Another former player, legendary spinner Lance Gibbs, sparked controversy after questioning the effectiveness of the player’s short run-up technique last year. Taking the analysis a step further, however, Gray believes the unusual technique could also put a strain on the player’s body.
Cornwall has constantly faced criticism for his overall fitness level but has achieved some measure of success despite that. At an estimated 1.96 m and 308 lbs, he is believed to be the heaviest man to ever play Test cricket.
“I ask the question that has never been answered. Is Cornwall’s problem genetic, because if it’s genetic it’s going to be difficult to lose the weight? If not, why hasn’t he lost the weight yet, since the under-19 level,” Gray said recently on the Mason and Guest radio program.
“I share Lance Gibbs's opinion…the thing about it is if you look at Cornwall’s mechanics, he is a big guy, he takes two steps and it puts a lot of pressure on his body," he added.
“He had a knee operational earlier this year, not a serious one but he still had some pressure on that knee. My thing with him is that early on in his career he should have been coached with better mechanics, giving him at least four or five steps. Spinners who can rip the ball, they don’t only use their wrist or their fingers, but obviously, their body as well and you can’t use your body if you are taking only two steps.”
The West Indies will travel to England for a three-test series next month, which marks a long-awaited return to international cricket for both teams.
Due to the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic, however, the matches will be played without fans and the players operate strictly within a bio secure environment. The UK was the hardest-hit country by the coronavirus, recently surpassing Italy with the highest death toll in Europe. Three players, batsmen Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo and all-rounder Keemo Paul opted out of the 25-man touring party because of coronavirus fears.
“Basically we are going to be quarantined and stay in an environment where you can’t leave. So, it’s basically you and your teammates that would have to communicate for the duration of the tour. So, I am satisfied that the precautions are in place,” Cornwall told the Antigua Observer.
“It’s a good feeling to be selected for the series. We just have to try and be protective in terms of what’s going on, but cricketing-wise, it’s a good feeling knowing that you are going to get some cricket under your belt. You just have to go and do what you have to do. It’s not spinner friendly but you never know what conditions will be like.”
Cornwall could, however, have added concerns. According to the Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre (ICNARC), published in the UK last month, data has shown three-quarters of critically ill UK Covid-19 patients were overweight or obese. Weight was rated according to body mass index (BMI) - a BMI of under 25 is considered ‘healthy’ while 25 to 29 is classed as ‘overweight’ and 30 or above, ‘obese’. It is possible the spinner falls into a category associated with a higher risk of being badly impacted by the disease.
Despite his success in regional cricket and solid performances for both West Indies A and West Indies squads, the player's physique has often drawn attention for looking different than the average cricketer. Standing at 6 ft 5 inches tall, Cornwall weighs somewhere in the region of 308 pounds.
For a time, it was believed to be keeping the player from being selected to the regional squad, after a successful debut against India last year, however, the spinner's stock seems to be on the rise. For the current tour of England, Cornwall could be in contention for a spot in the team as the primary or secondary spinner and the coach was quick to insist there are no concerns with his size or mobility.
“His size has not been an issue, if you see Rahkeem at slip and some of the catches that he takes at slip, there is no issue,” Simmons told members of the media in a Zoom press conference call on Monday.
“I think he is capable of bowling a lot of overs. He has bowled an enormous amount of overs through the years for the Leeward Islands, West Indies A, and the West Indies team in our Test match against India. So, none of it has been a hindrance to him. He had a little knee injury and that has been fixed so now he is strong as ever,” he added.
On debut, against India, Cornwall claimed 3 wickets, before claiming 10 against Afghanistan in his second Test.
In the morning session, Cornwall got the key wicket of Mohammad Naim, who was bowled five runs short of a half-century, before later accounting for Yasir Ali. His victims also included Akbar Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, and Khaled Ahmed.
A left-arm spinner, Jomel Warrican, also had a splendid showing as he swept through the middle order. Warrican took the wickets of Shahadat Hossain, captain Nurul Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy.
Batting a second time, the West Indies lost Shayne Moseley first ball, but his opening partner John Campbell and Nkrumah Bonner carried the team to 130 for 1 with a solid second-wicket partnership. Campbell’s dismissal on 68, off the bowling of Saif Hassan, then prompted a collapse. Jermaine Blackwood (4), Kyle Mayers (8), and Kavem Hodge (19) all departed without really settling in at the crease. At the close of play, Bonner remained unbeaten on 80, with Joshua Da Silva yet to score at the other end.
The West Indies will head into the third day and final with an overall lead of 276.
The decision not to bowl Cornwall, who recently came back from representing the West Indies in England, raised a few eyebrows. But, the spinner has not been among the tournaments leading wicket-takers for several seasons. In addition, Zouks captain Darren Sammy had a battery of spin bowlers at his disposal, which included Roston Chase, who took more wickets than Cornwall in England.
In the end, after making it to their first CPL final, as heavy underdogs, the Zouks fell short to the Trinbago Knight Riders. Cornwall has insisted he was fit and ready to perform but his omission from the line-up was the captain’s choice.
“It was basically the captain’s decision; maybe it was his gut feeling to go for the other bowlers. He thought he didn’t need me at that time so he went for especially his depth bowlers,” Cornwall recently told the Antigua Observer.
"The pitch was a spin bowlers pitch and I am always ready for whenever he calls on me and if he doesn’t then it is the case but I’m always set and ready if I am called upon,” he added.
The details or extent of the outbreak are yet to be confirmed by Cricket West Indies (CWI), but the team’s practice session at the Darren Sammy Grounds in St Lucia on Saturday was cancelled, with no official reason yet to be provided.
Several members of an 18-man squad, which had been called ahead of a flurry of upcoming T20 international series, reported to a bio-secure environment, where they were to live and train in preparation for the upcoming series. The players and support staff were expected to undergo rigorous COVID-19 testing.
In addition to that, however, 13 members of the training squad and management received vaccinations against the coronavirus last week.
CWI has been painstakingly and, for the most part, successfully navigating play during the coronavirus pandemic for the last several months. The West Indies and England were the first teams to return to playing international cricket, with the Raise The Bat series, which took place in a biosecure environment in England in July of last year.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) unveils an action-packed schedule for the senior Men’s and Women’s teams from May to December 2025, featuring a mix of home and away fixtures. Fans can now start planning for an exciting year of cricket, with the men beginning their campaign with limited-overs tours in the United Kingdom.
Grave's outburst follows the West Indies' impressive performance in their tour of Australia from January to February 2024. The underdog West Indies, led by captain Kraig Brathwaite, secured a historic Test series draw against Australia, marking their first Test victory on Australian soil in 27 years.
In a podcast with Daniel Gallan, Grave expressed his frustration, stating, "I think everyone is a bit sick of the phrase - world cricket needs a strong West Indies - when we definitely feel that world cricket is doing everything they can at almost every level to make sure that West Indies Cricket are never strong again."
One of Grave's primary grievances is with the ICC's revenue share model, which he deems flawed. Grave alleged that West Indies' share of the revenue has dwindled from seven to five percent under the current model, despite headlines suggesting an increase in financial support.
"I think that's the borne of the frustration of that as Ian Bishop says in his own words that this is a patronising tone. If you really want a strong West Indies Cricket, it would actually not be that hard to do a bit more. ICC are giving us more money in headlines but our percentage of revenue has gone down from seven to five percent, which we struggle to understand," Grave explained.
The CWI CEO questioned the cricketing community's commitment to fairness, stating, "If we all just are looking after ourselves then are we really acting as a community? Are we putting the best product on the field?"
This is not the first time Grave has criticized the ICC. In January, he had raised concerns about the economic disparity, claiming that the West Indies made no money from the men's and women's tour of Australia series, with the majority of revenue going to Cricket Australia.
"The revenue-share model is completely broken," Grave stated. "If we really want to operate as a cricketing community, we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we've got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.
"CWI has spent over USD$ 2 million sending teams to Australia in the last four months, and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we've seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable, and sustainable?"
A delegation led by Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr. Kishore Shallow and Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Keith Joseph visited Lima, Peru, from February 21–23, 2025, to discuss and promote international collaboration for cricket ahead of the highly anticipated 2027 Pan American Games.
To say a West Indies line-up, filled with explosive batting talent, has struggled to ignite so far seems a bit of an understatement. The team began the tournament being bowled out for 55 by England, then collapsing to 143 against South Africa after a promising start. The team got 142 in a win against Bangladesh but have yet to put in a convincing display at the crease.
With a run rate of 1.598, the team has the worst run rate in Group I and the third poorest overall. After three matches Evin Lewis is the team’s leading scorer with 68 runs but that total is not in the tournament’s top 15. Having lost two of its first three games and low run rate the team is on the outside looking as it relates to their chances of staying in contention for the semi-finals.
“The guys are confident, we know exactly what’s needed from a run rate perspective and we’ll take all things into consideration when that match starts,” Pollard told members of the media on Wednesday.
“I believe it’s very important that we try to go through the process of trying to improve each and every game as a team and especially from a batting perspective,” he added.
“It’s an opportunity now, guys can kind of take off the shackles that have been kind of holding us back in terms of our batting performances, there’s no secret about that. Having said that the first thing to think about is winning the cricket game.”
The parties have been locked in negotiations for the past several months, with several obstacles to overcome. The latest it is believed was a venue for the tour, which was reportedly originally set for Trinidad and Tobago.
A recent spike of COVID-19 cases has, however, forced an alteration to those plans. The current plan will see the teams play two Tests at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and the T20s taking place at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada. The series will take place between June 10 and July 3.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) director, Graeme Smith, expressed delight to be heading back to the Caribbean, particularly in light of the difficult and uncertain times caused by the pandemic. He reserved a special word of thanks for the countries that stepped in to host the series on relatively short notice.
“We are extremely pleased to have the men’s team’s tour to the West Indies officially confirmed. Covid-19 has played havoc with the ICC Future Tours Programme and we are thankful to Cricket West Indies and the governments of St Lucia and Grenada for ensuring that the tour goes ahead as planned‚” Smith said.
“The hosting nations‚ in particular‚ came to the party at very short notice and Cricket South Africa would like to extend its immense gratitude to them for their enthusiasm and willingness to host us."
The 56-year-old Ambrose, one of the most revered bowlers in world cricket, previously served as the bowling consultant for the senior team. He was, however, replaced by Roderick Estwick in 2016 and has not been involved with the program since. According to the legendary pace bowler, however, it isn’t for a lack of trying. Ambrose has since added to his coaching credentials, becoming one of 25 officials from the Caribbean and North America to attain Level Three coaching certification from a program organised by Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2018.
“Since I was sacked from the senior team back in 2016, I have done a few bits and pieces in-between, in terms of some coaching stints with a few fast bowlers, but not on a consistent basis,” Ambrose said in a recent interview on Antigua’s Good Morning Jojo radio show.
Coaching is, however, not the only job the former player has applied for. He recently also threw his hat in the ring for a position on the selection panel.
“I figured whether it is coaching, being a selector, or whatever I could do to help West Indies Cricket go forward, I am always ready and willing to do so. There was nothing to do to in terms of the coaching part of it, so I decided to put in for being a selector because I thought that I could help, because I am a very fair-minded person and I just want to see West Indies cricket get better," Ambrose said.
"They interviewed me, Jimmy Adams and the vice president (Dr. Kishore Shallow), for about an hour, and I didn't quite make it."
The decision comes only after CWI medical and cricket-related representatives and advisors have been involved in detailed discussions with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and their own medical and public health advisers over the past few weeks.
These discussions involved the local and international logistics and protocols, which are already being put in place to minimize risk and optimize the health and safety of all concerned. CWI has also received and reviewed detailed plans for players and staff to be kept in a bio-secure environment for the duration of the tour, with all matches being played “behind closed doors”.
The CWI will now be awaiting the England Cricket Board who is to get approval from the UK Government sometime over the next few days.
CWI’s management is also now in the process of seeking to put all of the approvals and logistics in place within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff, using private charter planes and conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party.
“I would like to thank the CWI management, the Medical Advisory Committee, and the Financial Strategic Advisory Committee for their detailed and timely presentations given to the Board meeting,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.
“In addition to our approval in principle of the proposed Test Tour of England, we made some significant financial management decisions that will be announced and implemented in due course. The great detail to which the Board engaged in these matters is testimony to their urgency and importance, but it meant that we had to defer a few agenda items until next Wednesday (June 3), when we have scheduled to reconvene”.
Most of Thursday’s lengthy meeting focused on discussing the initial short-term recommendations from the Financial Strategy Advisory Committee (FSAC), a special purpose committee that was put in place by CWI President Ricky Skerritt on April 2, 2020.
The committee comprised a joint membership of Directors and Executive Management, all with significant financial management expertise, chaired by JCA President, Wilford “Billy” Heaven.
The Board agreed to the committee’s business continuity plan of action, for how CWI would have to operate in order to survive its cash flow crisis, in the context of the debilitating economic uncertainties of the global pandemic COVID-19.
Recent news reports had pointed to financial irregularities discovered after an audit of the CWI balance sheets, which pointed to what was deemed to be, among other things, the improper handling of funds in a recent transfer.
According to Skerritt, however, issues that have affected the organisation as it relates to governance structure and financial management systems were already being address in two previously commissioned reports. The Accounting and Management Consulting firm of Pannell Kerr Foster (PKF) was employed to examine the organisation’s financial practices, with a task led by Senator Don Wehby expected to review governance systems. The CWI president pointed out that PFK had already flagged several issues and that the recommendations suggested were already being adopted by the organisation.
“In carrying out its assessments PKF uncovered some illustrations of questionable executive standards and practices. It verified and emphasized the need for drastic operational reorganization and realignment, with an urgent need for improved risk assessment and cash flow management. The PKF consultants accordingly presented their report in person to the CWI Board of Directors in December, and their twenty-eight (28) recommendations were unanimously adopted,” Skerritt stated via press release.
The recommendations were said to include; Reinforcing the President’s role as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, with responsibility for strategic policy and governance, while empowering and supporting the CEO and his management team with full responsibility for all operational aspects of the organization; realigning the organisation’s leadership, reporting, and functional structure, to enhance accountability and reestablish clear lines of authority and responsibility; strengthening internal controls and ensuring timely reconciliation and reporting of all accounts; and modifying fundamental management practices to ensure transparency, and best practices. It also called for discontinuing the operations of the Executive Committee of The Board and reporting to the Board on a timely basis, the accurate financial situation.
Skerritt has insisted the organisation did not consider the report for general release because it was an internal matter. The CWI will now decide whether to release it in full. According to the president, the recommendations from the Wehby report will be known in a few weeks.
According to CWI, developing Women’s cricket through the region is a vital part of its strategic plan, and the role remains pivotal as the West Indies Women’s team performances are an inspiration to the next generation of female cricketers across the Caribbean.
Potential candidates will require an accredited Level-3 Coaching qualification to apply and will be responsible for leading the process to develop and implement standards and protocols consistent with CWI’s overall strategy and objectives for cricket.
Additionally, CWI requires that all candidates must be of West Indian heritage.
“Following the recently concluded Women’s T20 World Cup, we have now begun the recruitment process for finding a permanent Women’s team Head Coach,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“The successful candidate will be expected to drive our women’s program forward and improve our results across both formats. We are grateful for the efforts of interim Head Coach Gus Logie, who has led the squad during this transition period and will continue in his interim role until the process has concluded.”
The successful candidate will primarily be responsible for producing West Indies Women’s Teams which perform consistently with winning performance in ODIs and T20Is through the design and delivery of well-structured and progressive coaching programs.
The new coach will also be entrusted with effectively deploying resources and implementing tactical initiatives to ensure the achievement of superior match results and top placement in all ICC competitions as well as managing the on and off-field development of current and new players through elite player development, health and welfare programmes.
The new coach will also lead an elite and dynamic team management unit to get the maximum output from the players.
Though typically the realm of lifelong administrators and businessmen, the cricket boards of the sport’s big three, England, India, and Australia have included former players at the top level of the game’s governance. Currently, India is the best example with former captain Sourav Ganguly serving as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, on a body that also included Brijesh Patel. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently added former captain Andrew Strauss as a non-voting member but also includes women’s player Lucy Pearson. For Cricket Australia, Michael Kasprowicz resigned from the board earlier this year but two-time women’s World Cup winner Mel Jones remains a member of the board.
“The board should have four ex-cricketers. Knowledgeable, intelligent people who want to take our cricket forward,” Lloyd told the Mason and Guest radio program.
“When I was at Lancashire on the committee, we had 16 or 17 people on the committee, but we had to have six cricketers, that was enshrined in the constitution because it’s a cricket club. That’s why cricket is taken care of in England. All the clubs have the same situation.”
“We do not have a Test cricketer of note on our board. If you look at all the other boards, Australia have had four captains on their board. India have had some of their ex-players on their board. England, who they have coaching the team, and the ECB have their ex-cricketers…cricketers are involved in the development of the game. (In the West Indies) If you decide to be a part of the board and you are somebody of some standing, they don’t seem to want you because they believe you will overshadow them.”
The current Cricket West Indies (CWI) body does have Michael Findlay, who played Test cricket for the West Indies between 1969 to 1973 along with Julian Charles and Enoch Lewis who played cricket at the regional level.
Chief Executive Officer of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Chris Dehring, has unveiled an ambitious three-pronged strategy aimed at transforming West Indies cricket both on and off the field. In his first formal address since rejoining the organisation two months ago, Dehring identified grassroots development, regional leadership expansion, and commercial revitalisation as the key pillars that will guide his tenure.
The series was originally expected to begin in London on June 4, followed by matches at Edgbaston and Lord's starting on 12 and 25 June respectively. With the world, however, yet to assert any significant measure of control over the spread of the novel coronavirus, sporting activity remains suspended. Even if the series between the teams is played later in the year rules banning mass gatherings would likely still be in force, meaning matches would have to take place behind closed doors. Grave insists the CWI would remain guided by the best medical advice available and discussions surrounding the issue are already under way.
"Clearly playing in June is now not possible and we will continue our discussions with the ECB and other international boards on trying to find new dates," said Grave in a statement from the governing body.
"Our respective medical teams are beginning to discuss how this (England) series could be played whilst guaranteeing the health and safety of our players and support team,” he added.
"We will be as flexible as we can without compromising the safety of our team.”
The talismanic batsman, Gayle, who is 41-years-old, and Edwards, who is 39, were both selected as part of the T20I squad ahead of the team’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka.
Despite being past the age many other players have retired from the sport, both men have expressed an interest in representing the team at the T20 World Cup, in India, in October. On the back of an impressive IPL campaign, for Kings XI Punjab, few would have issues with Gayle suiting up. Edwards would have been more of a question mark, however, as he was not available for selection, due to a Kolpak contract, for the last eight years. The bowler recently showed he is still more than capable of hostile bowling at express pace. In the recent Abu Dhabi T10 league final, Edwards was seen hurrying young in-form compatriot Nicholas Pooran. According to Harper, despite the player’s age, he still brings exceptional quality to the team.
“I would hope it (selection) sends a message to the young players of the standards they need to attain,” Harper told members of the media via an online Zoom press conference.
“You would recall in some of the T20 games, for example in New Zealand, us losing some games and where we were deficient,” he added.
“I would hope the message that is sent is that these are the standards we need to attain and the sort of players that we need to have in these sort of teams; guys who will work harder at developing their skills to get to that level.”
The collaboration is the first time that West Indies players have ever featured in a mobile game with the West Indies being the first official cricket team to be featured in the game.
Twenty-seven players from across the Men’s Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) squads are featured in the game as well as the West Indies famous team kits and shield. CWI recently embarked on a new team licensing programme, in partnership with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), which gives fans the opportunity to download, purchase and engage with licensed team products, driving additional revenues for CWI to invest back into cricket and to generate new revenues for the players payment pool.
WCC3 serves as a next-gen sequel to the World Cricket Championship 2. Leveraging advanced AI, NextWave Multimedia has used state-of-the-art gameplay feathers, realistic animations and professional commentary to give the players an immersive experience. To make the game more realistic, they have also added real-time motion capture of professional cricketers.
With the collaboration with the official West Indies team players, gamers will no longer have to play with fictitious player names, random players and jerseys. Instead, they will now be able to play with the real West Indies team. The game will feature the West Indies team in ODI, T20 and Test formats and include the official roster, player likeness and team kits of all formats. Player lookalikes, real player names and kits will add authenticity to the game and greatly enhance the gaming experience of the fans.
“CWI is excited that with WCC3, West Indies fans now have the opportunity to emulate their heroes and play with their favourite West Indies players on their mobile devices," said Dominic Warne, CWI’s Commercial Director.
"We want to provide access to the West Indies teams in different ways. Mobile and console gaming is a fast growing entertainment space which can also introduce the West Indies teams to new audiences. We’re sure that fans and gamers will enjoy this realistic mobile cricket gaming experience, giving them the chance to take on the world and win with the #MeninMaroon.”
Commenting on this collaboration, NextWave Multimedia, Co-founder and CEO, P.R. Rajendran said: “We are very excited about the collaboration of WCC3 and the official cricket team of West Indies. WCC3 is a unique, one-of-its-kind cricket mobile game in India that has gained the interest and admiration of many young players. In order to help our customers have a more realistic and immersive cricket experience, we have been working hard to integrate AI and build a real-time motion capture game. With this collaboration, our gamers will be able to play with the faces of the real West Indies team and I believe that will greatly enhance the experience for them. We believe this is a major step for us towards making WCC3 one of the most realistic cricket games in India.”
WCC3 is available to download immediately on the Google Play Store and will be available to download in the Apple App Store from the middle of March.
