he donated thousands of dollars worth of supplies to 23 medical workers.

“We can all do our part whether it is reaching out to an elderly person in your community or just saying thank you to the many healthcare professionals who are on the front-line,” said Sammy in a press release from his Daren Sammy Foundation.

Sammy also made a call for others to find ways of aiding in the fight against COVID-19, saying it was important to appreciate the hard work of the healthcare professionals in what are ‘extraordinary times’.

The former West Indies captain, 36, played for Sunrisers between 2013 and 2014 and says he will be questioning his former team-mates over the "degrading" jibe.

Sammy's comments come amid the Black Lives Matter movement, which has seen anti-racism protests around the world following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.

He wrote in an Instagram story on Saturday: "Oh so that's what that meant when they called me and Thisara Perera Kalu in India when we played for Sunrisers. 

"I just thought they were calling me strong black man - I’m more piss now."

He added: "I just learnt what that kalu meant. When I played for Sunrisers in the IPL, they called me and Perera by that name. 

"I thought it meant strong Stallion. My previous post tells me something different and I am angry."

Sammy followed up with social media posts and a video on Monday, writing: "Knowledge is power. So recently I discovered a word that I was being called was not what it actually meant I need some answers. 

"So before I start calling out names I need these individuals to reach out and please tell me there's another meaning to that word and when I was being called it, it was all in love."

He added hashtags titled blackandproud, blackandconfident, clarasboy, saynotoracism, stopracism, cricketer and stlucia.

Sammy continued: "I was listening to Hasan Minhaj talking about how some of the people in his culture view or describe black people.

"Instantly I remembered when I played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 and 2014, I was being called the exact same word that he described.

"I will be messaging those people - you guys know who you are. I must admit, at the time in which I was being called that, I did not know what it meant. 

"Me being a team man, I thought, hey, team-mates are happy, it must be something funny. You can understand my frustration and my anger when it was pointed out to me that it wasn't funny at all, it was degrading.

"So, I'm going to be texting you guys, and asking you guys, when you repeatedly called me that word over and over again to the point that I was even saying that's my name, did you all mean it in any way, shape or form as a degrading word to me.

"Reach out to me, let's have a conversation. Because, if it was in any way, shape or form what Minhaj said it meant, I'm very disappointed, and I'll still be angry, and deserve an apology from you guys, because I saw all of you guys as my brothers.

"So, talk to me, reach out to me, please clear the air."

Two of his team-mates in that period, Irfan Pathan and Parvez Rasool, have insisted they have no knowledge of the word being used.

"If something like that would have happened then it would have come to notice or a team discussion would have happened on the topic," Pathan told the Indian Express.

"I am not aware of any such incident and he [Sammy] has to take responsibility for his comments. 

"But I have seen some issues in domestic cricket. I think the real issue is education and society needs to learn."

Rasool added: "I never noticed anything like this. Sammy was my captain for one match during the season but he never told me anything like that.

"As a team, we had a very healthy environment and were a happy bunch of cricketers." 

Sammy, 39, was hired as West Indies coach in May, with his first assignments coming very soon when the West Indies tackle the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before attempting to secure a spot in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup set for India from October 5-November 19 when they contest the ICC World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9 in Zimbabwe.

The St. Lucian former West Indies captain has previously coached the likes of Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and the St. Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.

The former all-rounder says his coaching style will be similar to his leadership style during his playing days.

“My coaching style is similar to my leadership/captaincy style. The first thing I said when I spoke to my staff is that when we pack our bags, just leave the ego at home. Pack everything else but leave the ego at home. That’s how I’ve lived my life,” Sammy said.

“Yes. I’m the head coach, but it takes a team effort in order to move things forward. I believe myself and the captain must be in sync with the way we want to play. Also, the selection panel, everybody must understand what the plan and the vision is for the team and it will take all of us to make it happen” Sammy added.

He also outlined that delegation will not be a big part of his philosophy as head coach, instead promoting a more inclusive approach to preparing the team.

“On the ground, I have to be a part of the system. I will not be true to myself if I said ‘hey, you take on this now.’ I have the head coach role by name but it doesn’t mean I’m going to designate; I’ve never been that type of leader. I’ve always incorporated everyone into the world and the job that has to be done. That’s why it’s a team. It’s not Tennis or Golf.”

With his inexperience in the role of head coach in mind, Sammy said he plans to use methods learned from the large number of head coaches he played under during his career to develop his own coaching style and methods.

He did, however, single out two coaches he reached out to for guidance, namely former West Indies coaches Otis Gibson and Phil Simmons.

“The number of coaches I’ve worked through throughout my career, whether it be through franchise cricket, the West Indies team or different teams I’ve played for, I’ve gathered so much knowledge. I see the good things they do that I can implement for myself,” he said.

“Otis Gibson and I are quite close. We’ve always been in contact from way before he came into the setup. We had a very good relationship in terms of planning the cricket and how we presented to the guys. I also worked with Phil (Simmons) and we won a Championship together so everybody has their own styles,” Sammy added.

In fact, Sammy pointed out that players are already aware of the direction he wants to go with the regional outfit and believes the ongoing ICC World Cup qualifiers represents the perfect place to start consistently improving the quality of their play and, by extension, maintain some semblance of respect for themselves.

West Indies, who are hunting one of two places to the 50-over World Cup in India in October, won their opening game against United States by 39 runs at the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. 

Prior to that, they registered a 3-0 series sweep of United Arab Emirates, followed by warm-up victories over the same opponent, as well as Scotland. 

"I am quite happy with the way we are going the six games that we have played we have taken steps in trying to play the brand of cricket that we want to play. So, it's about sticking to our guns and the plans we put in place and committing to the execution," Sammy said.

"In the first (qualifying) game against USA we got the win that we needed, it was a great start to the tournament, but we have so much more in the tank. The guys weren't happy with the way they played which is good sign for us, we keep challenging ourselves and it's still a work in progress trying to find the identity of our cricket moving forward but I was pleased with the victory," he added.

It is obvious why Sammy took pleasure in the win given what is at stake, but where the overall performance is concerned, the former captain and all-rounder, who took over the reins late last month, was left with a mixed bag.

This, as West Indies, a two-time world champion, recovered from the early loss of openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers, with four players hitting half-centuries in their 297 all out in 49.3 overs.

Johnson Charles top scored with 66, while Jason Holder (56), Roston Chase (55) and captain Shai Hope (54) all did some damage, while Nicholas Pooran also chipped in with 43 runs.

Gajanand Singh had an unbeaten 101 off 109 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, for the US team, but it wasn't enough to overhaul West Indies total.

"I listened the captain's post-match interview and ideally, you would want one of them to score big hundred, but he was happier that performances came from different batsmen in the group. You look at Brandon King who has been playing well, didn't get a score and Kyle Mayers didn’t get a score so it's a good sign for us that as a group, even though we were under pressure, we came back strongly. 

"Ideally you would want one of those (batsmen) to convert (50s) into hundred and we as a team celebrate the milestones after. But the guys are preparing well, they are hitting lots of balls and they understand the direction the team wants to go in as a batting unit," Sammy shared.

"Again, I say it's early days but once the mindset is to get to what we want to do as a team, I believe you will see improvements in the days to come. So again, it's a work in progress and with the ball we created a couple opportunities, but we dropped a few catches that could have affected us in the bigger scheme of things," the St Lucian noted.

West Indies are currently second in Group A on four points, two behind Zimbabwe, who defeated Nepal and Netherlands in their two fixtures to date. Sri Lanka, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Scotland and Ireland are contesting Group B.

However, West Indies are set to square off against Nepal on Thursday and if the confidence exuded by Sammy is anything to go by, then another two points is already in the bag for the regional side. Nepal currently occupies third position on two points, following victory over US.

"Nepal is a team that is on the rise, and they have been playing good cricket, so again we respect all our opponents, but we focus on the things that we do as a team or the direction and brand of cricket that we want to play. Whenever we bat that new ball, we have to make sure the opposition don't get too much ahead when the new ball comes. 

"I thought we could have had more intent (against US) because that's one of the things we have been talking about as a batting group...intent to score and when I say that it's not necessarily looking only for boundaries but looking for scoring opportunities and when you do get the good balls, you can still get the rotation of strike going. It all boils down in our preparation which we have been doing well and I have full confidence and belief in the men that they will go out and do themselves and the region proud," Sammy declared.

On that note, he shared his views on the effects of the early start which he expects the top order, in particular, to better navigate on this occasion, if they lose the toss and are asked to take first strike. 

"We knew it, anywhere in the world a 9:00am start will pose a challenge with the new ball to the batters, so whoever wins the toss will most likely want to bowl first. But our focus as a batting group is to understand the challenge that the new ball poses and making sure that the opposition doesn't get on top of us," Sammy reasoned.

"Our skills will come into play but as you have seen in all the games, once we survive that new ball period, there are plenty of runs on offer and for us as a batting group, it is just to limit the damage or the threat that new ball poses up front. But again, the way the guys have prepared, I expect the challenges to be met with good consistency and good skills from my men," he ended.

The 36-year-old successfully captained the regional team to two T20 World Cup titles in the 2012 and 2016 tournaments.  The player has, however, not represented the regional team since a Pakistan versus World-XI match in 2017.  On that occasion, several players opted not to take part in the tournament.

After criticism of the then West Indies Cricket Board in 2016, following the end of the tournament, Sammy was dropped from the team as well as relieved of the captaincy.

“The main focus is to do well for the Zouks, and that will raise eyebrows in terms of West Indies selection,” Sammy told members of the media.

“I am in a very good place mentally. I am not under any pressure to perform and keep my spot, so I am just here to elevate the youngsters, and I think I am closer to the end,” he added.

Sammy will represent the St Lucia Zouks at this season's Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament, as the team looks to claim a maiden title. T20 star Chris Gayle had been expected to boost those hopes after signing for the Zouks earlier this year, but later opted out of the tournament.

The 36-year-old allrounder has become a popular figure in the country, where he has captained Pakistan Super League (PSL) Peshawar Zalmi to the title.  The player has, however, been recognized for an even more important contribution and that is his prominent role in advocating for the return of international cricket to Pakistan.

The country was blacklisted as a destination for international cricket in 2009 after a horrific attack on the Sri Lankan team bus outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.  International cricket, however, returned to the country in 2017, with Test cricket returning last year.

Sammy was the first player to agree to tour Pakistan when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) attempted to bring the PSL final to the country.

When an ICC World XI was lined up to tour Pakistan for three T20Is in September 2017, it was Sammy who spoke as part of that squad to the other tourists as part of a security briefing.

The idea of honourary citizenship was first broached by Javed Afridi, the owner of Peshawar Zalmi.  The PCB then followed up with the federal government and the honour was accepted.  Sammy will also receive the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country's top civilian award, on March 23 in Islamabad.

Fans of the regional side have had a tough time of in in the last month, especially, having to watch the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup which the West Indies failed to qualify for in June.

The West Indies followed up that disappointment with a 1-2 series loss to India from July 27-August 1.

“Being able to address you as the Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s white ball team is something I’ll always cherish,” Sammy wrote in a letter addressed to the public on Monday.

“Having experienced the joys of playing, I saw how we came together as one when I was your captain. I know and believe we can achieve greater things so I welcome you once again to be part of the Home Team as we face England in the upcoming series,” he continued.

From December 3^rd -December 21^st, the West Indies will take on England in three ODIs and five T20Is in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad & Tobago.

“It always feels great to see the West Indies flags flying, hearing our music and seeing the dancing in the stands as we celebrate what is truly a unique way of watching the game in this part of the world,” Sammy said.

He continued, “Every match; no matter where we play, no matter who we play against; has the ability to create history and a lasting legacy. I know the feeling: we saw it in 2012 in Sri Lanka and we witnessed it again in 2016 in India.”

Sammy concluded that he hopes to see the stands filled with maroon as his side hopes to begin the journey to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

“I want to urge you to join your ‘Home’ team and rally round the West Indies when WI come home to face England in December. Let’s fill the stands with our pride and joy; let’s paint the town Maroon and have a blessed Christmas season on and off the field,” he said.

Badree said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be asked by CWI to join the team and work with this great group of players in South Africa for the white ball leg of the tour.” Badree, who has previously assisted CWI as a spin bowling consultant and worked in the IPL, believes this opportunity to be “a continuation and an extension of that”.

He added: “I look forward to catching up with the players, some who I played with and most I already know, as we seek to acquit ourselves well on what is expected to be a challenging tour of South Africa. I also look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with the players as we look to bring some positive results to our loyal fans.”

Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket said: “I’m happy that Samuel is going to be spending time with our white ball teams in South Africa. He brings plenty of international experience and a strong desire to assist our slow bowlers in becoming world class. We believe this combination makes him ideally placed to add tremendous value to our support staff in South Africa, and specifically for our slow bowlers."

Badree is a two-time T20 World Cup winner. He played a vital role in both T20 World Cup winning campaigns in Sri Lanka in 2012 and in India in 2016. He played 52 T20Is and picked up 56 wickets between 2012 and 2018 – during which time he was the world’s Number 1 ranked bowler in the T20 format. 

West Indies are presently in South Africa playing in a two-match Test Series ahead of the white ball Series. The first Test at SuperSports Park in Centurion ended last Thursday. The Proteas won by 87 runs. The second Test starts on Wednesday 8 March at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

The white ball matches start on 16 March with the first ODI at Buffalo Park in East London. The T20Is start on 25 March at SuperSports Park. 

West Indies white ball match schedule

16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom 

25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion

26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)

The 40-year-old former batsman retired from the sport in 2020 but was charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching the anti-corruption code during his participation in the 2019 T10 league.

Samuels was charged on four counts of breaching the code relating to:

A breach of Article 2.4.2 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the Participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.

A breach of Article 2.4.3 - Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official receipt of hospitality with a value of US $750 or more.

Breaches of Article 2.4.6 – Failing to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation.

Breaches of Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.

Samuels who had 14 days to contest the charges has since hired legal representation and informed the ICC of his intent to content the allegations brought against him.

On Monday, the GCB elected Guyana businessman Bissoondyal Singh to the post of president of the association, with Rabindranauth Saywack and Hilbert Foster set to serve as vice-presidents and Ronald Williams named secretary.

Sanasie is part of a two-man slate set to challenge incumbent vice CWI president Ricky Skerritt, with Barbados’ Calvin Hope set to challenge Shallow for the vice-presidency.  Following the election, however, Sanasie would no longer be a member of the board, and as such speculation arose regarding the future of the challenge.  Shallow, however, expects Sanasie to be on the slate when the election takes place on April 11.

“Independent persons can be nominated for the post of president and vice-president, so he is not automatically disqualified,” Shallow explained.

“You don’t have to be a voting member or a shareholder to be eligible to be a candidate and that means both his and the nomination of his running mate would stand at this point,” he added.

The CWI elections were scheduled to be held last weekend but was postponed after a quorum could not be reached, following the absence of representatives from Guyana and Barbados.

Speaking on the Mason and Guest radio program, the Guyanese board member revealed that he had launched a formal complaint, written to CWI Corporate Secretary Alanna Medford-Sigh.

Sanasie’s grouse stems from allegations that Skerritt held a meeting with Guyana’s Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jr without convening the full board.  He further contents that the decisions taken at the meeting were deliberately made to give Skerritt an unfair advantage in his bid to secure re-election.

Neither Sanasie nor his running mate Calvin Hope of Barbados had been notified of the meeting.  If the complaint is brought before the committee and found to be valid by the group, chaired by Caribbean Court of Justice Judge Winston Anderson, Skerritt could be disqualified for seeking re-election. 

Skerritt and his running mate Dr Kishore Shallow will be seeking a second two-year team.  The due took charge in 2018 after defeating then-incumbent Dave Cameron and his vice president Emmanuel Nanthan.  The election takes place on March 28.

Doubts had been raised regarding the viability of the former secretary of the GCB’s candidacy, following the election of a new executive on Monday.  Losing his position on the CWI board would not necessarily have meant the end of Sanasie’s candidacy but serious doubts were raised regarding the ability to garner support from his home country.  Sanasie's running mate, Calivn Hope of Barbados, also announced his withdrawal.

The deposed official, however, continues to question the legitimacy of the election that he claims were influenced by partisan actions on the part of the Guyana sports minister.

“Unjust, irregular, imprudent and hasty actions taken by the partisan and compromised Minister of Sport in Guyana, Mr. Charles Ramson Jr, have led to dubious GCB elections being held and a new group purporting to be the new executive installed. I am advised by my legal team that these elections cannot withstand judicial scrutiny which may arise and which have every possibility of prevailing. It should also be noted that the court-ordered Demerara Cricket Board election is very likely to be set aside,” Sanasie stated in the press realease.

He went on to claim that the meetings with the sports minister were held without the then nominated GCB directors despite their objections.  Sanasie also claimed that there was attempted impropriety at last week’s CWI annual general meeting, which was to feature the leadership election.

“…there was an attempt to hold an Annual General Meeting and Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections without critical requirements outlined by the Articles of Association being complied with. This attempt, until it was thwarted at the last minute, remains cause for serious concern by those who have an interest in good governance of CWI. A major scandal was averted by the judicious and prudent actions of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the Guyana Cricket Board to save CWI global embarrassment and ridicule.”

He, however, also extended congratulations to incumbent president Ricky Skerritt who will head into next weekend’s elections unopposed.

“Consequently, I take this opportunity to extend congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Ricky Skerritt since he will be uncontested. I urge that more deliberate efforts be made to strengthen the finances of CWI and to improve in the areas of prudent fiscal management, accountability and transparency. I also urge that greater respect be accorded to Territorial Boards and that there is considerably more inclusivity in executive decision making and corporate governance.”

The panels are led by the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes and Robert Haynes respectively.  Sarwan will be stepping down from his current role as Chairman of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Senior Selection Panel to focus on this role and avoid any conflict of interest.

“I am delighted to confirm that Ramnaresh Sarwan has agreed to accept the post of selector on CWI’s Men’s Senior and Youth Panels. He is a student of the game and knows what is required of our young cricketers in order to achieve international success. The Board of Directors are confident that Mr. Sarwan will add enormous value to the cricket system,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt, reacting to the appointment.

Sarwan, a former West Indies captain who had an international career spanning over a decade, also reacted to his appointment to the panels.

“I want to thank CWI and everyone involved for giving me this opportunity to again serve West Indies cricket, as a member of the selection panels. I’m passionate about the game of cricket and especially West Indies cricket and once asked to contribute, I didn’t hesitate. I look forward to working with my colleagues, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes and Mr Robert Haynes, and the two Head Coaches, as well as everyone else involved in the development of this sport we love and respect so much,” he said.

Sarwan will be a member of the Men’s Senior and Youth Selection Panels until 30 June 2024, a period that includes four ICC Global Events, two T20 World Cups (2022 & 2024), the Cricket World Cup (2023), and the World Test Championship Final (2023).

He played 81 Test matches, 181 One-Day Internationals, and 18 T20 Internationals for the West Indies between 2000 and 2013.

He scored 5842 runs in Tests, including 15 centuries, and 5804 runs in ODIs, including five centuries, and was a member of the West Indies team which won the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2004.

Sammy, also a former West Indies Captain, was hired as the regional side’s new white-ball head coach in May.

The 39-year-old, who has coached the likes of Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL and the St. Lucia Kings in the CPL, was hired by CWI despite not having a level III (3) coaching certificate. Sarwan, in a social media post on Wednesday, questioned the process that went into hiring Sammy.

“Twenty-two persons were interviewed for the white ball coaching position. However, two were shortlisted. The big question is why were the other twenty persons/coaches not made known to CWI directors, and also, why is this a big secret and being kept away from the cricketing public? In the interest of transparency, those names should have been made available, at least to directors of CWI,” Sarwan wrote.

The 42-year-old then went on to question how Sammy got the job over Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was the other man shortlisted for the job, despite the fact that Chanderpaul is fully qualified and Sammy isn’t. Chanderpaul, 48, most recently coached the USA Women's Under-19 team and coached the Jamaica Tallawahs to CPL glory in 2022.

“The two coaches shortlisted by the President (headed) committee were Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Daren Sammy. Chanderpaul is fully qualified with a level III certificate and Sammy has almost zero coaching qualifications. Shockingly, Daren Sammy confirmed as coach. How is this possible? The President has a professional and moral obligation to the Caribbean people and, without delay, make public the criteria/method used for the selection of the coach,” Sarwan said.

Sammy’s first two assignments will come this month with three ODIs against the UAE before taking part in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

With two rounds already in the books for the shortened season, the Scorpions will have plenty of work to obtain a satisfactory finish.   On the back of some lukewarm performances, the Jamaica franchise finds itself at the foot of the six-team standings having earned just 8.8 points they have so far.

In that regard, the team has added two batsmen, in West Indies batsman Brandon King and wicketkeeper Aldane Thomas who it is hoped will provide the team with added impetus heading into next Wednesday’s fixtures against the Windward Islands in Trinidad & Tobago.  Coley, however, also believes a change of attitude will be needed to turn things around.

“We are not just looking or starts but to transfer and to translate that into bigger scores, into bigger team partnerships and actually spending time (at the crease),” Coley told members of the media on Friday.

“We are a team that if you look at our record or even the first two games, our run rate has always been healthy.  We just now have to bat time and accept personal responsibility, from a batting standpoint and build more significant partnerships.”