West Indies

After an exceptional start in the first round, having gathered all eight points from their four matches to top Group D, and making into the Super Eights as a serious title contender, West Indies witnessed a dip in form against England, and South Africa. This cost them their semi-final berth.

Still, captain Powell is proud of how the team progressed throughout the year, moving up the ladder to third place in June 2024 [a recent loss saw them drop a position] in the ICC Men’s T20 International Team Rankings.

“I think the cricket we have played in the last 12 months or so is commendable," stated Powell in the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Credit has to be given to the team. If you can take a year to move from number nine to number three in the world, that's tremendous work."

West Indies put up quite a show during the tournament, with a number of home players firing up the crowd's imagination. There were brilliant wins over New Zealand and Afghanistan.

The West Indies captain shared his joy in seeing a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again.

“We haven't won the World Cup, but there was a lot of improvement. There's a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again about West Indies cricket. We have done some very good things over the last 12 months.”

“Now is where the work starts. It's for us to continue to work as a group, still be tight, and hopefully, just hopefully, we can continue to climb the rankings and make the Caribbean people proud.”

Powell acknowledged the support they received on and off the field during the home World Cup and identified it as a sign that the team was headed in the right direction.

“That (the support) has been fantastic. For all the venues that we have played, for all the social media likes and stuff that people have given us, we as a team really appreciate it.”

Emphasizing on comeback of the West Indies’ cricketing culture, he added, “It's good to see that some buzz is back in the Caribbean for cricket, because we know how long that has died down. Now people are rallying around the West Indies as they do. Now, when we hear the anthem play, as players we feel something. I think that is heading in the right direction.”

The Windies succumbed to a disheartening loss against South Africa to step back from the tournament as they failed to defend a target of 123, in 17 overs (DLS).

A poor batting display kept them restricted to 135 runs in 20 overs, with Roston Chase (52 runs in 42 balls) bagging himself a half century. With the ball, Alzarri Joseph, Andre Russell, and Chase did an excellent job picking up a total of seven wickets between them but thanks to a composed finish from Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada, the South Africans took home a three-wicket win with five balls to spare.

Though dismayed at this outing, Powell credited his side for their spirit.

“As a batting group, this is one batting performance we'll try our best to forget. I think we didn't bat well in the middle overs especially," Powell said.

"You see both teams bat on the wicket. Obviously, it wasn't an easy wicket, especially to get started. I think it was a commendable bowling effort. 130 (135) at the halfway mark, we said we're just going to give it our all, whatever happens, happens.

"Credit has to be given to the guys at the halfway mark. They believed, even though it was only 135. They fight to the very end."

So far, the big West Indian has been left viewing from the bench in this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL).  In the meantime, Kings IX have struggled to one win and three losses.

The reasons for Gayle’s but breaking into the line-up is not as easy as it seems.  Despite his absence, KXIP has managed to put 200+ totals on the board in two of the four matches they have played. With the likes of Rahul and Mayank Agarwal at the top, Punjab has both the centurions of this IPL at their disposal, and hence the need to have Gayle in the team hasn’t really been felt.

The only player Gayle can come in the team for, at the moment, is his countryman Nicholas Pooran who has been batting at the No. 3 spot. Pooran’s fielding exploits, however, make it hard for the KXIP management to remove him from the team.  Rahul, however, remains convinced the West Indies will make an impact.

"It's been a lot of fun playing with Chris. Not just (that) I have played two seasons with him at KXIP, I have played with him at RCB as well.  I have known him for a good 6-7 years.  As a youngster, I did speak with him a lot and I was looking at him as an opening batsman.  How destructive, powerful, and how intimidating he is,” Rahul told TimesofIndia.

 “I try to learn a lot from him (Gayle). We share a good friendship and that’s what came out in the middle in the last two seasons.  He is somebody who is such an impact player, such a match-winner for whatever team he has played.  Like I said he is very intimidating and takes down the opposition on a given day.  He can destroy any bowling attack.”

At the close of play, in response to the Eagles being all out for 116, in 34.3 overs, the Leewards were 126 without loss and already leading by 10 runs.  Openers Kieran Powell (55) and Montcin Hodge (51) had each put half-centuries on the board to give the team a solid base heading into the second day.

Earlier, only four Guyana players managed double figures, Anthony Bramble (38), Keemo Paul (20), Clinton Pestano (14), and Veerasammy Permaul (11) in an innings that feature the rapid capitulation of the Eagles batting line-up.  Before Bramble, Guyana's first five batsmen managed a total of 24 runs combined, leaving the team in serious trouble at 37 for 5.

A partnership between Bramble and Keemo Paul, who combined for 50 was the highlight of the innings and briefly added respite.  Paul made 20 from 17 deliveries.

Doram ended the innings with figures of 3 for 16, Archibald 3 for 29, while Alzarri Joseph also claimed two wickets for 26 runs.

Looking to overhaul India's 308-7 at Queen's Park Oval, West Indies were 133-1 at one stage, ideally placed to bounce back from their recent 3-0 drubbing by Bangladesh.

Yet they could not keep up the strong early running, finishing on 305-6 to lose the opener in the three-match series, a seventh consecutive ODI defeat to India at this ground.

Opener Dhawan, captaining India in the absence of the resting Rohit Sharma and a host of senior stars, was named man of the match. He provided the backbone of the tourists' innings but fell frustratingly short of a century when he was caught by Shamarh Brooks for 97 as he looked to cut away Gudakesh Motie to the ropes.

Shubman Gill had made 64 in a first-wicket stand of 119 before he was run out by a direct hit from home captain Nicholas Pooran, and it was Pooran who took a fine catch at cover off Motie's bowling to send Shreyas Iyer (54) on his way.

In the hosts' reply, Brooks made 46 and Kyle Mayers scored a sharp 75 before falling when he reached outside off stump at a wide-ish ball and got a nick through to wicketkeeper Sanju Samson.

Pooran cracked Prasidh Krishna for two consecutive sixes in the 32nd over to raise a slowing tempo, but he fell for 25 soon after. When Brandon King was caught in the deep for 54 in the 45th over, with 57 still required, that looked to be West Indies' hopes at an end.

There was a flourish though, and they were left needing 15 from the final over, with Akeal Hosein (32 not out) and Romario Shepherd (38no) narrowly failing to delivery the necessary heroics.

IYER LANDMARK

Iyer's 54 took him to 1,001 runs in ODIs, making him the equal-third fastest India batter to reach the 1,000-run milestone, alongside Navjot Singh Sidhu who also got there in 25 innings. Only Virat Kohli and Dhawan (24 innings each) reached four figures in fewer innings.

INDIA EXTEND DOMINANCE

India have now won 11 of their 12 most recent ODIs against West Indies, with the only loss coming in Chennai in December 2019. They have won the last four bilateral ODI series they have contested against West Indies in the Caribbean, and can seal a fifth in a row when game two takes place at the same ground on Sunday.

At the close of play, Karunaratne, who was dropped on 14 by Jermaine Blackwood, is on 132 and De Silva on 56. Together they have so far put on 97 for the fourth wicket as Sri Lanka eye a massive first innings total on Monday.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a slow start but gradually built momentum throughout the day.

Karunaratne and Nissanka opened the batting and crept to 61-0 without loss at lunch. The 50 partnership came off 132 balls as the home side took a more cautious approach against the West Indies bowling led by Shannon Gabriel.

The partnership would endure until after the interval when Gabriel induced an edge from Nissanka, who was caught at slip by Rahkeem Cornwall for 56 and with the score at 139.

The West Indies would make further inroads fairly quickly afterwards when at 164-1, Roston Chase dismissed Oshado Fernando for three and then at 170-2 removed Angelo Matthews also for three.

However, that was the last success the West Indies bowlers would have for the remainder of play.

Gabriel has so far taken 1-56 from 12 overs while Chase has 2-42 from 17.

At stumps, Warrican had claimed figures of the 3 for 58 as Bangladesh ended the day on 242 for 5.  Another wicket was claimed by pace bowler Kemar Roach with a run out accounting for the other.

The spinner could indeed have plenty of reason to delight in the field placing, and performance for that matter, as two of his wickets resulted from catches.  Firstly, John Campbell took a sharp catch at short midwicket after Mominul Haque lost some patience and failed to keep a lofted drive down.  The other was a brilliant catch at slip by Raheem Cornwall, after Mushfiqur Rahim attempted a defensive stroke that carried to the fielder.  In-between, the bowler ended the run of a dangerous looking Shadman Islam, when the batsman was given lbw just before tea.

“Being disciplined and accurate at the same time, as well as setting the right field,” Warrican responded when asked about the keys to his opening day success.

“I thought it best to bring them on the front foot as much as possible because when they play back they have a lot of time.  The more you bring them on the front foot is the more you ask questions,” he added.  

Returning England captain Joe Root was rocked by the news that he would have to do without Jofra Archer as his side attempt to level the three-match series after the paceman breached bio-secure protocols.

Roston Chase (2-53) took two wickets in as many balls either side after lunch to reduce England to 29-2 after Jason Holder won the toss and opted to bowl under grey skies following a delayed start.

Sibley (86 not out) and Stokes, unbeaten on 59, batted with great disciplined to make it England's day in Manchester, putting on an unbroken 126 to leave Root's side 207-3 at stumps.

Holder dropped Sibley on 68, but the opener deserved that stroke of luck after showing great application to frustrate the Windies, eyeing a first Test series win in England since 1988 after their victory in Southampton last week.

The Windies pacemen were wayward when play got underway 90 minutes late due to rain, but Chase trapped Rory Burns (15) leg before on the stroke of lunch in his first over.

Chase was on a hat-trick after lunch when Zak Crawley clipped the first ball he faced to Holder at leg slip, but Sibley and Root steadied the ship with a stand of 52.

Root trudged off after edging Alzarri Joseph to Holder at second slip, but Sibley continued to dig in and Stokes launched Chase for the first six of the series down the ground in a probing final over before tea, which England took on 112-3.

Sibley brought up a hard-earned half-century off 164 balls and had a life when he nicked Shannon Gabriel - returning after a spell off the field - to Holder, but the skipper put down a straightforward chance.

Gabriel got Holder in on the action again at second slip, but this time with a huge wide, and Stokes reverse-swept Chase for four before he had his 50 off 119 deliveries in a wicket-less final session.

Stubborn Sibley stands firm

Sibley showed great powers of concentration to drop anchor for a second consecutive half-century.

The Warwickshire opener faced 253 balls and struck only four boundaries in a disciplined traditional Test match knock to close in on a second international hundred.

Stokes, captain in the absence of Root at the Rose Bowl, was also watchful and England - who recalled Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran - will be hopeful of building on the foundations laid.

Chase shows Windies are not all about pace 

Gabriel was man of the match in the first Test, but the Windies pacemen failed to make the impact Holder had in mind when he put England in on a gloomy first day.

They lacked control and did not show the threat they posed on the south coast, but Chase delivered when he has thrown the ball by Holder at the end of an hour-long first session.

The all-rounder hit Burns bang in front, the left-hander wasting a review, and saw the back of Crawley straight after lunch before generating turn without reward later in the day.

Joseph uproots England captain yet again

Windies fast bowler Joseph appears to have the measure of England captain Root.

When the returning skipper was tempted into an extravagant drive and edged to Holder it was the fourth time his last five Test knocks against the Windies he had been dismissed by Joseph.

The West Indies and England will return to international cricket with a three-Test match series, in England, next month.  With the prevalence of the coronavirus still a major concern and ongoing racial equality protests around the globe, the situation to begin the tour is anything but typical.

In a bid to mitigate the risks of exposure to COVID-19, the teams will spend the entire period of the tour in what has been termed a bio-secure environment, which will keep everyone associated with the series quarantined from the general public.  With all the distractions, Bradshaw believes the task of focusing on just cricket is likely to be tougher for the team.

“We could lose the series mentality if we are distracted before the start of that series.  So, it’s going to be incumbent on the management team to keep the guys focused,” Bradshaw told the Mason and Guest Radio program.

“These are trying circumstances that they are playing under, but they are professionals and they must act as professionals and really utilize the preparation time to the best of their advantage.”  

At the close of play, the Hurricanes were 23 without loss, having earlier blown away the Red Force for 140, well short of their first innings total of 357.  Resuming the day at 308 – 7, overnight batsman Jeremiah Lewis eventually went to a useful 42, but eventually ran out of partners at the crease.

In pursuit of the total, Red Force got off to a disastrous start.  Top-order batsmen Tion Webster (0), Jeremy Solazano (0), and Jason Mohammed (0) all perished with scoring, while Darren Bravo added just 7 before being dismissed by Colin Archibald to leave the team in tatters at 10 for 4.

Joshua Da Silva briefly attempted to resuscitate the innings and top-scored with an industrious 65 from 115 balls and partnered with Bryan Charles (25) to push the score to 128 for 7 before Charles was caught by Rahkeem Cornwall off the bowling of Sheeno Berridge.

Da Silva’s brave resistance ended four overs later when he was caught by Carty off Archibald.  Louis who accounted for four of the five top-order batsmen, ended with figures of 4 for 32, while Archibald finished with figures of 4 for 27. 

Batting again for the Leewards Montcin Hodge (5) and Powell (15) were the not-out batsman at the end of day 2.

Zaida James told CWI Media, “It’s certainly a great feeling to have an all-round performance like this and even better that we had a team victory. Our focus is one game at a time and to finish the group stage strong, then we will look at the remaining stages of the tournament.”

The victory sees the West Indies move to the top of the table in Group C, with 2 points and a Net Run Rate of +0.350. They play Indonesia on Tuesday January 17 at North-West University Oval, Potchefstroom – 7:45am Eastern Caribbean/6:45am Jamaica.

West Indies Rising Stars

125/3 (20 overs)

Zaida James 52 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

​ ​ Freya Sargent 4-0-9-2

Naijanni Cumberbatch 21

Ireland Women's U19

118/7 (20 overs)

Annabel Squires 42 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

​ Zaida James 4-0-20-4

Amy Hunter 21

Dottin recently missed out on taking part in the CG Insurance Regional Super50 championship, for Barbados, after taking time to recover from an injury.  The player, however, left for England earlier this week and is expected to be available for the team’s first match against Northern Diamonds on Sunday.

The all-rounder will be available for the team’s first four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy before joining up with Manchester Originals for The Hundred at the beginning of August.  For her part, the player is looking forward to joining the team for the inaugural competition.

“I am really excited to be in Manchester and ready to play in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for the first time with the Thunder,” Dottin said.

“I already know a few members of the squad following my time in the KSL six years ago and it will be a good opportunity to reunite with them and have some more fun playing cricket here.

“I am looking forward to playing at Emirates Old Trafford again, one of my favourite grounds in cricket.”

Dottin is in line for her first international appearance since her 2022 retirement when the West Indies take on South Africa in their first group match on October 4.

The best cricketer in the world right now, Hayley Matthews, will once again lead the side that also sees the inclusion of regulars like Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry, Chedean Nation, Shamilia Connell, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle and Karishma Ramharack.

The squad also boasts a fine mixture of youth and experience with the presence of 19-year-old Zaida James and 20-year-old Ashmini Munisar, who both represented the West Indies at the most recent ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup.

St. Lucian Nerissa Crafton is the only member of the squad with no international experience while this will be the first T20 World Cup for Qiana Joseph and Mandy Mangru.

In addition to South Africa, the West Indies will take on Bangladesh, England and Scotland in Group B of the tournament.

After facing South Africa on October 4, they will Scotland on October 6, Bangladesh on October 10 and England on October 15.

The top two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals.

Full Squad: Hayley Matthews (C), Shemaine Campbelle, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton, Shamilia Connell, Stafanie Taylor, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph

England Women won the toss and elected to bat first. West Indies Women made two changes with Chedean Nation and Sheneta Grimmond replacing Britney Cooper and Aaliyah Alleyne.

Shamilia Connell had the English batters on the backfoot early in the powerplay as she removed both openers, Tammy Beaumont and Danielle Wyatt in the third over, to register a much better performance in her opening spell that what she had in the second match last Wednesday.

Deandra Dottin returned to international bowling for the first time since February 2019 when the West Indies Women played three T20I matches in Karachi Pakistan. Dottin and the other West Indies bowlers were able to constrain the English batters for most of their innings, except for the nineteenth over, when they were able to score 17 runs off Stafanie Taylor.

England Women finished their innings on 154 for 6. Nat Sciver was their top scorer with 82 followed by captain Heather Knight with 29. Shamilia Connell was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, finishing with figures of 2 for 13 from three overs, followed by Deandra Dottin with 2 for 29.

Deandra Dottin once again started the West Indies run chase in expedient fashion as she notched four boundaries inside the powerplay. But, two quick wickets of Lee Ann Kirby and Shemaine Cambelle, saw the scoring rate dip just for a moment.  Hayley Matthews, batting at number four, and Dottin started the innings rebuild. The pair posted a 48-run partnership before Matthews was trapped lbw for 21.

Dottin in her prolific return to international cricket, reached 2500 T20 International runs on her way to a West Indies Women’s top-score of 63 off 56 deliveries, which included 9-fours and a six.

West Indies were at one stage 83 for 2 in the 13th over but lost momentum in the second half of the innings and finished on 134 for 5 – 20 runs short of the target. The win gave England an unassailable 3-0 lead with two more matches to be played on Monday night and Wednesday night at the same venue.

 Scores

West Indies Women 134 for 5 from 20 overs England’s 154 for 6 from 20 overs

With scores of 69 and 38 in the T20 series so far, Dottin has looked anything but rusty.  Notably, however, the player is yet to have a turn with the ball.  Dottin, as she often has, would prove more than a valuable weapon for the West Indies with the ball as well.  In 115 matches, she has claimed 59 wickets.

Having suffered a serious injury to her right shoulder in early 2019, which required reconstructive surgery in June of last year, however, Coley insists the team is still doing recovery work with the all-rounder.

“She’s just recovered from injury.  It’s no secret that our players haven’t been able to do much for a very long time,” Coley said.

“Deandra is on a back to bowling program.  She started that whilst we were here, so she is still on that.  We need to make sure that she is 100 percent, to be able to bowl competitively.  She has been doing bowling work behind the scenes in training,” he added.

“We are comfortable in terms of where she is at, but we want to make sure that long term she is ok and she can bowl at the intensity she wants to consistently and not just for a game or two.”

Jason Holder (46) and Dowrich (47) ensured the Windies avoided the follow-on, but Stuart Broad (6-31) took all four wickets in the morning session to dismiss them for 197.

There was more pain for the tourists after England started their second innings with a lead of 162 at Old Trafford, Holder the first to be in pain after being struck on the thumb. 

The captain was able to continue, but Dowrich went off the field after a short delivery from Shannon Gabriel went through his gloves and appeared to hit him in the face.

Shai Hope initially took the gloves before the uncapped Da Silva, who will not be able to bat in the second innings, came on to take his place and soon missed a chance to stump Rory Burns.

England were 50 without loss in the afternoon session, leading by 222 runs as they bid to regain the Wisden Trophy, knowing rain is likely to wipe out day four.

In late 2020, the 32-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman, who represented the West Indies in 35 Tests and one ODI, suffered a finger injury while on a tour of New Zealand. He was subsequently granted permission to leave the tour for "personal reasons".

However, according to the suit filed in court in Barbados, CWI failed to follow up with the player to determine whether he had managed to put his ‘personal issues' behind him and was ready to resume representing the regional side. CWI, it is being claimed, failed to have him evaluated by a doctor when he indicated that he was ready to return to play.

Dowrich, who was on a US$150,000 central contract at the time, had his contract rescinded presumably because he had missed the number of games required to qualify. This resulted in his earnings being significantly reduced.

The diminutive Barbadian was recently recalled to the West Indies ODI squad for their series against England in December but withdrew from the squad after announcing his retirement from international cricket mere days before the first game.

Cricket West Indies has until the end of February to file a defence to the lawsuit with the first court date set for April.

Calls to CWI CEO Johnny Grave went unanswered up to the point of publication.

The pair posted an unbroken stand of 131 before lunch as Brathwaite's XI stretched their overnight lead of 181 to 313.

Resuming on 99 for three, Brathwaite’s XI had an early setback when Shannon Gabriel trapped Roston Chase lbw for his overnight score of four. He then sent down a torrent of bouncers to Dowrich as things got tense between the two sides.

Brooks, meanwhile, got off to a slow start but gradually scored at better than a run a ball to go to the break unbeaten on 66 from 99 balls. Dowrich was not out 56 (83 balls) having taken a liking to the spin bowling of Rahkeem Cornwall and Jomel Warrican.

Uncapped 22-year-old Holder was named in the touring party following some outstanding domestic performances for Barbados Pride in the West Indies Championship.

The Barbadian gave a demonstration of his huge potential back in 2016 when the Windies won the Under-19 Cricket World Cup and could make his senior debut during a three-match series in England, which starts behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl next Wednesday.

Former West Indies fast bowler and assistant coach Drakes has helped to nurture Holder's talent and thinks he can cause England problems if he is given an opportunity.

Drakes told Stats Perform News: "I've known Chemar from a young age, he went to school with my son, Dominic, and they have come through the system together and been part of the group of West Indies Emerging Players.

"I have done some one-to-one coaching work with him and he's got some good attributes, good skill sets. He's a hard worker and used to be a sprinter, he was a 400 metres runner and also competed in the 1500 metres.

"When he gets it right, he's consistently in the high 80s [miles per hour]. The only way to find out if he's ready is to throw him in at the deep end against England.

"He would have played against England A team last year and would have gone to England the year before that as part of the Emerging Players group, so he would have had the experience of bowling in those conditions."

Kemar Roach was among 12 members of the Windies squad who Drakes worked with before they flew out to England for the first international cricket since the coronavirus pandemic brought the vast majority of sport to a halt.

Roach was man of the series when West Indies won a Test series against England in the Caribbean last year and Drakes, who was assistant coach for that 2-1 triumph, says he can make a big impact again.

Asked if Roach will be the spearhead of the attack, he replied: "Absolutely. One of the things he did well last year was he took early wickets.

"Without giving away too much methodology in how to deconstruct the opposition gameplan and counter them, Kemar Roach has the ability to take early wickets, releasing the ball from wide of the crease and moving away from batsmen - particularly the right-handers.

"His track record against left-handers is phenomenal and England have some left-handers. Kemar and Jason [captain Holder], they set the tone along with [Alzarri] Joseph and Shannon Gabriel can be a threat with his pace and uncertainty he creates.

"It will be interesting to see if that combination can work as it did in the Caribbean."

Earlier this week regional cricket governing body Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the decision to replace lead selector Roger Harper and Miles Bascombe, following a disastrous showing at the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year, and subsequent fruitless tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

 For Murray, however, the decisions may not run deep enough in tackling the substance of the issue.

“Yeah, they’re going to change the selectors, but are they going to exchange some for others or is it going to be a real radical change in the way West Indies cricket is run,” Murray queried on the Mason and Guest radio program.

“If our cricket is ever going to improve, the first thing to do is to get the board structure right.  The way the board is constituted now, at least three reports have been absolutely clear, The Patterson report, the Caricom Report, and the Wehby report all have said exactly the same thing, the structure, and composition of the West Indies board has to change,” he added.

“The way it’s constructed at the moment, all you are going to get is people vying to get people picked who are their friends or come from the same territories and we’re not going anywhere.”

Fourteen years ago, former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson, Sir Alister McIntyre, and Dr. Ian McDonald produced a Governance Report, which listed 65 recommendations to improve West Indies cricket.  At the time, the document was dismissed as not relevant by the then administration.  In 2015, a Caricom Governance of Cricket report was submitted by a panel chaired by Professor V Eudine Barriteau, which included former President of the Caribbean Court of Justice Sir Denis Byron, Murray, Warren Smith, and Dwain Gill. 

Two years ago, another report, conducted by an independent task force led by former Jamaica Senator Don Wehby, which also included Sir Hilary Beckles, O.K Melhado, Charles Wilkin QC, and Murray, produced 36-pages of recommedations that also pointed to the need for structural reforms.  The majority of the recommendations from any of the three documents are yet to be implemented.

Hope was among the few standout players when the team played England in the 2017 series.  In fact, his two finely crafted 100s played a critical role in the team turning the tables on England for a shock victory in the second Test at Headingly.

To say Hope has struggled since then, however, could only be construed as a massive understatement.  He has averaged below 25 in 21 Tests, with no hundreds and managed scores of 16, 9, 25 and 7 in the first two Tests against England.  With the final and decisive Test on the horizon, Ambrose believes some time out of the spotlight could be good for the 26-year-old, and that on the flip side, repeated failure could permanently damage the player.

"Something has gone terribly wrong for him since those two centuries at Headingley - he hasn't done anything really in Test cricket since then," said Ambrose recently told Sky Sports.

"He is a much better player than what he is showing at the moment and is obviously very low on confidence,” he added.

"Maybe in the next game we should rest him so he can regain some confidence. If you keep playing him and he keeps failing it will only get worse. You are going to destroy him if it continues like that.”