Odi Series

The camp sees the return of veteran leg-spinner Afy Fletcher, following her year-long maternity leave, while teenagers, Zaida James from St. Lucia and Jannilea Glasgow from St. Vincent and the Grenadines have again been included in a senior West Indies Women’s camp.

Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, and Shawnisha Hector have all been ruled out by the CWI Medical Panel for medical reasons.

“The players will undergo medical and physical testing before the final squad of 18 are selected to travel. It is good to have Afy Fletcher back into the setup. Unfortunately, three players, Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, and Shawnisha Hector have been ruled out of selection consideration for medical reasons,” said Anne Browne-John, CWI Lead Selector for Women’s cricket.

Browne-John also commented on the emergence of the youngsters in the team.

“What is very promising for us at CWI is the inclusion of teenagers Jannilea Glasgow and Zaida James. They’ve been a part of the senior team camps before and also played in the first-ever West Indies Women’s A-Team home series against Pakistan Women last year. Their inclusion is a continued step in the developmental pathways we have established to grow women’s cricket in the region,” she added.

The selection of the final 18 players, who will travel to South Africa, will be announced at the conclusion of the camp.

The full squad for the camp is as follows: Aaliyah Alleyne, Reniece Boyce, Shemaine Campbell, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Jannilea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.

The Series starts with two Test matches as part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. Windsor Park in Dominica will host the first Test match from 12-16 July. The second Test match, to be played from 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, will be historic marking the 100th Test match played between the two teams.

The Test Series is followed by three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five T20 Internationals (T20Is). The CG United ODI Series will start at Kensington Oval in Barbados with the first and second matches on 27 and 29 July. The CG United ODI Series concludes on 1 August at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad which will be hosting a West Indies Men’s ODI for the first time.

The T20Is also bowl off at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on 3 August. Guyana hosts the second and third T20Is at the Guyana National Stadium on 6 and 8 August. The T20I Series concludes in Lauderhill, Florida with a blockbuster weekend of back-to-back matches on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August at Broward County Cricket Stadium.

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the schedule and venues for the highly anticipated visit by India. One of the highlights will be the 100th Test at the Queen’s Park Oval and this promises to be a fantastic occasion as we celebrate this historic event between these two proud cricketing nations.”

Grave added: “We also look forward to hosting India in the white ball fixtures and welcoming fans to attend the matches across the region, as well as in the United States. It will be 18 days of entertainment for cricket lovers to enjoy and savour.”

Official West Indies Tour Operator packages, including match tickets will be announced first.  The Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, available through the Windiescricket.com website, will launch ticket sales by Tuesday 20 June. Fans can sign up to receive the first news of tickets going on sale at https://www.windiescricket.com/updates.

MATCH SCHEDULE

India tour of West Indies 2023

​Test Matches

12-16 July: 1st Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica

20-24 July: 2nd Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
​* Local start time: 10h00 (09h00 Jamaica time)

​CG United ODIs

27 July: 1st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

29 July: 2nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

1 August: 3rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
​* Local start time: 09h30 (08h30 Jamaica time)

T20 Internationals

3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana

8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana

12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

* Local start time: 10h30 (09h30 Jamaica time)

Darren Bravo, 34, recently led the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to the CG United Super50 Cup title and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 416 runs in eight innings at an average of 83.20 with one hundred and three fifties.

His production proved to be not enough in the eyes of the selectors, however, as they opted to go with younger players who they have invested in with an eye on the 2027 World Cup, according to Haynes in a press conference on Monday.

“SMH!!! When will the BS stop?!” I’m not surprised with my brother’s non-selection, but with the recent changes in WI cricket management, I held onto a bit of hope for the better,” Bravo said in a statement on Instagram on Monday.

“This is NOT acceptable, and I just can’t make sense of it! So here are my burning questions: What’s the criteria for West Indies team selection? Surely, it can’t be solely based on performance?” he added.

The former all-rounder then went into the aforementioned stats that Darren bravo put together in the Super50 Cup before asking more questions.

“I usually stay away from these discussions but the mistreatment, disrespect, and dishonesty towards players over the years demand a voice. When will it stop? When will this BS actually stop?”

He then directed his ire toward Haynes, Sammy, and newly appointed director of cricket Miles Bascombe.

“To Mr. Desmond Haynes, your statement didn’t surprise me. It feels like another former player singing for his supper. I hoped for trust in the system with figures like you, Sammy, and the new director of cricket, but the system failed again,” he said.

Bravo ended by offering encouragement to his brother and congratulating some of the new and returning members of the squad.

“To my brother, this too shall pass. Keep your head up, stay focused and trust in the Almighty. And, as always, I extend my best wishes to the team and selected players. It’s refreshing to see (Kjorn) Ottley, (Sherfane) Rutherford and (Shane) Dowrich back in the mix. Good luck guys,” he ended.

South Africa won the toss and put the West Indies in to bat and at the time of the first rain delay, West Indies women were 234-3 from 45.3 overs.

Deandra Dottin was not out on a mammoth 150 off 158 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes, and Shemaine Campbelle was the other not-out batter with 7.

Earlier, Hayley Matthews made 51 from 63 balls.

Dottin’s 150 is her third ODI hundred and the second-highest individual score by a West Indian, in Women’s ODIs, after Stafanie Taylor’s 171 off 137 balls against Sri Lanka Women in Mumbai in 2013.

Due to lack of time, the West Indies innings was declared at the same score meaning South Africa had a target of 204 off 29 overs based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The South Africans got to 87-5 off 17.4 overs before the skies opened up once again and caused the match to be abandoned before 20 overs could be completed.

Tazmin Brits got 32 off 37 balls to top score for the South Africans.

The second ODI takes place on Monday.

The 20-year-old Trinidadian pacer has already represented the region at the highest level, so far taking 16 wickets in four Test matches, with his debut coming against South Africa as a 19-year-old last year in St. Lucia.

His talents were first put on display for the world to see in the 2020 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup where he spearheaded the West Indies attack and was one of the most impressive bowlers in the tournament, finishing with 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 18.30.

Speaking at a press conference today, ahead of the start of the Ireland series, Seales spoke about coping with pressure as well as how staying away from negative comments and focusing on Cricket has been the key to his early success.

“I think I’ll be under pressure most of my career seeing that I’m the youngster in the team. If I don’t perform then the media and everybody will say I’m too young, so I tend to just not focus on that stuff. I don’t really go to social media during series or during a game. I tend to stay off social media and stay away from comments. I just talk to my parents and to my family back home and keep my mind away from all the negatives and focus on the cricket. I just go out and enjoy my cricket and play to the best of my ability and if on the day I happen to perform well for the team then I’ll be very pleased,” Seales added.

Fresh off a successful stint in the recently concluded Lankan Premier League T20 where he took 15 wickets in seven matches to help his Jaffna Kings defend their title, Seales will be hoping to make his ODI debut for the West Indies when they take on the Irish on Saturday, January 8 at 9:30 am Jamaica time at Sabina Park.

After Ireland won the toss and chose to field, vice-captain Shai Hope and debutant Justin Greaves were tasked to open the innings for the home side.

The pair battled to 18-0 from 5.4 overs before Greaves was removed caught off the bowling of pacer Mark Adair for 7.

Nicholas Pooran joined Hope and the pair brought the score to 36-1 after 10 overs with Hope on 17 and Pooran on five.

They reached 59-1 in the 17^th over before Pooran was dismissed, caught on the boundary off the bowling of off-spinner Andrew McBrine for 13.

Shai Hope was the next batsman to go, caught by wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker off the bowling of medium-pacer Curtis Campher for 29 to leave the West Indies 59-3 early in the 18^th over.

Roston Chase replaced Hope at the crease and didn’t last long, becoming McBrine’s second victim, for one, leaving the West Indies 62-4 after 19 overs with captain Pollard joining Brooks at the crease.

After 20 overs, the Caribbean side were 66-4 with Brooks on five and Pollard on one.

The same pair were at the crease when the West Indies brought up their 100 in the 27^th over with Pollard on 20 and Brooks on 17.

After 30 overs, West Indies were 121-4 with Pollard on 26 and Brooks on 27.

Brooks brought up a debut ODI 50 off 61 balls in the 36^th over to move the score along to 159-4.

Pollard followed suit in the 37^th over, hitting consecutive sixes off McBrine to bring up his 13^th ODI 50 off 51 balls.

With 10 overs remaining, the West Indies were 204-4 with Brooks and Pollard looking comfortable on 70 and 66, respectively.

Pollard finally went for 69 off 66 balls in the 42^nd over to leave the Windies 217-5.

Brooks was dismissed narrowly short of a debut hundred in the 45^th over, going off the bowling of Mark Adair for 93 from 89 balls to leave the West Indies 238-6 with five overs remaining.

Romario Shepherd was the seventh wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Craig Young in the 47^th over for two to leave the score at 246-7.

More misery followed as Jason Holder went off the very next ball for 13 to leave the Windies 246-8 off 46.5 overs.

Alzarri Joseph was next to go in the 48^th over for a duck to leave the score 253-9.

Mark Adair was the pick of the Irish bowlers with 3-38 from his 8.5 overs and he was supported by Craig Young who recovered from an expensive start to his spell to finish with 3-56 from nine overs.

The Australian 47-year-old, who was appointed in July this year, believes that the West Indies will have to play a more attacking brand of cricket to compete with the best teams in the world.

“The brand of cricket I want us to play is definitely the traditional West Indian ‘calypso’ brand of attacking, taking it to the opposition and getting on the front foot. It’s the way I’ve always coached cricket around the world and that’s not going to change here,” Deitz said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“It’s a style of play that I think is effective so the players will definitely be getting the message that we’re here to win and we’re going to win by playing attacking, free-flowing cricket,” he added.

The former Vanuatu and Netherlands Women head coach believes the implementation of this new philosophy will take time, but will be worth it in the end.

“It may take a little bit of time to really adjust to or a few skillset upgrades in players but we’ll work towards that so they’ve got the ability to play that style of cricket and I think that’s the most successful brand of cricket around the world,” he said.

“Australia play it at the moment in women’s cricket and are consistently getting over 300 in ODIs and 160 to 180 in T20Is so we’re definitely going to follow that method and play that style of cricket and play the Caribbean way,” added Deitz.

Deitz will get his first opportunity to see the team in a competitive outing when they embark on a tour of Australia for three ODIs and three T20Is from September 30-October 14.

He says this will be a great opportunity to see some of the players first-hand against some world-class opposition.

“I’ve only been here for the WCPL to see them live so I think this tour to Australia will be a great opportunity for me to see the players first-hand against the world’s best and a team that has dominated women’s cricket around the world,” he said.

“This is a great test for us and a way for me to see the reality of where we’re at, what we need to work on and what areas we need to improve so we can formulate a long-term plan to work on players to get them up to that world class, elite level and challenge Australia, England and India who have been challenging for World Cups,” Deitz added.

As for the nucleus of his team going forward, Deitz pointed to current skipper Hayley Matthews, former captain Stafanie Taylor and all-rounder, Chinelle Henry.

“Obviously we’ve got a few players who are near the top of the world rankings with Hayley (Matthews) and Stafanie (Taylor). (Chinelle) Henry is also showing signs of being an elite level cricketer,” he said.

The 15-member squad was named following a four-day camp at Kensington Oval held to prepare the white-ball players for the upcoming CG United ODI Series, as well as the five-match T20I Series that follows. The selectors have recalled left-handed batsman Shimron Hetmyer and fast bowler Oshane Thomas. Fast bowler Jayden Seales and leg-spinner Yannic Cariah have been included following their rehabilitation from surgery while left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is also included, having recovered from injury.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We welcome Oshane and Shimron back into the group. Both have played at the international level before, with some success, and we believe they will fit well into the set-up. Oshane brings pace and is a potential wicket-taker with the new ball. Shimron’s style of batting will offer a lot especially in the middle stage of the innings and he is also a potential ‘finisher’.”

Keemo Paul is out injured while Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran were unavailable for selection.

Kensington Oval hosts the first two matches in the three-match CG United ODI Series on Thursday 27 July and Saturday 29 July. The teams then move to Trinidad for the third and final CG United ODI at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Tuesday 1 August. All three matches start at 9:30am local time (8:30am Jamaica time).

Tickets for the matches are available from box offices at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, as well as Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, and the National Cricket Centre in Couva, Trinidad from Monday 24 July. Additionally, tickets are available online in advance from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, at tickets.windiescricket.com .

Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20% discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best and shaded views in each stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.

FULL SQUAD

Shai Hope (Captain)

Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Yannic Cariah

Keacy Carty

Dominic Drakes

Shimron Hetmyer

Alzarri Joseph

Brandon King

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Jayden Seales

Romario Shepherd

Kevin Sinclair

Oshane Thomas

West Indies v India Tour Match Schedule

CG United ODI Series powered by YES BANK

27 July: 1^st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

29 July: 2^nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

1 August: 3^rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

• start time at 9:30am (8:30am Jamaica)

T20 Internationals

3 August: 1^st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

6 August: 2^nd T20I, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

8 August: 3^rd T20I, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

12 August: 4^th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

13 August: 5^th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida

• start time at: 10:30am (9:30am Jamaica)

There was much talk about the Test team and its seven uncapped players, among them rising fast bowler Shamar Joseph, who braved a toe injury to snare a seven-wicket haul and lead West Indies to a famous eight-run win –their first in Australia in 27 years.

With the excitement of that victory still very much fresh in the air, Hope and is unit, which includes five players from the Test squad, is intent on extending the celebrations.

The three-match series bowls off on Thursday at 10:30pm.

“It was a very inspiring win that they had in the last Test. It’s great momentum for us, of course it’s a different format, but great signs for us to continue what happened in the last Test in this ODI series,” Hope said in a pre-game press conference.

“It (the mood in the camp) is pretty good. Everyone's up and ready to roll. Seeing some of these grounds here in Australia, that in itself (makes you) want to play cricket so the guys are upbeat and ready to go,” he added.

It was a mixed bag for West Indies last year where results are concerned with their failed World Cup qualifying campaign and a loss to India at the height of their disappointments. However, they rebounded with 3-0 and 2-1 series victories over United Arab Emirates (UAE) and England, followed by a stalemate with South Africa.

Despite the fact that they have won seven of 12 ODIs last year, Hope is mindful that West Indies is yet to beat Australia in a series in almost three decades.

“Like we always say in the dressing room, every game matters, not necessarily about series or an opponent. You have to take every single game as a final and it's nice to see that the guys are really taken to the new system and the we're trying to play our cricket. So yeah, it's just one game at a time and then the results will take care of themselves,” Hope noted.

That said, Hope welcomed the challenge for his fairly inexperienced squad, which includes eight players with 10 or less ODIs under their belts, as they commence the rebuilding phase to towards possible qualification for the next ODI World Cup in four years. Teddy Bishop and Tevin Imlach are both uncapped.

“Yeah, it's I think it's great to widen that pool and what is a better way to start a career than here in Australia for some of the guys. But yes, I think four years seems like a long time, but it really isn't and as much games as these guys can play over that span, I think it's going to widen the pool and then give us a headache when that time comes to hopefully select a strong squad, and then they would also gain a lot more experience with that time,” Hope, who has been at the helm for almost a year declared.

WEST INDIES – Shai Hope (captain), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

AUSTRALIA – Steve Smith (captain), Travis Head, Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Matt Short, Adam Zampa

The West Indians went 0-1 down in the three-match ODI series after suffering a comprehensive eight-wicket loss at the hands of the reigning World champions.

Australia won the toss and elected to field first before dismissing the tourists for 231 in 48.4 overs. They then needed just 38.3 overs to reach 232-2.

“Starting a tour like that…you would want to take the first win but unfortunately we’ve got to go back to the drawing board now,” Hope said in a post-match press conference.

“We’ve still got two more games to go so we’ve got some room to improve,” he added.

As is usually the case, quick wickets at the top of the order made things tough for the West Indies with the bat. They lost the wickets of Justin Greaves (1), Alick Athanaze (5) and Shai Hope (12) all in the first powerplay, eventually reaching just 37-3 in the first ten overs.

Hope believes this period was ultimately what led to the poor total batting first.

“As you see we lost too many wickets in the powerplay. I didn’t think we showed as much intent as we needed to in the beginning of the innings. That would’ve changed their mindset in terms of where they need to bowl at us,” he said.

“We probably need to show a bit more intent and just be up for the fight. We’re playing in their backyard so they’re not just going to roll over and allow us to score freely and win games so we need to find a way to put them under pressure and to score some big totals,” Hope added.

“Definitely not,” was Hope’s response when asked if he felt at the time like 231 would be enough to win.

He continued, “even if we score 10 or 15, any time you cross the line as a fielding group you’ve got to believe that you can win the game. I still think it was a way below par score. We need to be looking at excess of 300 to give ourselves a chance.”

One could easily argue that the poor performance for the West Indies was down to the absence of a number of their first-choice players. Hope, on the other hand, says that is no excuse.

“One thing I always say is that you miss the performance more than the player. People can misunderstand that comment at times but you can have all the players in the world but if we’re not hitting our straps then what’s the point? It’s about trying to get the guys to understand that they all belong,” Hope said.

“We just need to learn quickly because we’re not at home. We’re not used to these conditions, most of the guys, so the faster we adjust, the faster then we can come better for the next game,” he added.

That next game will take place on Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The regional side will take on the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before making the journey to Zimbabwe to take part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9.

The squad for the UAE series will be missing some of the players who participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) which ended last week, meaning several new players will get an opportunity to represent the region on the biggest stage.

“I just see it as another series,” said the 29-year-old in an interview on Saturday.

“Every time we step onto the park the aim is to perform for West Indies and it gives some new guys an opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage,” he added.

The squad will also include some players who have been selected for the qualifiers and Hope wants them to use this opportunity as preparation for the task at hand.

“For the members of the qualifiers squad, it gives us some prep leading into that important task,” said Hope before he reiterated the importance of development.

“Just want to see the guys continue to grow. The main thing for me is development. Over time, we’re going to get better and hopefully that one percent can be shown here in UAE,” he added.

Hope, the 12^th ranked ODI batsman in the world according to the latest ICC rankings, also described working with new head coach, Daren Sammy.

“I can definitely commend the communication. I see everyone being clear and frank; that’s one of the main principles here. We haven’t had many training sessions to focus on more physical stuff. It’s been, more so, based around the mental side of the game. We know that Sammy loves his stats and his planning so we’re all on the same page where we’re looking to move West Indies cricket forward,” Hope said.

The West Indies top-order batsmen have experienced difficulties with the moisture on the Sabina Park pitch, in the first two games of the series, after losing the toss and being asked to bat by Ireland on both occasions.

“We all know that in the morning time, there’s a lot of moisture in the pitch and it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get to win the toss in the first two games,” he said.

Still, Hope emphasized the importance of trying to battle through the conditions, regardless of the result of the toss.

“Whether we win the toss or not, we have to do whatever we do, first, to the best of our ability. The key is to make sure we do it better this game because we know it is a series decider,” Hope added.

When asked about the average batting performance in the series so far, Hope once again pointed to difficult conditions.

“I think anyone who understands cricket can see that conditions aren’t conducive to stroke-play. It’s not a free-flowing wicket, especially in the morning at Sabina Park. It’s just important for us as batters to adapt to that as fast as we can. It’s not easy but we still have to find a way,” Hope added.

Finally, he offered possible solutions for the West Indies' batting woes.

“It’s just important for us to find a way, whether it’s putting the bowlers under more pressure or trying to run more singles in the middle period. I also think it’s important for us to maintain wickets in the middle so we can launch at the back-end because, at the end of the innings, the wicket tends to get a lot better,” Hope said.

The third and final CG Insurance ODI between The West Indies and Ireland takes place on Sunday at Sabina Park at 9:15 am Jamaica Time.

The series is currently locked at 1-1.

The hosts, who won the toss and chose to bat first, suffered a poor start after losing captain Rohit Sharma (13), Shikhar Dhawan (10) and Virat Kohli (0) in the first 10 overs.

With the Indians teetering at 42-3, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant rescued the innings with a partnership of 110 before Pant was dismissed for 56 in the 30^th over to leave the Indians 152-4.

Shreyas eventually got to a top score of 80 off 111 balls, including nine fours, before he was dismissed in the 38^th over to leave India 187-6.

A crucial 53-run seventh-wicket partnership between Deepak Chahar (38) and Washington Sundar (33) ensured that India eventually posted a respectable 265 all out off their 50 overs, a score they would’ve been very happy with based on the start they had.

Jason Holder was outstanding for the West Indies with 4-34 off eight overs while Alzarri Joseph and Hayden Walsh supported well with two wickets each.

The Windies reply never got out of first gear with only Odean Smith (36) and captain Nicholas Pooran (34) managing to pass 30.

Alzarri Joseph also contributed 29 in a disappointing batting effort which saw the West Indies bowled out for 169 after 37.1 overs.

Prasidh Krishna (3-27 off 8.1 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (3-29 off 9 overs) led the way for the Indians with the ball.

The two teams will now turn their attention to the three-match T20 International series which begins on Wednesday.

India made 351-5 off their 50 overs, their highest ODI total in the West Indies, after being put in to bat by the hosts.

Openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill once again shared in a prolific opening partnership, this time putting on 143 for the first wicket.

Gill top-scored with 85 off 92 balls including 11 fours while Kishan made 77 off 64 balls, his third half-century in the series, hitting eight fours and three sixes in the process.

India also got half-centuries from Captain Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson.

Pandya hit an unbeaten 52-ball 70 including four fours and five sixes while Samson made 51 off 41 balls including a pair of fours and four sixes. Suryakumar Yadav also contributed 35.

Romario Shepherd took 2-73 from his 10 overs for the Windies.

Then, similar to their batting effort in first ODI where they were dismissed for 114 batting first, early wickets meant the West Indian chase was over before it could really begin.

They lost their first six wickets for just 50 in 14 overs before, eventually, being bowled out for 151 in 35 overs.

Gudakesh Motie provided some late entertainment for the crowd with 39* off 34 balls including four fours and three sixes.

Alick Athanaze had earlier made 32 while Alzarri Joseph made 26.

Shardul Thakur led the way with the ball for India with 4-37 off 6.3 overs while Mukesh Kumar took 3-30 off seven overs and Kuldeep Yadav took 2-25 from eight overs.

The selection committee's patience with veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Umesh Yadav finally ran out as the duo were dropped from the Test side after a disappointing WTC final.

Pujara's dwindling returns ever since his return to the Test side a year ago were always a concern while Umesh Yadav's lackluster show against Australia in the WTC final put the writing on the wall.

Young top-order batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and pacer Mukesh Kumar earned their maiden Test call-ups while Navdeep Saini returned to the scheme of things after a long gap.

Jaiswal was always on the selector's radar after his fantastic show in IPL 2023, where he scored 625 runs at a strike rate of 163. What also went in the left-hander's favor was his staggering record in first-class cricket. The Mumbai cricketer has an average of 80.21 in 15 matches with 9 centuries and a highest score of 265.

Mohammed Shami was given a break from both Tests and ODIs. Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur and Ajinkya Rahane held on to their places in the Test squad and so did spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel.

Interestingly, Rahane, who was nowhere in the scheme of things for about 15 months, was named as the vice-captain of the Test side following a successful WTC final where he ended up as India's top run-getter riding on the back of a gritty 89-run knock in the first innings.

As far as the ODI squad is concerned, Sanju Samson was named as wicketkeeper-batter along with Ishan Kishan. In the absence of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, the selectors quite understandably decided to back Suryakumar Yadav at No.4, who has had a forgetful run in the 50-over format so far.

Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace battery. He will have Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat for support. Umran Malik made his comeback into the side while Mukesh Kumar was named in ODIs too.

For the spin department, there were no surprises as Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja picked themselves.

The three-match ODI series will begin on July 27 in Barbados.

India’s Test squad for West Indies series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.

India’s ODI squad for West Indies series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.

The opener blasted 79 off 40 balls in a 47-run loss to Australia in Brisbane's series decider on Thursday night, having already mustered an unbeaten 99 off 74 and 132 from 64 on Sunday and Monday.

She became the first player to score more than 300 runs across three women's T20I games as West Indies fell just short of a first series win against the world champions.

"I don't think so," the 25-year-old said when asked if she'd ever been in better form. "Being able to notch up 300 runs in a three-game T20 series is something unbelievable. I set targets coming down here and I can tell you it definitely wasn't getting 300 runs in three T20s."

The sides begin a three-game ODI series in Brisbane on Sunday with Matthews hopeful a quadriceps niggle won't keep her from leading an improving team who, she knows, rely on her deeply.

The captain said she felt some tightness in Monday's second game. She was troubled by it again on Thursday and will have scans to determine the severity of the injury.

"I felt my quad pulling a bit from the last game when we were in the field. I was running for a ball and felt it again so maybe a little strain there but we're going to assess it when I cool down, and have a better picture of what's going on," she said.

"Hopefully it's nothing too serious and I'm all ready to go in the first game for the ODI series," she added.

Matthews was playing for the Barbados senior women's team as a 12-year-old, debuted for her country at 16 and powered the successful chase against Australia to win a T20 World Cup when she was 18.

Matthews' wicket on Thursday at Allan Border Field triggered a collapse of 5 for 7, West Indies falling from 97 without loss to be all out for 143.

"I know that I have a big impact on the way that the game goes," she said.

In 27 T20 innings as captain Matthews averages 40, compared to an average of 18 in 61 innings without the responsibility.

"Sometimes, it can be stressful, but as a leader they're things you have to put on your shoulders," she said. "And in the second game I couldn't win that game without what Stafanie [Taylor] did. How I've been batting here is just trying to play really, really good cricket shots and that's my exact plan going into the 50-over series as well.

"If I get fluent I'll be happy with that, but there's definitely a lot less pressure to score quickly."

West Indies have won once in 15 ODI meetings against Australia, Matthews confident her inexperienced middle order will fare better with less pressure to score quickly in the longer format.

Ireland’s opening pair of William Porterfield and Paul Stirling got off to a strong start reaching 37 off 4.5 overs before Stirling was dismissed for 21 by Akeal Hosein.

Ireland brought up their 50 in the eighth over with Porterfield on 22 and Andy McBrine yet to score.

Roston Chase removed Porterfield with the final ball of the 10^th over for 26 to leave the Irish on 60-2.

McBrine and Harry Tector formed a decent partnership and brought Ireland’s score past 100 before McBrine was dismissed by Romario Shepherd to become the third wicket to fall for a well-played 35, in the 20^th over, to leave Ireland at 104-3.

Tector (46) and Curtis Campher (11) were the batsmen at the crease when Ireland brought up their 150 in the 29^th over.

Tector brought up his sixth ODI 50 and second in the series off 69 balls in the 31^st over but in the same over was bowled by Hosein.  Curtis Campher was dismissed for 12 to leave the score on 157-4 with Ireland needing 73 more runs to win from 115 balls.

A long rain delay during the 32^nd over meant that upon the resumption of the game, Ireland only needed 11 more runs to win off 28 balls after the overs were reduced from 50 to 36 by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Kieron Pollard removed George Dockrell in the 33^rd over for five, with the Irish needing just three more runs to win before Gareth Delaney hit the winning runs off Pollard to close the innings at 168-5.

Harry Tector finished 54 not out for the Irish against Akeal Hosein’s 2-51 off eight overs.

Earlier, the West Indies recovered from being 111-7 to be bowled out for 229 in 48 overs thanks to a well-made 50 from Romario Shepherd and an aggressive 46 off 19 balls from Odean Smith against a four-wicket haul from Andy McBrine, who was voted man of the match, and a three-wicket haul from Craig Young.

The third and final ODI will take place on Sunday at 9:15 AM Jamaica time at the same venue.

“Keemo Paul has been kept out in the recent past due to injury and we view the management of his body as paramount to his success, not only when on West Indies duty but also when he is with his regional franchise. We have watched him perform in the recent West Indies Championship Four-Day Competition for the Guyana Harpy Eagles and we think he is ready to come back into the fold,” said CWI Lead Selector, the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes.

During the first-class tournament Paul was the leading fast bowler and second highest wicket-taker overall. He ended the five matches with 20 wickets at an average of 22.8 runs per wicket. He had best figures of 6-50. He was also among the leading allrounders with 169 runs including a highest score of 73.

The West Indies tour of Pakistan will bowl off on Wednesday, June 8. First ball is 4pm PKT time (7am Eastern Caribbean/6am Jamaica).

The series will also form part of the ICC ODI Super League where the teams will have the chance to earn points as they try to secure automatic qualification to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

The day started brilliantly for the West Indies as the opening pair of King and Charles put on 129 for the first wicket after West Indian captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bat first.

In the process, Charles brought up his fifth ODI half-century before being dismissed for a rapid 47-ball 63. The St. Lucian hit eight fours and three sixes in his knock.

King, who brought up a maiden ODI hundred on the way to a man of the match performance in the first encounter, continued his good form with 64 off 70 balls including four fours and as many sixes.

The tourists then got solid contributions from Odean Smith (37), Keacy Carty (32), Kavem Hodge (26) as they were eventually bowled out for 306 with one ball to spare.

Zahoor Khan led the way with the ball for the UAE with 3-44 from 9.5 overs while Aayan Khan (2-45), Ali Naseer (2-69) and Sanchit Sharma (2-69) also provided good contributions.

The UAE reply looked to be coming to an end quickly at 95-5 in the 24^th over before a fighting 80-run partnership between Basil Hameed and Ali Naseer brought some respectability to proceedings.

Hameed batted valiantly, facing 84 balls before he fell for 49. He hit a boundary and three sixes in his knock.

Meanwhile, Naseer, who struck a fifty in the series opener, got his second straight half-century with a 53-ball 57 including six fours and three sixes.

Vriitya Aravind also contributed 36 and Aayan Khan 23* as the UAE eventually made 227-7 off their 50 overs.

Kavem Hodge (2-46 from 8) and Roston Chase (2-49 from 10) were the day’s best bowlers for the West Indies while debutant, Akeem Jordan, Odean Smith and Yannic Cariah were the other wicket-takers.