Spooner, the tournament’s global media operations Manager, acknowledged the early problems, but said efforts were made to rectify the issues, as cricket fans flocked the venues to secure tickets for the highly-anticipated June 1-29 tournament, to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
To celebrate 30 days to go to the start of the tournament, box offices were opened on Thursday until the end of the event across the six host locations -Antigua and Barbuda: Antigua Recreation Ground; Barbados: Kensington Oval; Guyana: Guyana Cricket Board Office; Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Commercial Centre, and Trinidad and Tobago: Queen’s Park Oval and National Cricket Centre -in the West Indies.
“We apologise to the members of the public for the challenges that they faced, but we are very happy to see people coming out because it shows the level of interest, and this is a tremendous first day of operations.
“People want to be part of this event and they are participating meaningfully. We are very happy about that. We will put everything in place that needs to be put in place for our customers, our fans, who are the biggest supporters of the games,” Spooner said in an interview with Barbados Today.
“So far, the atmosphere has been amazing; there has been a lot of attention to the tournament globally, it is literally out of this world. We had the launch of the amazing anthem and the music video with Sean Paul and Kes, two of the best and most visible global artists in the region. We are very happy with that aspect of how things are going. The preparations of the fields and pitches have also been good, obviously, there is still work to be done as we are a month away, but we are where we want to be,” he added.
West Indies batting legend Brian Lara had many battles with Warne on the pitch during their careers. He was rendered speechless by the news.
“Heartbroken and speechless at the moment. I literally don’t know how to sum up this situation. My friend is gone!!!,” Lara said on Instagram.
“We have lost one of the greatest sportsmen of all time!! My condolences go out to his family. RIP Warnie!! You will be missed,” he added.
Lara played against Australia in 31 test matches from 1992-2005 and made 2856 runs at an average of 51.00 with nine centuries and 11 fifties.
Another all-time great, Sachin Tendulkar, also reacted with shock to news of Warne’s death on Instagram.
“Shocked, stunned and miserable…Will miss you, Warnie. There was never a dull moment with you around, on or off the field. Will always treasure our on-field duels and off-field banter. You always had a special place for India and Indians had a special place for you. Gone too young!”
Tendulkar also had a long history of battles with Warne, playing against Australia in 39 tests from 1991-2013, amassing 3630 runs at an average of 55.00 with 11 centuries and 16 fifties.
West Indian great Sir Viv Richards never played against Warne but was a part of the Melbourne Stars Australian Big Bash League franchise at one point with him.
“Unbelievable. I am shocked to the core. This can’t be true. There are no words to describe how I feel right now. A huge loss for cricket,” Richards said on Twitter.
Legendary English all-rounder Ian Botham mourned the loss of the Australian spinner.
“I’ve lost a great friend on and off the playing field. RIP Warnster,” he said on Twitter.
Warne leaves behind an untouchable legacy in the sport, finishing his career in 2007 with 708 wickets in 145 Tests and 293 wickets in 194 ODIs.
Hetmyer was originally named in the 15-man squad for the Australia series and the World Cup before being replaced by Shamarh Brooks on Monday.
The Guyanese batsman, who recently captained the Guyana Amazon Warriors to a playoff appearance in the Caribbean Premier League, was scheduled to travel to Australia to join the squad on Saturday before informing CWI that he would be unable to make the flight.
He was then rebooked for a flight on Monday before, once again, informing the CWI that he wouldn’t be able to make it. CWI’s selection panel then unanimously voted to replace him with Brooks. Before scheduling the Monday flight, he was informed that failure to make the flight would leave CWI no choice but to replace him in the squad.
“To be honest, that’s not my focus at the moment,” Pooran said in a press conference on Tuesday.
“The decision has been made, there are consequences for your actions. At the moment, I just want to focus on why we’re here and how we’re going to achieve our goals. Obviously, we planned with him but, unfortunately, he’s not here and we have to plan differently now,” he added.
“He’s definitely an experienced cricketer,” was Pooran’s reaction when Australian journalists questioned him about Hetmyer’s replacement in the squad, Shamarh Brooks.
“He’s been in our white-ball set up for the last year and has been doing fantastic. He had a really good CPL as well. He has a vital role to play for us,” he added.
Brooks is fresh off a fantastic CPL playoffs where he had scores of 47, 109* and 47 to help the Jamaica Tallawahs win their third CPL title.
The Windies are in a must-win situation after suffering an embarrassing 42-run defeat at the hands of Scotland on Sunday, leaving them at the foot of Group B needing wins in their last two games to move on to the Super 12s.
“Obviously, we had a tough start yesterday,” said the former West Indies Test and ODI skipper in a pre-match press conference on Monday.
“We’re all disappointed with the performance we had but I think the most important thing we have to do now is to come together and try to find solutions. There’s no doubt that we have what it takes to turn it around and it’s all about hitting the ground running against Zimbabwe,” he added.
The Zimbabweans will enter the game on a high after getting a comprehensive 31-run win over Ireland in their first game, also on Sunday.
“They’re a very good cricket team. We’ve played against them quite a bit in the recent past and they’ve been more and more competitive. They’re on a bit of a win streak as well so we’re expecting a highly competitive game; one of the hardest games we’ll have in the competition.”
The first game saw the Caribbean team struggle with the bat, being bowled out for 118 in just 18.3 overs in pursuit 161.
Better situational awareness and the forming of partnerships were Holder's answers when asked about possible solutions for the team's batting struggles.
“We’ve got to be a little more situationally aware and try to build partnerships. Partnerships are key in any cricket game.”
“The situation of the game will determine how we play. If that requires that we go for boundaries then we’ll go for boundaries but if it requires that we have to knock it around for a bit, we’ll make that adjustment.”
The game is scheduled to start at 3:00 am Jamaica Time (4:00 am ECT).
The Jamaican outfit lost a low-scoring affair to the Red Force in Trinidad before falling short in a run-fest against the Pride at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
In the latter, the Scorpions found themselves 299-3 batting first at the end of day one, only to be bowled out early on day 2 for 328. After toiling hard in the field, thanks to a brilliant 276 from Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the Scorpions were staring at a first-innings deficit of 193 runs after Barbados declared their first innings on 521-8.
At one point in their second innings, Jamaica was 131-2 on day four and the game was seemingly heading towards a draw before, you guessed it, another collapse ensued.
They lost their final eight wickets for 102 runs, leaving the Pride with only 40 runs to get for an outright win, which they did by 10 wickets.
The question has to be asked: What is causing these batting collapses?
“Soft dismissals after a significant partnership or after individual players would have had starts,” was the response offered by Jamaica Scorpions head coach Andre Coley told Sportsmax.tv.
“The thinking has to be that we are never in as a batting unit, which means we need to be ready for the period-by-period battles while being sensitive to and aware of key periods in the game in which there could be a momentum shift. Bottom line is we need hunger for centuries and big runs, while having the patience to execute our plans,” he added.
Under normal circumstances, the regional four-day competition would see each team playing 10 matches but in this Covid-19 shortened season, each team will only play five matches, with that in mind, how many chances will players get?
“Usually, you would want to give players an opportunity or a run. A shorter tournament can mean less room for error or comeback. There can be no excuses in all areas if we are to move up the table. Performances that help the team either win or draw are important,” Coley said.
When asked about challenges faced in the first two rounds of the championship, Coley had this to say.
“Our most significant challenge at the end of round 2 would’ve been around our inability to bat a specific number of sessions based on the team plans. We have identified the areas of focus for the next six weeks. Our inability to take 20 wickets in either of the matches was also an area of concern, injury played a role here, and despite consistent early strikes, we were unable to get past resolute middle order defenses. Our ground fielding was excellent, and our catching was above average compared to the previous season,” he said.
After batting first and posting a paltry 176 all out in just 43.5 overs, India needed just 28 overs to get to 178-4 and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pace bowler Alzarri Joseph, who was the best bowler on the day for the Windies with 2-45 from seven overs, said the nature of the pitch made bowling difficult.
“It was a pretty difficult wicket. It was slow and spin-friendly so there wasn’t really much in it for me. We had our team meetings and we had specific plans for specific batsmen so I was just bowling towards the plans. I just tried to put in my effort and put my best foot forward for the team,” he said.
A common theme in the West Indies batting over the years, Joseph lamented the lack of application during their innings.
“I just think we need to assess a bit better and spend some more time at the crease. As you see, Fabian and Jason gave us a good partnership and partnerships will give us a better total. We needed to score a bit more," the Antiguan said.
"I think maybe 240 or 250 would have been a more challenging total on that wicket but it’s our first game out and we have two more games to get back in the series so we’ll just go back to the drawing board and put our plans in. We have two days to go back and plan so we’ll have our post-match meetings and come up with plans to get to where we need to get.”
Joseph has had an excellent start to his ODI career with 66 wickets in 41 matches and his goal is to just keep improving.
“My goals are just improving as a cricketer every time I go out on the field. Year after year, month after month, week after week, day after day, I try to improve myself and be better than I was yesterday,” he said.
The second ODI takes place on Wednesday.
Mayers, 28, scored an unbeaten 210 and featured in a record-breaking partnership with Nkrumah Bonner as the West Indies came from behind to defeat the home side by three-wickets mere minutes before the close of play on the final day.
His unbeaten double century is the second-highest score by a West Indian batsman on Test debut. Only Lawrence Rowe’s 214 against New Zealand in 1972 was better. Mayers also became only the third West Indian batsman to score a double century in the second innings of Test match following in the footsteps of George Headley (223) and Gordon Greenidge (214 not out).
The fourth-wicket partnership with Bonner, who made 86, is the best in the second innings of a Test match and was the fifth-highest successful run chase in history, the highest in Asia.
"I am always a positive person. I always believe in my abilities and the team, and I always was positive,” said Mayers, who hit 20 fours and seven sixes during his 310-minute knock.
“We never gave up. We always said in the dressing room that we need to keep fighting. The captain and coach told the bowlers as well that you need to keep fighting on a pitch like this.”
Mayers said he was thankful for the opportunity to play Test cricket and hopes his performance proves to be an inspiration for young cricketers in the West Indies.
“It's a great feeling to be playing Test cricket. Then to go on and score a century, and then to make it a double, and then going on to win this Test,” he said.
“I would like to be thankful to my teammates, my coaches and family back home. A guy making his debut and making a double should inspire all youngsters to work hard and reach this level."
After a 20-run victory on Wednesday, the Caribbean side now leads the series 2-1 with the chance to take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Saturday.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons says that even with a series win in sight, he is focused on how the team is playing.
“Saturday, if we win the game we’ll win the series so yes, I’d be happy, but I’m happier now with the way that the players are taking on board how we want to play going forward,” Simmons said in a press conference today.
With the ICCT20 World Cup a few months away, the emphasis for the former Ireland and Afghanistan head coach is for the two-time champions to have a much-improved performance from the disaster of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in the UAE where they won only one of their five group matches and crashed out of the tournament.
“Winning as a whole is a great thing for any team so it’s something that we’re happy with, but for me, at this point in time, it’s about building back the team because at the end of the day, October is another T20 World Cup and, especially with our performances in the last one, we want to get back up to where we normally are. I’m looking at the quality of the cricket we’re playing and how we’re improving rather than just a series win,” Simmons said.
The former West Indies player also commented on Rovman Powell’s brilliant maiden T20 hundred.
“I think it was a brilliant innings from the start. The way he assessed the situation at the beginning is something that we’ve been talking about as a group and I’ve been looking forward to someone doing that in a match and he did that. We’re moving in the right direction,” Simmons added.
Taylor’s side managed 116 for 6 in their 20 overs chasing an England total of 163 for 8 set by the hosts who took first strike. England’s match-winning total was due largely to the innings of Player of the Match Tammy Beaumont who scored 62 from 49 balls aided by some wayward bowling from the Caribbean women.
Deandra Dottin led the scoring for the West Indies with a 59-ball 69 but no other made double figures as the West Indies struggled to keep pace with the required rate of just over eight runs an over.
Taylor was not happy with the performances.
“It's not one of our best [performances]. We didn't adapt well to the pitch,” she said.
Tammy batted really well and set the game up nicely for them. Looking back at that, we thought we were always behind and had to gain some momentum going into the batting.”
Taylor conceded that the bowlers and the batters let the team down.
“Some bowlers bowled well in patches but... not the best, really. Deandra batted well, but she needed someone to stay there with her,” said the despondent Windies captain.
“We thought too many dot balls strangled us a bit. We needed to go back to the footage and assess it and see areas we can improve on. We have a training day tomorrow just to fine-tune for Wednesday's game.”
The next match in the five-match series bowls off on Wednesday.
Powell was appointed captain last season when the two-time CPL champions struggled to find consistency and missed the playoffs after only winning four of their 10 matches.
However, come next season, Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller expects Powell to work more closely with the new coaching staff headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
“I think that Chanderpaul along with the assistant coaches has expressed that to Rovman," Miller revealed in a recent interview with Sportsmax.TV.
"We have been having some great meetings and I think this year we will see that all-inclusive where the player, as the captain, is involved in all aspects of team management, selection, etcetera,” Miller told Sportsmax.TV.
“I think we will see a different side of him (Rovman) this year.”
Turning his attention to Brandon King, who has been brought in to open the batting, Miller said the former Amazon Warrior will be given the opportunity to express himself in the coming season.
“Brandon is another dynamic player and we believe that having Brandon at the top of the order with Kennar (Lewis) will produce some exciting games, and Brandon also wanted to come home and we gave him that opportunity to play for the Tallawahs and express himself and we know how Brandon can express himself,” Miller said.
The CEO also hinted that the international players who have been signed will be very suited for the potentially spin-friendly pitches in Guyana that will host several matches including the CPL finals for the next three years.
"When you see our international players then you will see why we selected those players because they will make a difference in Guyana," said Miller, who also expressed confidence that the Tallawahs will give a good account of themselves in the 2022 season.
"I am confident about the team. Look, we have a dream team support staff - Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly Ambrose, we have Andre Coley. We have an announcement to make in the coming days pertaining to our manager and that will really cement our support staff."
The West Indies will play matches on May 31, June 2 and June 4 in what will be their first-ever ODI series against the Dutch side and Pooran believes his players need to be in the correct frame of mind.
“Obviously, we don’t want to be complacent. We just saw the Netherlands play New Zealand and they did well,” said Pooran in a pre-match press conference on Monday.
“They didn’t get a win but, as a team, they played really well. They have some good players.”
Pooran, who recently ended a stint for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, will be in charge in his first assignment as full-time West Indies ODI captain and provided some insight as to how he plans to lead.
“I’ll try to make the best decisions for the team. I’m very instinctive so a lot of my decisions you guys may not like but, hopefully, it will be the right decision for the team at that point in time. It’s similar to my batting so, hopefully, that goes well,” he said.
As for tomorrow’s game, Pooran says the team is prepared for battle.
“I believe that we’re ready to play. We’ve been here a couple days now and getting used to the weather. We came here to be successful and get some wins on under our belt to get some points so, hopefully, things can go our way and we can do the right things,” said Pooran.
The match is expected to begin at 4:00 am in Jamaica, 5:00 am ECT.
Speaking after the West Indies lost the final T20 by 17 runs on Sunday, Pollard said the tour was not a complete disaster.
“When you look at the games, it was definitely a close series but it just goes to show the fine line in international cricket in terms of the margins for error,” said Pollard.
“I thought the guys really put up their hands and gave a really good account of themselves so I don’t think we should feel disgraced by what has taken place.
"We’re not happy with losing but it is a work in progress. I’m very happy with the performances of some of the guys and we crack on. We have no international white-ball cricket for the next three months so we have time to find out what’s for the future.”
Among the players that Pollard was pleased with was his vice-captain Nicholas Pooran who starred with 184 runs in the three games.
“I thought Nicholas was outstanding. Three fifties in three games is fantastic for him and that’s the consistency that we ask for,” said Pollard.
Pollard’s Mumbai Indians teammate Suryakumar Yadav was India’s best batsman in the series with 107 runs in the three matches. The West Indies captain believes he is someone his batters should try to emulate.
“Surya is a world-class player. I’ve had the opportunity to play a lot of years with him so it’s great to see that he has grown well and is doing great things for himself and great things for India. He’s a 360-degree player and that’s something that our batsmen could try to emulate,” Pollard said.
An important part of a successful T20 outfit is laying out specific roles for specific players and Pollard, while being aware of this, says it’s also important to rotate to give others opportunities.
“I think everyone is clear in their role. Once you get an opportunity to play, you know your role so it’s about getting the experience and understanding what is needed at the international level. We’re not just chopping and changing for the sake of it, guys came in and had specific roles to play. We’re in a position where we have to give guys opportunities,” he said.
The West Indies next white-ball assignment will a tour of the Netherlands in May-June where they will play three ODIs.
Bonner’s score of 38 was the top score in the West Indies’ second inning of 117. Those runs proved to be crucial in helping the Caribbean men set a target of 231 that was just good enough for the West Indies to pull off a 17-run win.
Over the two matches, Bonner accumulated 231 runs at an average of 57.75 during the series where he scored Test bests of 86 and 90. He was also involved in match-changing partnerships for the West Indies team that was supposed to be without their best players on tour.
The 31-year-old Jamaica said sound advice helped him achieve success.
“[I] spoke to seniors and knew you have to be patient while batting here,” he said after receiving his award. “After all it’s Test cricket, you need to put a price on your wicket.”
He said it was not that difficult adjusting to the conditions in Bangladesh.
"It's quite similar to Caribbean conditions,” he said. “It spins at home too, just a little lower here.”
The two-time champions will do battle with rapidly improving Afghanistan, perennial title-challengers New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda in Group C. The top two teams in the group will advance to the Super Eights.
They will open their account in the World Cup against Papua New Guinea at Providence in Guyana on Sunday.
“All 20 teams in the World Cup are good teams. I think we have a group that will give us some challenge. It’s T20 cricket and on a day, that is when it’s played, regardless of how strong your squad is,” Powell told the media at a training session at the UWI SPEC in St. Augustine on Wednesday.
“I think we have a strong enough squad to fight off any battles that these teams give us,” Powell added.
West Indies will round off their preparation for the tournament a final warm-up game on Thursday against likely title-challengers Australia, at the Queen’s Park Oval.
The outing will give Powell and the players who missed the recent three-match series against South Africa because of commitments in the Indian Premier League, the chance to get some time in the middle before their opening game.
The West Indians produced some excellent cricket in that series to come out 3-0 winners and Powell says it’s important to keep that momentum going.
“It’s important that we keep on winning. Winning builds a very good morale in the team, so that is always very good,” he said.
One important player that the hosts will be without for the World Cup is all rounder Jason Holder who picked up an injury and has been replaced in the squad by left-arm quick Obed McCoy.
“Obed is a suitable replacement. It’s a good four overs that he comes with; four overs with a lot of variation and he also comes with the left-handed factor. It’s important for him to just come on and be himself,” Powell said.
The skipper also commented on the selection of fast bowler Shamar Joseph for his first World Cup.
“When we were selecting the team, there were other fast bowlers in the Caribbean that we could have selected but he comes with a little bit of X-Factor, a little bit of cutting edge,” Powell said.
“He’s faster than the other fast bowlers around the region. He’s a little bit fitter than the other fast bowlers around the region, so we think it’s an opportunity now for us to give him a go in a World Cup like this. With his exploits in Test cricket, he should be going into it pretty confident,” he added.
Cricket is one of the most unforgiving sports on the planet and every batsman dreams of a purple patch where every time they take the crease, they get a significant score or close to it.
“I’m feeling pretty good at the moment. I’m hitting the ball very well in the nets,” the 31-year-old told members of the media in a press conference on Friday.
“The way I’m feeling now, I feel like my old self from a few years ago so, hopefully, I can go out there and out in some good performances for the team,” he added.
Blackwood is coming off a modest tour of Australia where he scored 63 runs in four innings at an average of just 15.75. In those four innings he recorded scores of 36, 24, three and zero.
Despite the poor returns, Blackwood noted that the failures were not due to tough luck rather than poor form.
“I never really had any difficulties. I just didn’t get the scores I wanted,” he said.
“In the first game, I thought I got a hard decision in the first innings with the LBW against Mitchell Starc and then, in the second innings, I thought I was unfortunate when the ball hit my bat then my thigh pad and lobbed up to Labuschagne. In the second game I didn’t really get a start,” he added.
Nevertheless, Blackwood views the two matches against Zimbabwe as an opportunity to score some much-needed runs ahead of the team’s three-match tour of South Africa starting on February 28.
“My goal is to score as much runs as possible. In the last three series, I haven’t scored any centuries so I’m looking forward to scoring at least one in this series and get the form going for the South Africa series coming up shortly,” he said.
As he mentioned, his last Test hundred came in March 2022 against England at the Kensington Oval.
Since then, he’s scored 237 runs in eight innings at an average of 29.62 with one half century, 63 against Bangladesh in Antigua in June 2022.
The first Test against Zimbabwe bowls off on February 4.
Da Silva made a well-compiled 100 off 149 balls as the Windies scored a massive 517 in their first innings of a tour match against a Zimbabwe XI in Bulawayo. The match was declared a draw on Monday after the West Indies reached 82-2 in their second innings after dismissing the hosts for 122.
“It’s always good when you get to spend some time in the middle in a practice game. I had fun out there,” the 24-year-old Trinidadian said.
“It is a decent pitch. Some balls are staying a bit low but I think the boys have really applied themselves and made the most of the opportunity to get into the middle. The goal set out by Kraigg (Brathwaite) was to bat a day and a half and we did that. Kraigg gave us a target of 450 an hour after lunch on the second day and we got that as well. We ticked all the boxes and, hopefully, we can transfer that into the Test series,” Da Silva added.
Brathwaite got a hundred of his own, stroking 116 off 170 deliveries, and Da Silva commented on his skipper’s form heading into the series.
“Everybody’s seen it. We know the kind of form he’s in and ever since he’s gotten the captaincy his form has taken an uphill climb. It’s been a joy to watch for me and I try to take little things from him and add it to my game,” he said.
Da Silva also commended his bowlers, especially Alzarri Joseph, who he said was able to extract some good pace out of a slow wicket.
“I think Alzarri’s pace opening up really surprised them. He was bowling quite fast on the pitch and it’s not a quick pitch by any means. To see him run in, give his full effort and bowl as fast as he could was really good.”
Powell smashed a belligerent 107 off 53 balls, including five fours and 10 sixes, to help the home side amass a total of 224-5 off their 20 overs. In the field, Powell took two catches to help the Windies restrict the English to 204-9 and secure a 2-1 lead in the series but it was with his batting that he spoke loudest.
“It means a lot. The last six or seven months have been tough, not getting a lot of runs so it was good for me to get an opportunity tonight and I took it. I hope it’s a breakthrough international performance. It’s just for me now to go back to the drawing board, think about the stuff that I did right and hopefully I can replicate it come Saturday,” Powell said after the game.
Many fans and pundits were left bemused when Powell strode to the crease at number four ahead of Darren Bravo, who batted at that position in the second game, but Powell said that the move was tactical and that he was told of the possibility the night before by captain Kieron Pollard.
“It was to split up the two left-handers. We didn’t want Pooran and Bravo at the crease at the same time, so I was the right-hander that slotted between them. Last night (Tuesday) he told me it's a possibility that I would bat four so I started to think back to some of my good innings and started to come up with a game plan. I think that plan served me well today. When I walked out to bat, I was confident because for the last five months I’ve been working hard and stroking the ball well so that confidence transferred into the game,” he said.
That confidence also comes from a fantastic stint Powell had at the Abu Dhabi T10 League in late 2021 for the Northern Warriors where he scored 305 runs in nine innings at an average of 33.88 with 15 fours and a mammoth 27 sixes.
“I think I’m in very good form. I told the guys I’m sure that I’m one of the best in the world at the moment when it comes to hitting the ball and it started from the T10. When I went there, I just tried to express myself and catch back the eyes of the selectors and now everything is coming to fruition,” he added. West Indies fans are hoping that that form will carry over into the fourth T20I which takes place on Saturday.
With the World Cup just a few months away, the debate has raged on regarding the most effective composition of the squad. Experienced players like Gayle, Narine, and Dwayne Bravo, who all have world titles under their belts, remain eligible for selection. Some have called for the selection panel to look past the players.
Recently, the selection of veteran players Fidel Edwards and Gayle, for the West Indies series against Sri Lanka, set off vigorous debate around the region. While some endorsed the decision the Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel’s decision to add experience to the World Cup squad. Some argued that Gayle being 41 and Edwards 39, the CWI should be invested in selecting promising youth players.
In the meantime, top spinner Narine is only 32 but has not appeared for the West Indies since 2019 and prior to that had not played consistently.
“I don’t think that Sunil Narine is interested in going to World Cup, to be honest, given the challenges he had,” Ragoonath told the Mason and Guest radio program.
“Dwayne Bravo is showing that he is still capable and Chris Gayle for me is a big question mark. For the first time, I’ve seen Chris Gayle actually dive around in a match. The last game they played (Punjab King’s XI). He looks a little fitter, but at the same time, I am not inclined to taking Chris Gayle to a World Cup at this stage,” he added.
Gayle struggled to make an impact against Sri Lanka in March, scoring just 29 runs in three matches. Since the start of this season’s IPL, the batsman has been solid, if not spectacular for Punjab Kings XI after scoring 165 runs from seven matches.
“Of the three, I would love to have Sunil Narine on my side, but psychologically Sunil is not half the player he used to be and so Bravo is the only one I would give serious consideration to.”
During that span, Lara scored 11,953 runs in 131 Tests at an average of 52.88 including 34 hundreds and 48 fifties, the biggest of those hundreds coming at the Antigua Recreation Ground against England in 2004 when he scored a world record 400*.
His ODI numbers were equally impressive as he scored 10,405 runs in 299 matches at an average of 40.48 with 19 hundreds and 63 fifties.
Now, Lara hopes to give back to West Indies cricket as a member of the support staff of the senior Men’s team.
Before the team’s ongoing Test series against South Africa, Lara joined the coaching staff as a performance mentor.
Lara described the feeling of wearing the West Indies colors again in an interview with Cricket West Indies on Thursday.
“These are the colors that made me who I am today. It’s a different set of emotions. I remember several years back when I was a youngster living out my dream spending 17 years plying my trade in these very colors,” he said.
“Now, it’s a bit different being a member of staff, looking at present day players and trying to implement a style of play and a philosophy of the game that was successful in the past. I feel that, in time, we will see the benefits of this,” he added.
The former West Indies captain also described what his role will be with the team moving forward.
“I think it’s pretty simple. We have to improve our performances and not just sporadically, we have got to do it on a consistent level and I’m not going to pretty it up. That is what I’m here to do as a performance mentor; to get the players to play better cricket more consistently and to get the West Indies back competitive with the best cricket playing countries in the world,” Lara said.
