Holder, who was among the West Indies best-performing players during the recently concluded series against Sri Lanka, was named alongside Zak Crawley, Mohammed Rizwan, Dominic Sibley and Darren Stevens. Meantime, Holder’s West Indies teammate and white-ball captain Kieron Pollard was named The Leading T20 Cricketer in the World.
Holder said the recognition is the reward for his hard work.
“This award means so much to me. I’m delighted that my efforts to play well and make a contribution have been bearing fruit and I just want to continue and reach higher heights,” he said.
“To be named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year is something truly special as over the years I have seen a list of great players who have etched their names in history. The last recipient from West Indies was Shai Hope in 2017 and after seeing his performances it inspired me to be one of the Wisden Cricketers of the future.”
Meanwhile, CWI President Ricky Skerritt praised the talented all-rounder.
“Congratulations to Jason whose all-round cricket excellence is making all West Indians proud. For such a relatively young and intelligent athlete, he should get even better,” he said.
Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket said Holder was deserving of the recognition.
“On behalf of all of us at Cricket West Indies, I want to congratulate Jason on his being selected as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year,” Adams said.
“In a period that has thrown up many challenges, he has performed consistently with distinction and dignity both on and off the field and we wish him all the success possible going forward.”
Holder joins a list of distinguished West Indies players who have been named among Wisden's Cricketers of the Year.
See the list below.
West Indies Wisden Cricketers of the Year
Names in brackets indicate the player was chosen for his feats for a county team. All others were picked mainly for their feats at the international level.
2021 – Jason Holder
2018 – Shai Hope
2013 – Marlon Samuels
2008 – Shiv Chanderpaul (Ottis Gibson)
1997 – (Phil Simmons)
1995 – (Brian Lara)
1992 – Curtly Ambrose, Richie Richardson
1991 – (Desmond Haynes)
1989 – Jeff Dujon (Franklyn Stephenson)
1987 – (Courtney Walsh)
1985 – Larry Gomes
1983 – (Alvin Kallicharran, Malcolm Marshall)
1980 – Joel Garner
1979 – (John Shepherd)
1977 – Gordon Greenidge, Michael Holding, Viv Richards
1975 – (Andy Roberts)
1974 – Keith Boyce, Roy Fredericks
1972 – (Lance Gibbs)
1971 – (Clive Lloyd)
1970 – Basil Butcher
1967 – Seymour Nurse
1964 – Charlie Griffith, Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Garfield Sobers
1959 – (Roy Marshall)
1958 – OG “Collie” Smith, Clyde Walcott
1951 – Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell
1940 – Learie Constantine
1934 – George Headley
1915 – (Sydney Gordon Smith)
McCoy was ruled out of the ICC tournament due to a right shin injury. He played the opening match against England last Saturday but missed the second match against South Africa on Tuesday.
Holder’s inclusion as McCoy’s replacement squad has been approved by the ICC tournament’s technical committee. Holder is already in the UAE as a travelling reserve and is therefore quickly available for selection for the third Super 12 match against Bangladesh at the Sharjah Stadium on Friday.
“Jason Holder has been in the UAE for a while now and will fit quite well into the team unit. He is an experienced and knowledgeable cricketer who we know will be eager and excited to grab the opportunity,” said Chief Selector Roger Harper.
“McCoy did really well in the T20Is earlier this year and adapted well in the opening match against England. He was a key member of the bowling unit and it’s unfortunate he won’t be able to take any further part in the tournament. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the field ready to go again in the near future.”
West Indies third match against Bangladesh starts at 6 am Eastern Caribbean/5 am Jamaica time, 2 pm local UAE time, and will be shown live on ESPN Caribbean.
Holder is the second member of the travelling reserves to be drafted into the West Indies squad. Akeal Hosein joined the 15-member squad as a replacement for Fabian Allen, who was suffering from an ankle injury.
The West Indies have two losses from their first two matches and will have to win their next three to have a chance of advancing to the semi-finals.
The Windies, having won the first Test at the Rose Bowl, slumped to a 113-run defeat in the second at Old Trafford.
Holder's men will attempt to retain the Wisden Trophy and secure a series win in England for the first time since 1988 with victory in the third encounter, which starts on Friday at the same venue.
It was another disappointing performance from Hope, who scored 25 in the first innings and was dismissed for just seven in the second.
Since scoring a hundred in each innings in a Windies win over England at Headingley in 2017, Hope has scored 899 runs at an average of just 24.29.
However, Holder is backing Hope to rediscover his best form in the longest format and impress as he does in ODI cricket, in which he is ranked as the 13th-best batsman in the world.
Holder told a media conference: "All our players have got my full backing, they know how I personally feel.
"Yes some of them haven't got the runs they would like but more or less it's just giving them our full support.
"I'm 100 per cent behind Shai, we all know what Shai can produce, he's done it before at this level of Test cricket, he's arguably one of the best one-day batsmen in the world and we know the calibre of player he can be.
"I've got full confidence in Shai to get some runs, he's gotten starts so far in this series so he's not far from converting a start into something really special for us. He's got my full support."
Spinner Rahkeem Cornwall could come into the side on a pitch that offered plenty of help to spin-bowling all-rounder Roston Chase in the second Test to aid an attack dealing with a second successive four-day turnaround.
"In terms of the workload and the management of our players everybody's held up really well," Holder added.
"We've been doing this for a number of years now, the nucleus hasn't really changed significantly, these guys have backed up Test matches before, yes the turnaround in this one has been a lot shorter than normal, but these guys have done it before. I'm not too worried about the workload when it comes to these players.
"If he [Cornwall] does come in he's a wicket-taker, and he's proven to be a match-winner, not only at regional level but in his last [two] Test matches he played he got 13 wickets so I think he's a quality spinner, no doubt to me he would be the best spinner on show in this series.
"He's always a wicket-taking option for us but not only a wicket-taking option, brings a bit more slip catching, he can bat and he brings a lot of control."
Currently in India at the Rajasthan Royals High Performance Centre, Holder couldn't help but draw a stark comparison between the training grounds in the Caribbean and the state-of-the-art facilities provided by the Royals.
Holder joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of the IPL 2023 season and provided a much-needed balance to the side.
The Rajasthan Royals have set a benchmark in cricketing infrastructure, offering their players a diverse range of eight different pitch variations along with cutting-edge facilities. This stark contrast hasn't gone unnoticed by Holder, who believes that such facilities are essential for honing skills to a higher standard.
"It's brilliant. Unfortunately, in the Caribbean, we don't have facilities that are equivalent to this. We just have normal grounds. There's no training ground," Holder remarked, highlighting the dearth of specialized training facilities in the Caribbean.
Holder emphasized the significance of having a variety of pitches and additional support staff, indicating that the Rajasthan Royals High Performance Centre provides a more comprehensive and tailored training experience compared to the grounds in the Caribbean. The West Indies cricketer is eager to make the most of this opportunity and extract maximum benefits from the top-notch facilities at his disposal.
"I just found it necessary to get away from the Caribbean, do something away from the Caribbean and do a lot more specific into what I need to work on," Holder explained, underscoring his decision to seek a more advanced and structured training environment.
Holder also praised the familial atmosphere fostered by the Rajasthan Royals, stating, "It is a really good family that the Royals have here, and they portray that family image." This sense of belonging and the conducive training environment have contributed to Holder's positive experience at the High Performance Centre.
The West Indies cricketer is utilizing his time in India to not only focus on physical fitness but also to refine his tactical skills. The opportunity to train in different conditions, coupled with the structured approach adopted by the Rajasthan Royals, has reignited Holder's passion for the game and provided him with a valuable platform for improvement.
As the West Indies all-rounder strives to enhance his cricketing prowess, his insights shed light on the challenges faced by players in the Caribbean and underscore the importance of investing in advanced training facilities for the development of cricket talent worldwide.
That is the sentiment of Chief Selector Roger Harper, who was commenting on the decision to replace Jason Holder, who captained the Caribbean side for five years. In that time, Holder led the West Indies to 11 Test victories, five draws and 21 losses.
Holder opted out of the recent tour of Bangladesh, where under the leadership of Kraigg Brathwaite, Holder’s replacement, the West Indies swept the home side 2-0.
Still, Harper believes Holder can be an asset to the team now that he has been freed of the captaincy.
"I really think that Jason is a very integral part of the Test team and West Indies cricket going forwards. He plays all three formats and I think it's an opportunity for him to really focus on taking his game to higher levels. I think that with him at his best and with Kraigg given the captaincy, it's an opportunity for the team to move forwards,” said Harper.
"I look forward to him performing exceptionally well in his role as a player and still as a leader as one of the senior players in this team. It was great to hear him say that he's committed to giving Kraigg all the support needed and hearing the new captain saying that they have a very close relationship. I think that augurs very well for West Indies cricket going forward."
In recent times, Holder had come in for a lot of stick from past players like former fast bowler Andy Roberts, who has been among the all-rounder’s harshest critics.
“I think Jason Holder as a captain on the field is lost. I don’t think he’s aware what is going on the field because if I win a toss as a captain and before lunch on a green top pitch I am having a man on the point boundary then I am lost,” Roberts said in January while criticizing the Barbadian’s defensive on-field mindset and tactics.
“That’s the first thing. His field placing [leaves] a lot to be desired and I believe the time should come where he takes instructions from the coaches who can see the game better than he can.”
However, it was not all doom and gloom for Holder during his tenure as captain. It was while he was captain that he climbed to being ranked as the best Test all-rounder in the world.
West Indies and India will compete for the CG United trophy with the matches to be played on Friday, July 22, Sunday, July 24, and Wednesday, July 27, at the historic Queen’s Park Oval. All matches start at 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica Time/7 pm India time).
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said he is glad to have Holder back playing again.
“As we all know, Jason is one of the leading all-round cricketers in the world and we’re happy to have him back in the team. He will be refreshed, re-energized and ready to go and we can expect to see his brilliance on the field and meaningful contributions off the field as well,” Dr Haynes said.
“We had a very challenging three matches against Bangladesh in Guyana so we will be looking to rebound when we face India in the conditions in Trinidad. We have seen some growth among some players, but overall we need to regroup and play better against the Indians.”
The full squad: Nicholas Pooran (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice Captain), Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales.
Reserves: Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Rowe and Holder were both guests on the popular Mason and Guest sports talk show in Barbados on Tuesday night.
Rowe, 71, played 30 Tests for the West Indies between 1972 and 1980 scoring 2047 runs at an average of 43.55. In 1974, while playing against England in Barbados, Rowe scored a majestic 302 in a mammoth West Indies score 596 for 8.
However, injury, deteriorating eyesight and an allergy to grass ended what promised to be an even greater career.
On Tuesday, Rowe was among guests that included Prime Ministers Ralph Gonsalves, Keith Mitchell and Mia Mottley, who engaged Holder in conversation as they celebrated the West Indies’ hard-fought four-wicket victory over England in the first Test of the #Raisethebat series played at the Ageas Stadium in Southampton.
The former West Indies batsman had some words of advice for the West Indies captain.
“I think you are batting a bit too low. I think your spot in this team is number 6, and I honestly think that you are one of the better players on the team, technically sound, you look the part and you can play the part,” said Rowe, who during his playing days was an elegant and composed right-hand bat.
“Coming 6 in the middle of the batting, if we have any problems when you get to the wicket at least we would have one of the top-five batting with you and then, if so later on down, you have the rest at the bottom.”
In response, Holder revealed that he had aspirations of moving up the order.
“I do believe I have what it takes to come up the order and bat,” said Holder who is the number-one ranked Test-match all-rounder in the world.
“I think in the not too distant future you will see me come up the order and bat.”
The West Indies will attempt to win the series when the second Test gets underway at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Seales, who finished with nine wickets in a 40-run loss that helped South Africa win the ICC World Test Championship series 1-0, achieved the milestone move, which now makes him the top-ranked Test bowler from the West Indies.
The 22-year-old Trinidadian, who has enjoyed fairly good form since his return from injury, surpassed Barbadian seamer Kemar Roach, who slipped one place down to 18th, as his journey to fitness continues.
Spinners Jomel Warrican (52nd) and Gudakesh Motie (64th), both moved two spots up, while fast bowler Shamar Joseph also progressed 11 spots to 54th in other significant movements for the West Indies players in the bowling rankings.
South Africa’s Player of the Match Wiaan Mulder advanced 27 places to 65th position after finishing with six wickets, while off-spinner Dane Piedt is up nine places to 66th after claiming two West Indies wickets in the second innings of the match.
In the Test batting rankings, former West Indies captain Jason Holder is up seven places to 60th position following his unbeaten knock of 54 in the first innings. He is also up two places to fifth in the list of all-rounders.
South Africa opener Aiden Markram and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne have gained after notching half-centuries in the second innings. Markram inched up two places to 21st, while Verreynne has progressed from 62nd to 46th.
In the ICC World Test Championship, West Indies are last in the nine-team championship with 18.52 after nine matches, while South Africa are in fifth place with 38.89 percentage points after six matches.
India lead the table with 68.52 percentage points after nine matches, with Australia in second on 62.50 after 12 outings. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are the other teams ahead of South Africa.
Meanwhile, in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, Scott Edwards of the Netherlands has moved up six places to 26th position after scores of 72 and 65 against Canada and the United States, respectively, in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.
Aaron Jones of the United States (up 11 places to 56th) and Vikramjit Singh of the Netherlands (up nine places to 79th) are others to move up the batting rankings, while Aryan Dutt of the Netherlands is up five places to 33rd.
Jayden Seales will return to West Indies training following his rehabilitation. The fast bowler last played for West Indies in the first Test at the Perth Stadium, last December. He had knee surgery in December and has subsequently been working on a rehabilitation programme overseen by the CWI Medical Team.
The training squad includes several players who are uncapped at the Test level – including batsmen Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, and Kirk McKenzie; as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan, and Jair McAllister.
The camp will be held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua with training starting on Friday 30 June. The squad for the opening Test will be named at a later date and will travel to Dominica on Sunday 9 July.A
The Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test series will be the first fixtures for both West Indies & India in the new 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. The first Test will be at Windsor Park, Dominica from 12-16 July which will be followed by the historic second Test on 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad – marking the 100th Test match between West Indies and India.
SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alick Athanaze, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican
TEST MATCH SCHEDULE:
Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Matches (start at 10am local time, (9am Jamaica time))
12-16 July: 1st Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica
20-24 July: 2nd Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
The election would have pitted incumbent president Ricky Skerritt and his vice-president Kishore Shallow, against challengers Anand Sanasie of Guyana and Calvin Hope of Barbados. The event was, however, called off after a quorum could not be reached, following the absence of representatives from Barbados and Guyana.
The reason presented by both the Guyana Cricket Board and Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is that Cricket West Indies (CWI) had failed to observe protocol by submitting an audited financial statement 14 days before the AGM.
The JCA, through a release issued on Monday, claims the decision to postpone the election, once again spoke to the need for government reform.
“This occurrence which is potentially damaging to the reputation of the people in the Caribbean as well as those in the diaspora highlights the urgent need for change to the structure of CWI,” the release read.
JCA president Wilford Heaven, a part of the CWI finance committee, responsible for distributing the financial report called the inability to reach a quorum regrettable. He claimed that five regional boards had already agreed to waive the 14-day requirement for the consolidated report. The fault, Heaven explained, was that of the auditors and as such there was little the CWI could do.
“We have to ensure that this does not happen again in West Indies cricket. I believe it is an embarrassment to everyone concerned and its obvious that we need for better governance to ensure better leadership,” Heaven said.
“The Wehby report is an outstanding agenda item that we now need to pay serious attention to. It is now even more important given what happened to the AGM.”
The squad features one significant change: Kemar Roach has been replaced by St. Kitts & Nevis’ fast bowler, Jeremiah Louis due to Roach's ongoing rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained during the County Championship in England.
Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes remarked, “Kemar’s skill and experience in English conditions will be missed. However, this opportunity has been long in the making for Jeremiah Louis, he certainly has the skill and experience to make an impact in England.”
The Richards Botham series, named after West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and England great Lord Ian Botham, is a historic rivalry dating back to 1928 when the West Indies first toured England.
West Indies Test Squad:
- Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
- Alick Athanaze
- Joshua Da Silva
- Jason Holder
- Kavem Hodge
- Tevin Imlach
- Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain)
- Shamar Joseph
- Mikyle Louis
- Zachary McCaskie
- Kirk McKenzie
- Gudakesh Motie
- Jeremiah Louis
- Jayden Seales
- Kevin Sinclair
19-year-old fast bowler Isai Thorne will join the squad as a development player.
Team Management Unit:
Head Coach: Andre Coley, Team Manager: Rawl Lewis, Assistant Coaches: Jimmy Adams, Rayon Griffith, Shaun Tait, Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam, Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers, Team Masseuse: Fitzbert Alleyne, Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetram.
The squad have been in a training camp at Tonbridge School and will play a 3-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Beckenham starting on 4 July.
Fixtures for England series:
Wednesday 3 July 2024 3-Day Warm-Up Match Beckenham
Wednesday 10 July 2024 1st Test Match Lord’s
Thursday 18 July 2024 2nd Test Match Trent Bridge
Friday 26 July 2024 3rd Test Match Edgbaston
The Selection Panel named one uncapped player in the 15-member squad – Jeremy Solozano, the left-handed opening batsman – following the two recent three-day Best v Best matches and training sessions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Roger Harper, Lead Selector said: “The Best v Best matches provided the opportunity for the players to spend some time in the middle honing their skills for this tour. The aim was to simulate as much as possible, the conditions that the team will likely face in Sri Lanka, so it was good to see the batsmen spending time at the crease while putting some scores together and the bowlers looking to build pressure and create wicket-taking opportunities,” Harper said.
“Jeremy played for the West Indies ‘A’ Team in 2019 (against India ‘A’) with success and in the Best v Best matches he displayed a sense of application, patience, and composure while looking very comfortable against both pace and spin which encouraged the panel to invest in him at this point.”
Harper added: “The squad is well balanced, with good depth in all departments. The composition is very similar to the squad that brought us success in our last away tour to Bangladesh, with a few changes in personnel. There are a number of players who are familiar with Sri Lankan conditions and most of the others have good experience in the Indian sub-continent, so they know what to expect and are gearing themselves for it.”
Both Test matches will be played at the Galle International Stadium. West Indies will have a four-day warm-up match in Colombo from November 14 to 17. The Tests will follow on November 21 to 25 and November 29 to December 3.
The series is the second of six series, three at home and three away, that West Indies will play in the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship. Please see ICC World Test Championship table here: https://bit.ly/3EcJXpV
FULL SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jeremy Solozano, and Jomel Warrican.
The 35-year-old Jamaican, who at one time spearheaded the attack for the West Indies, has been signed by English County side Gloucestershire to a three-year contract. He will represent the club in all forms of the game.
Having fallen out of favour with regional selectors in recent years, Taylor has made England his stomping ground. He previously had spells with Leicestershire and Sussex and most recently T20 contracts for the last two seasons with Somerset.
Taylor was a member of the Windies' 2016 World T20-winning squad. He last played for his country in 2018.
"Jerome will add pace and international experience to the attack,” said Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson.
"He can contribute in all formats so he'll be a valuable addition," Dawson added.
Taylor is the second West Indies fast bowler to play for Gloucestershire in successive seasons following Shannon Gabriel, who played in two first-class matches in 2019.
"I am very excited to be joining Gloucestershire," the Jamaican said. "I am grateful for the opportunity as I really enjoy playing county cricket and I am hopeful that my experience can help on and off the field."
Promoted Gloucestershire will start the County Championship Division One season against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 12
Taylor’s home debut should be against Lancashire at Nevil Road in Bristol a week later.
Rapid on his day, Taylor, in 2009, famously grabbed 5 for 11 to demolish England, leaving the visitors all out for 51 during an unforgettable spell of fast-bowling at a Sabina Park Test. His returns in 46 Tests totalled 130 wickets at 34.46. He was also capped more than 100 times in limited-overs internationals.
The hosts recovered from a tough position to post 285-9 from their 50 overs after being put in to bat by the 2016 champions.
At one point, South Africa found themselves 145-6 in the 35th over before a brilliant 130-run seventh wicket partnership between Dewan Marais and Captain Juan James.
Marais hit four fours and four sixes on his way to a top score of 65 off just 38 balls while James his three fours and one six for his 47 off 54 balls.
Earlier, David Teeger did his best to provide some stability to the innings with a patient 98-ball 44 batting at three while opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius made a 34-ball 40.
West Indies Vice-Captain Nathan Sealy was impressive with his left arm spin with 3-34 from his 10 overs while pacers Deshawn James and Nathan Edward took a pair of wickets each.
The West Indian reply then got off to the worst possible start when, off the second ball of the innings, Adrian Weir was wrongly adjudged out leg before wicket off the bowling of Kwena Maphaka for a duck.
That was the start of a horrendous first powerplay for the tourists with Captain Stephan Pascal (6), Joshua Dorne (9), Jordan Johnson (21) and Steven Wedderburn (12) all falling in quick succession.
With the West Indies 73-5, Nathan Sealy and Jewel Andrew were brought together and the pair put together a brilliant 117-run sixth wicket partnership to put victory well within reach for the Caribbean side.
The partnership came to an end in the 29th over when Sealy was brilliantly run out by Oliver Whitehead for a crucial 33 off 55 balls.
Shortly after Sealy’s dismissal, Andrew brought up a magnificent hundred off just 71 balls including 11 fours and three sixes.
With the West Indies comfortable, needing 61 from 90 balls with four wickets in hand, the game changed once again thanks to a brilliant piece of wicketkeeping from Ntando Zuma to stump Tarrique Edward for 13 off the bowling of David Teeger.
The West Indies fightback all but ended off consecutive deliveries in the 39th and 40th overs.
First, Maphaka picked up his fourth wicket of the innings with an excellent Yorker to dismiss Nathan Edward for 12 before Andrew’s innings finally came to an end off the bowling of Riley Norton at the start of the very next over with the West Indies needing a further 36 for victory.
Andrew made a brilliant 130 off just 96 balls including 14 fours and three sixes.
Maphaka ended proceedings with his fifth wicket, removing Isai Thorne for two to dismiss the West Indies for 254 off 40.1 overs.
Scores: South Africa Under-19s 285-9 off 50 overs (Dewan Marais 65, Juan James 47, David Teeger 44, Lhuan-de Pretorius 40, Nathan Sealy 3-34, Deshawn James 2-38, Nathan Edward 2-63)
West Indies Under-19s 254 off 40.1 overs (Jewel Andrew 130, Nathan Sealy 33, Jordan Johnson 21, Kwena Maphaka 5-38, Riley Norton 3-66)
Joseph, who scooped man of the match honours, certainly played his part in the crucial victory, bowling with plenty of pace and hostility to restrict Zimbabwe to 122 in pursuit of the West Indies 153 for 7.
The win, however, while giving the Caribbean team a tournament saving two points, still leaves them just out of the equation on Net Run Rate. In the ultra-competitive group where all the teams are on 2 points after 2 matches, the equation becomes simple. Win the next one and advance.
“It’s very encouraging but we know the job’s not done. We still have one more game to win and we have to try and get that win in order to get out of this round,” he added.
For the second match in a row, Joseph, who worked well in tandem with Holder, was brought in with the team on the back foot and managed to steady the ship so to speak.
“For me, it’s all about pulling it back for the team. I try and get an early wicket, if not I just keep it tight,” he added.
The West Indies will face Ireland in their final fixture of the tournament on Thursday at 11:00 pm, while Zimbabwe will face Scotland.
For that to happen, the players would have to go through rigid isolation and testing protocols, as well as austere social distancing measures.
Of course, the proposal will include officials as well as media and the England skipper thinks it can work.
“I’m optimistic about it. It would be a real shame if it doesn’t happen. The public are desperate for some live sport and the guys are missing it,” said Root.
“The players would be sectioned off in one part of the hotel and would be in isolation together. There would be no interaction with the media, the TV crews or even the opposition when off the pitch.
“We would have separate lunchrooms. It would have a different feel to it but it’s probably manageable. Hopefully that is the case.”
According to the proposals, the three Tests would be played at ‘bio-secure’ venues behind closed doors.
Those venues, the proposal points out, are those that have hotels on location, like Manchester, Southampton and Headingly.
Root, while optimistic, is cognizant of the fact that Cricket West Indies (CWI) would have to take the risk.
In response, West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, has said his side would have to be certain of their safety before saying yes to such a proposal.
“This thing has been really, really serious as we all know and has claimed quite a few lives throughout the world and that’s the last thing any of us would really want,” said Holder.
“I think we’ve got to play the safety card first before we can even think about resuming our normal lives.”
In the meantime, CWI Chief Executive, Johnny Grave, has said the England Cricket Board’s proposals were being considered but that first all the moving parts would have to be understood.
England will be desperate to get back the Wisden Trophy they lost to the West Indies last year for the first time in a decade.
As England toiled in the early stages of day three of the third Test against West Indies, Vaughan said England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs should sit down with Root after the series in the Caribbean.
The ECB is advertising for an England men's team managing director, but Vaughan says a priority should be the captaincy.
England's bowlers struggled to make inroads in the latter stages of West Indies' innings on Saturday, allowing Joshua Da Silva to reach a maiden Test century and the hosts to open a 93-run first-innings lead.
Vaughan questioned the vitality of the England players, a number of whom are still carrying scars from the team's 4-0 Ashes drubbing.
Interim managing director Andrew Strauss said after England's Ashes calamity that Root was "absolutely clear" he wanted to keep the captaincy. However, Vaughan thinks the time has come to ask again.
"I think the biggest meeting first and foremost is to sit with Joe Root, and really look him in the eyes and say, 'Have you got the energy?'," Vaughan said on BT Sport.
"There comes that moment as England captain that the energy is not with you. You're still going out there, you're still trying your best, but you've not got the energy. If he has got the energy, then I would stick with him. But if he's lost that energy and the real drive and that desire… As a captain, you have to wake up every morning and it's got to be your love, captaining the England side.
"If you've lost that ounce of any kind of loving it, you've got to give it up. If he's lost that desire and love to captain England, just be the batter, because he'll score as many runs, and he'll still be a great leader in the side.
"I can see an England captain that looks a little bit drained."
Vaughan said of England's morning performance, as West Indies advanced from 232-8 to 297 all out: "It looked an England side, and England captain, that looked very, very tired."
He praised the home team's efforts in frustrating the tourists, but added: "I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot of England fans out there watching the telly, throwing things at the screen and thinking, 'I could do a lot better than that'.
"It was just a little bit of a lack of imagination. It concerned me a bit about the skipper this morning, I didn't think he tried enough, didn't try himself early enough."
Part-time spinner Root eventually brought himself on to bowl and took the final wicket, having Jayden Seales caught and bowled.
"As a captain in those kinds of situations, you've got to be so energised, you've got to be on your bowlers, you've got to be on your team, you've got to be creating ideas, creating angles," said Vaughan. "I didn't see enough of that this morning."
Root's difficult day got worse after lunch when he was caught at slip for five off Kyle Mayers to leave England 27-2 in their second innings.
It was confirmed on Thursday before the second Test between England and the Windies that Archer had been excluded after breaking coronavirus protocols.
The three-match series is currently taking place at bio-secure stadiums to try and prevent anyone from either team coming into contact with COVID-19, and the players had been ordered to travel directly from Southampton to Manchester following the conclusion of the first Test.
However, Archer ignored those directives and went home to Brighton to visit an unnamed person before arriving in Manchester, where he is now undergoing a five-day period of self-isolation.
Though the person Archer met has since tested negative for coronavirus, England's managing director Giles stressed the ramifications of his actions could have been enormous for the ECB's financial health ahead of another Test series with Pakistan.
"This could have been a disaster," Giles said.
"A small act, the ripple effect this could have had through the whole summer could have cost us tens of millions of pounds.
"Hopefully we can look back on it and Jofra can learn from it, and he will learn from it, I'm sure.
"The potential knock-on effect I don't think he could have understood. I think we made it very clear what we expected and what the protocols mean but maybe he didn't quite understand what the consequences could be."
Giles would not comment on whether Archer will be under consideration to return for the third Test but revealed the 25-year-old will be the subject of an internal disciplinary process.
"We trust these men, whether they're old or not, to make the right decisions," he added.
"If you know what the protocols say and what's expected of you, it's a simple choice. I don't think we can cover every eventuality in or out of the bubble for people making wrong decisions.
"Show me someone who says they've never had a mistake and I'll show you a liar. We've all made mistakes in our lives and Jofra's a young man. He will learn from it, we will support him through it and he'll move on."
Archer has been plagued by a litany of fitness problems since bursting on to the international scene in 2019 but is on the comeback trail with hopes of featuring in June’s T20 World Cup in the United States of America and his native Caribbean.
The seamer is not yet certain if he will make the tournament, having last played competitively 11 months ago following a repeat stress fracture in his right elbow, but insists avoiding further setbacks is crucial.
The mental and physical toll has been considerable on Archer and he accepts another breakdown could be one too far.
“It’s been a while and honestly, I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me. That’s the truth, I don’t know if I’ve got another one,” he told the 4Cast’s Athlete’s Voice podcast.
“I haven’t played cricket for a whole 12 months as yet. Last year I played from January to May. I think the year before that, I played maybe one or two games for Sussex, so you know I’ve had a whole year of nothing.”
England are taking a cautious approach with his latest return, taking an early decision to withdraw him from the Indian Premier League and pre-emptively ruling him out of the rigours of Test cricket until next year.
Instead they hope to unleash him in familiar territory in the West Indies, where they will look to defend their 20-over crown.
He shares that ambition but is refusing to count on it.
“Come the first game in June I really do want to be in the team. The last two years have been really stop-start, so I just think that, you know, everyone’s going to just take it a bit easy,” he said.
“If I’m ready then fine, happy days, but if I’m not they’re still supporting me. Worst-case scenario, I don’t really want to think about this, but even if I don’t make it to the World Cup for whatever reason, there’s still the T20 Blast, there’s still The Hundred.
“There’s still cricket that I haven’t got a chance to play in the last couple of years, so as much as I want to play in the World Cup, if it doesn’t happen for whatever reason, at least I still know I could be somewhat active.”
And if Archer does manage to pull an England shirt back on during their visit to his home island of Barbados, he is expecting to see some friendly faces in the crowd.
“I know it’s not dog friendly in the Caribbean as much as it is here in the UK, but I’d love my family and my dogs at that first game back,” he added.
Campbell was charged with evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection in April 2022. In their 18-page ruling, the panel said in part: "The panel is persuaded to a comfortable degree of satisfaction that the athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation, namely a breach of JADCO rule 2.3. The panel does not find, on the evidence presented, that the athlete's anti-doping violation was not intentional.
"In the circumstances of this case, the athlete is ineligible for a period of four years."
This means the 29-year-old batsman will not be able to play cricket until he is 33 years old, which could significantly impact his ability to represent the West Indies beyond 2026.
Campbell has scored 888 runs in 20 Tests for the West Indies.
In response to the ruling, attorneys Ayana L. Thomas and Mark-Paul Cowan of the noted legal firm Nunes Scholefield Deleon and Co. made clear their disappointment and did not rule out appealing the judgement.
“Mr Campbell has been a clean athlete throughout his outstanding career as a batsman and he remains committed to a clean sport,” the statement read.
“It is important to emphasize that the allegations against him was not relating to an adverse analytical finding or banned substances. The allegation concerned refusing or failing to submit a sample collection after proper notification pursuant to Article 2.3 of the JADCo Anti-Doping rules.
“Our client has to date, never returned an adverse analytical finding for banned substances.”
According to the attorneys, JADCO committed several breaches of the International Test Standards (IST).
“We have read the written decision of the disciplinary panel and believe there are legitimate grounds for an appeal concerning whether the necessary ingredients to sustain the alleged anti-doping rule violation were proved before the panel particularly as it relates to the notification requirements,” the lawyers said.
“Mr Campbell’s position was that he was not properly notified by JADCO. There were several breaches by JADCO of the mandatory International Testing Standards and Investigations in respect of the notification of the athlete of which, in our view, were not adequately addressed by the panel.”
That matter was not the only issue concern for Campbell’s attorneys.
“Additionally, there were several mitigatory factors supported by evidence which were not challenged by JADCO and which ought to have been mitigated against the imposition of the maximum penalty,” they said, “even if the panel found that the athlete committed a violation.
“It does not appear from the written decision that these factors in mitigation were adequately considered by the panel.
“Our client will, therefore, at this time, consider exercising his right of appeal after further consultation with his legal team and will make a decision shortly.”
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