King was named as part of the Windies T20 squad who will play against England in the upcoming five-match series. The batsman looked in solid form after returning to the team against Pakistan last month, after more than a year away from the team. He scored 111 runs in three matches, with an average of 37 and a high score of 67.
On the back of another controlled showing against a BCA President's XI in a warm-up match at Kensington Oval, on Tuesday, King will be looking to provide solidity against the English for a Windies team that has struggled as of late.
“For me mentally, I play my best cricket when I am keeping things simple out there while I am batting. I just try and play the situation as it is and that has really helped me to do better out there,” King said of his form since returning to the team.
Despite the World Cup coming up later this year, however, and the West Indies in rebuilding mode, he insists he is not looking too far ahead in terms of regular selection.
“I try to focus on the things that I can control. For me, that is just every game that presents itself I just try and do my best and perform. Selection and those other aspects I don’t have any control over it but I just try and put myself in a position to be in the conversation.”
On Wednesday, Smith was one of the few bright sparks as the West Indies crumbled in pursuit of a modest 237, set by India, in the second One Day International match between the teams. The player put on a solid 24 runs from 20 deliveries at the tail of the innings, a figure made more impressive considering it was the third-highest score for the team on the day.
Prior to that, during India's turn at the crease, Smith had bowled with plenty of pace and hostility in claiming 2 for 29, removing both dangerous batsmen Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli. His figures were the best for a West Indies bowler on the day. The player, however, insists he remains determined to better both his approach to the game and performances.
“I have a lot of work to do in both departments, bowling, and batting, so going forward I’m going to have to do a lot more work,” Smith said following the match.
“I was saying the batsmen should have tried more to bat time. I should probably have done the same thing. We needed 44 from four overs, it’s not a lot and if we had taken it to two overs it would have been a different game, instead of trying to get it (runs) as quick as possible,” he added.
“So, I have a lot of work to do, but everything comes with time. It’s around my fifth ODI game, so, I think I have a lot of time to continue learning.”
The 31-year-old new ball bowler put in an impressive shift in the first T20 International against England on Monday. The experienced seamster secured figures of 3-26 from her four overs– the second-best figures of her career – following 3-24 against New Zealand, at Invercargill, in 2014.
With a career spanning 12 years, Selman pointed to an improvement in her patience and working extra hard on mental skills as factors that have led to a recent resurgence.
“I think I’m actually peaking now at this later stage. Funny enough, I think I have always bowled well but I never had the wickets that would quite justify that or really suggest that," Selman said in a recent interview with Windies Cricket.
"But, I’m very happy with the returns (At this stage). I think the hard work is finally paying off and I’m happy with where I am."
Additionally, she noted that increasing her discipline in exercise regimes, and maintaining appropriate nutrition have played a very important part in her continued success. She also paid tribute to the coaches she has worked with over the years.
The 28-year-old returned to the regional squad with a bang on Wednesday, blasting the first T20I century of his career, and third for a West Indian player, with 107 in a 20-runs win against England. The crucial innings, along with 70 from vice-captain Nicholas Pooran anchored the team’s effort in taking a 2-1 series lead.
In the batsman’s previous appearance, against Pakistan, he averaged 16.5 in three games where he had real issues navigating wrist spinner Shadab Khan.
“I think it’s been overall improvement, I can strike the ball well but I also have a little problem with wrist spin. Every time I start my innings they come and bowl wrist spin.
I went away and for the last six, seven months and I’ve been working on wrist spin and trying to open up the offside and I think that showed today," Powell said after the game.
Powell played a watchful innings in seeing off dangerous England spinner Adil Rashid, who claimed 2 for 24 in the previous match of the series.
“We know Rashid is the most threatening of all the bowlers, so all we did is see if we can get 24 or 30 off him, that’s good, just to limit his wicket count and take our chances against the other bowlers for the other 16 overs.”
The selection of the veteran pair of Gayle and fast bowler Fidel Edwards sparked heated discussions around the region, with some insisting that the players should have been overlooked for younger talent. The 41-year-old Gayle was recalled to the regional squad for the first time in two years, along with the 39-year-old Edwards, who had not played for the team since 2012.
Neither player had a particularly strong series but have been playing in T20 leagues around the globe since last year, Gayle notably having a strong showing at the Indian Premier League (IPL), while Edwards showed up well for the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament. For the Sri Lanka series, Gayle averaged 9 over three matches, with a high score of 16 in the second T20 match. Edwards, in the meantime, took one wicket over the first two games but did not play the third.
Hendriks, while expressing confidence in the regional selectors, admits he was somewhat taken aback by both selections.
“I was a little surprised that Chris was brought into the team at this stage,” said Hendriks, a former Jamaica Cricket Association president, told the Mason and Guest radio program.
“I wondered what the reason was but of course he has been a tremendous player over the years but it’s just his age in life I was a little surprised,” he added.
“I don’t know what things went on in their minds. I don’t know. I certainly would’ve thought he was a little past it at this stage and having youngsters around, I would’ve gone for them. But of course, selectors are on the spot and they know what they’re doing. “[Edwards was] another question mark in my books. I would’ve thought that was a little stretch but again, the selectors must’ve had some good reason for that.”
The 42-year-old has been one of the tournament’s most successful and recognisable players since first appearing at the tournament in 2009. The batsman, however, struggled to find his way last season while representing the Punjab Kings, managing just 193 runs from 10 games.
In addition, the batsman also made the headline after being surprisingly dropped on his birthday and eventually left the tournament early. In the previous season, Gayle eventually scored an impressive 288 in 7 games but was left out of the team for the first 6 matches.
“For the last couple of years, the way the IPL went about, I felt like I wasn’t treated properly. So I thought ‘okay, you (Gayle) didn’t get the respect you deserved after you did so much for the sport and IPL,” Gayle told The Mirror UK.
“So, I said ‘okay, that’s it, I’m not going to bother to enter the draft,’ so I left it as it is. There is always going to be life after cricket so I’m just trying to adapt to normality,” he added.
Much like his international career, however, Gayle does not believe his tenure in the IPL is over and claims he could return next season.
“Next year I’m coming back, they need me! I’ve represented three teams in the IPL, Kolkata, RCB, and Punjab. Between RCB and Punjab, I would love to get a title, with one of those two teams. I had a great stint with RCB where I was more successful within the IPL and Punjab, they’ve been good. I love to explore and I love challenges so let’s see what happens,” the 42-year-old said.
Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has recently recalled an incident in which iconic West Indies batsman Viv Richards scared him senseless, during a series that ended with a fiery Test match, in Barbados, in 1988.
The legendary spinner, who turned 85-year-old last year, had a good laugh when asked to assess what measures could be taken to get the 23-year-old to consistently produce the type of performances his immense ability often seems to suggest he is capable of.
“I want a belt. I want a belt in my hand when I see him,” Lance quipped during an interview on the Mason and Guest radio show.
The former U-19 World Cup-winning captain has been both a source of both delight and frustration for West Indies fans in recent years. While he has often been revered for his effortless and beautiful stroke play, the player has also been guilty of a certain amount of recklessness, which often gifts his wicket to opponents. Hetmyer was dropped for a few games in February after failing a fitness test.
“You don’t just throw away your hand like that,” Gibbs added.
The spin bowling legend, however, believes that the attitude of some of the modern players is influenced by how much they participate in the shorter formats of the game, which have become the most lucrative.
“We play limited-overs cricket at a fair pace, you have 20 overs you have 50 overs. The 20 overs is a slug, our young players are not putting their heads down to bat for a period of time. We probably need more 50 overs. A youngster like Hetmyer, for example, goes out and always wants to hit the ball for sixes, you don’t bat that way.”
As means of a solution, Gibbs suggested the creation of a formal medium where past generations could be given the chance to meet and mentor the current crop.
Brooks put on a solid performance that proved the backbone of a close 24-run win in the opening match of the series on Sunday
Together with Windies skipper Kieron Pollard, Brooks put 155 runs on the board for the 5th wicket, which proved critical in stabilisng the team’s middle-order after floundering at 4 for 62.
On 93 the player seemed destined to be only the second West Indian to make an ODI century on debut but was out lbw off the bowling of Mark Adair.
“Word can’t express (how disappointing it was) but at the end of the day it was still my first game and I’m still happy with the score that I got. It’s just unfortunate to miss out on triple figures,” Brooks said.
“I wouldn’t say I panicked in the nervous 90s. Some people would have been a little more cautious having been set but as we all know it’s a learning curve at this stage. I’ll take this one on the chin and look to grow from strength to strength,” he added.
The West Indies and Ireland will face off again in the second match on Tuesday.
In an encounter marred by messy fielding from the Caribbean team, Matthew Wade and Mitchell Starc got the Aussies over the line, with a ball remaining, but the last over, bowled by paCer Sheldon Cottrell, was one filled with drama. Needing just 11 from the last 6, Wade was dropped in the deep by Raymon Reifer off the second ball and an opportunity to stump Starc on his way back for the winning run was also missed out on.
As a result, the Aussies got home at 146 for 7, surpassing the West Indies' first innings tally of 145 for 9. Aussie captain Aaron Finch batted in the unfamiliar position of 4 but top-scored with a valuable 58. A visibly disgruntled Cottrell ended with figures of 2 for 49, while Joseph ended with a tidy 2 for 17 and 7 runs with the bat. The bowler would admittedly have preferred a win but took some solace in a decent outing with the ball.
“For me, it’s always about trying to add that one percent every day. Keep on trusting the process, keep on training hard and keep doing what I need to do to get the success,” Joseph said following the match.
“It wasn’t the result we wanted but we really fought hard. We pushed Australia down to the last over, so all in all it was a fairly good performance we just have to go back and see what we can improve for the next game,” he added.
In their turn at the crease, all-rounder Kyle-Mayers led the way for the West Indies at the top of the order, scoring 39 from 36 deliveries before his innings was ended by Pat Cummings. Reifer contributed a 23-ball 19 from the middle order but no other batsman really got going until Odean Smith’s useful 27 from 17 at the back of the innings. He was run out by Wade.
It was, however, Josh Hazelwood who did the most damage with the ball for the Aussies as he ended with 3 for 35, while Starc and Cummings each claimed two wickets.
After scoring 79 in the first innings, Hope stroked a fluid 104 from 132 balls, a total that included 9 fours and six 6s. The total anchored Jermaine Blackwood XI’s 197 for 3 in the second innings, for an overall lead of 283 runs. Earlier, they bowled out Jahmar Hamilton XI for 178 in their first innings. Blackwood’s XI made 264 in the first innings.
“It’s about making sure the bowlers don’t settle and almost putting pressure back onto them. So the key is to make sure I can stay within my game plan. Obviously, the situation of the game would dictate how I play in certain passages but more or less that is the of play I will try to portray, so hopefully, it works out in the future, and hopefully, I can continue in this vein and continue to score runs,” Hope said following the days play.
The batsman has not played a Test since the series against England last year and was dropped from the team ahead of the New Zealand series following a poor run of form. Since returning to the team the batsman has looked in good nick, however, and will be eyeing a return to the Test team.
“For me, personally, I’m just happy to get those run I need in the red-ball format. So, if I can continue that when I get the opportunity to play in the Test team if it comes, I’m definitely going to grab it with both hands and score as many runs as possible.”
The 29-year-old was surprisingly left out of the squad last February, ahead of the team’s tour of Sri Lanka, after failing to meet Cricket West Indies' minimum fitness requirements. Later in the year, the player turned down the opportunity to tour New Zealand citing injury and safety concerns.
A few months later, however, and Lewis has emerged from his time off in solid form. The opener’s century, his fourth in One Day International (ODI cricket), against Sri Lanka in the second ODI, and blossoming partnership with left-hander Shai Hope was one of the highlights in a series which the West Indies dominated.
“I’ve been doing a lot of gym work and running. Due to the last (CWI) fitness test, before this series, I failed it. It hurt, to be doing so well and knowing my fitness was the problem,” Lewis told members of the media via a Zoom press conference.
“So, I went back home and did a lot of running and a lot of gym… Straight down until after the Bangladesh series, I’ve been training hard. I’m hungrier for it (WI selection) right now,” he said.
Ahead of the Sri Lanka series batsmen Shimron and all-rounder Roston Chase, along with pace bowlers Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas all failed to meet the minimum fitness requirement for selection. Chase and Hetmyer later passed the tests.
The 24-year-old Joseph, who signed with Worcestershire, for the first seven games of the 2021 County Championship season, has had a fairly solid debut spell so far.
In four games, Joseph has scored 128 runs, with a high score of 61, as a lower-order batsman, and taken 10 wickets. According to the player, things have, however, not been easy as conditions are very different to the Caribbean.
“I wouldn’t say it’s been the best or that I am extremely satisfied, but it’s improving as I go along. It’s a lot different to the Caribbean, it’s different conditions in terms of different grounds, different types of surfaces, and different types of players, so it’s also about adjusting to everything at once. It’s helping me to improve as a player in terms of adjusting to situations a bit quicker,” Alzarri told the Antigua Observer.
“Some days you turn up and it’s like three degrees and very cold in the mornings and then it goes from three to 12 degrees, to 15 and then back down to three. So, it’s just really difficult sometimes, but it’s all part of the job. All part of the learning experience,” he added.
Joseph signed up with the league last month, following the West Indies series against Sri Lanka.
Gayle, now 41, had initially announced his intention to retire following the 2019 ICC World Cup. The player then targeted the One Day International series against India, shortly after the World Cup, as possibly his final hurrah. Following a standing ovation received following the series, the batsman seemed to have a change of heart.
Two years later, however, the batsman has found himself in fine form and, on the back of an outstanding IPL campaign for Punjab Kings, could once again prove a major force for the West Indies with the ICC World T20 tournament on the horizon. As such, the player was recalled to the T20 squad as the team begins a series of matches that will lead up to defending its title in India.
“Back then I thought about actually walking away from the game and people said, no, don’t do it, stay and play for as long as possible. I decided I would actually continue playing the game of cricket,” Gayle told members of the media via a Zoom press conference on Tuesday.
“I wasn’t looking down this road. I thought of playing franchise cricket and exploiting my talent to entertain the people as much as possible. When I got the call and they asked if I was willing and interested, I said yes. Once I’m playing for the West Indies that’s where my heart is. I’m never going to turn down anything pertaining to West Indies cricket,” he added.
“I decided I was full-on, I was actually in a tournament and they said ‘you know Chris this is the structure we have in place, so we need you to be a part of it, we need you to fit into what is basically set for the team, so I basically agreed to it. I came back from Pakistan to be part of the set-up leading into the World Cup.”
The last time the batsman was in Sri Lanka for a Test series was in 2015 where he fell just short of a century with 92 in Galle. His performance was not good when the teams met earlier in the Caribbean this year but believes he can set things right on a ground where he will have good memories.
“To be honest, I try to stick to my strengths. Now, I’m starting to understand my game a lot better than I did in the past. I really know my game inside out now,” Blackwood told members of the media.
“The last time I played there I played more attacking to be honest because I was batting at a proper level. This time around if I get a chance I can bat longer for the team and score more runs. I not looking to just score a century or a half-century, I’ll be looking to push it beyond that. So, hopefully, if I get in on this track, I can score a lot of runs for the team.”
In four series to date, the West Indies are yet to win a match in Sri Lanka.
The 28-year-old batting rounder has emerged as a valuable utility player for the Windies in recent years. That ability was on full display the last time the teams met, in the Caribbean, where Chase scored a half-century and took eight wickets in the first Test, a win for the West Indies, and scored 102 in the dead rubber loss.
As it stands, heading into the upcoming series with no clear direction on the match-day team composition, Chase, in terms of his bowling, could be used from anywhere between the first spin option to back-up spin option. For batting options, he could be moved further up the order with the absence of Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo or be tasked with providing crucial lower middle-order runs. According to Chase, however, whatever configuration he is picked in will suit him just fine.
“I’m ready to do whatever it takes for us to be victorious, to be successful. Last time we came to England its something I had to do quite a bit of, so it’s not new to me,” Chase told members of the media.
“I am looking forward to that challenge if we go with the four-pronged attack, if not I’ll just try to contribute to my team in any way possible,” he added.
As a part of the last tour in 2017 Chase struggled with the bat but managed to claim seven wickets.
The 27-year-old batsman last played for the red ball team in July of last year, after being dropped for a poor run of form in Test cricket ahead of the New Zealand series, in November of last year.
After taking the time off to focus on a few technical inconsistencies and fine-tuning his mental approach, Hope was selected as part of a final 13-man squad for the upcoming Test series earlier this week.
The batsman impressed selectors with his performance in the West Indies Best vs Best practice match, where he scored 79 in the first innings and 104 in the second. In addition to that, he also made 68 in a practice match against Sri Lanka earlier this year. The player is hoping that kind of form translates if he takes the pitch for the upcoming series.
“I want to be clearer in my thought processes and obviously, achieve overall success. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf and start a fresh book, so hopefully, I can hit the ground running if I get a chance to go out there,” Hope told members of the media.
“Cricket covers different aspects, both technical and mental. So, I have been working on different things. The main thing is just to get success out there and I believe in finding a way. I just need to find a way to score runs for the team.”
Despite the presence of several spinners in the squad, the 32-year-old is expected to lead the West Indies bowling line-up, along with fellow pace bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph. If the dominance of spinners in the One Day International series, on pitches that offered very little assistance to pace bowlers, is anything to go by they will certainly have their work cut out.
Having been in Bangladesh on two prior Test series, Roach would know first-hand what it takes to succeed on spin-friendly terrain.
In 2011, he claimed 0 for 52 off 9 overs and 1 for 49 off 13.2 overs in the second Test of the series. When he returned in 2018, he claimed 1 for 74 off 18 overs in the first Test and 2 for 61 in 25 overs as Bangladesh made a mammoth 500 in the second Test.
“It mostly favours the spinners but I think there is enough there for fast bowlers to get something as well. It’s just about having your plans, executing, and being disciplined,” Roach told members of the media via a press conference from Bangladesh on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be tough, we know we have to bowl a lot more overs to get our rewards but once you are willing to put the work in you can get some rewards over here…so it’s going to be tough but I’m up for the fight.”
The Windies have had recent success with pace bowling in Bangladesh with Tino Best claiming a five-for in 2012 and Fidel Edwards claiming 8 wickets in the 2011 series.
Former all-rounder Phil Simmons became the latest casualty in a long line of coaches tasked with pushing the Caribbean team back among global cricket’s elites and failing to achieve that elusive target.
Coley, who has had stints with the region’s High-Performance Centre, women’s team and also served as an assistant coach for the men’s team, was appointed to fill the role, while Cricket West Indies (CWI) contemplates its next moves.
CWI announced that Coley would oversee the two-Test tour of Zimbabwe from the 28th January to 16th February, as well as the multi-format tour of South Africa, which includes two Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) from the 21rd February to 28th March.
Despite finding himself placed under the microscope, in light of some of the team’s recent poor performances, he remains motivated and enthused to take up the role.
“Every coaching opportunity bring a different challenge and I have never been one to back away from a challenge,” Coley told the SportsMax Zone.
“If offered generally I look to take them on. It’s just about assessing working with staff working with the players and coming up with the right strategy,” he added.
The 48-year-old has had a few stints with the senior, first joining the coaching ranks under Otis Gibson and serving spells under Stuart Law and briefly Simmons. In his estimation, communication will be a crucial part of his plans for success.
“In this case communication is going to be very crucial, so working out what that communication strategy is going to be.”
The infamous incident happened during the 1995 Australia tour of the Caribbean, in a tightly contested third Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad. As it happened, a visibly bristling Ambrose had to be pulled away from Aussie batsman Steve Waugh after an obviously heated exchange that looked set to boil over. It was a strange sight for most as the towering fast bowler was known for being reluctant to exchange pleasantries, let alone be involved a full-on verbal joust. Ambrose recently recalled the incident.
“Steve Waugh and I had our battles over the years. He was a tough competitor and I have a lot of respect for him but in that particular game, he said something to me that I didn’t like,” Ambrose recounted in an interview with Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
“Initially I ignored it, as in the heat of the battle you can say things, but after a break, something just snapped,” he went on.
“I asked him, ‘did you say so and so to me?’ He didn’t say yes, he didn’t say no. He just said ‘I can say anything I want to say’ which to me was a yes. I decided I deserved more respect so I had a few choice words for him.
“I said ‘my cricket career could be over right this minute, it doesn’t make a difference to me, but your career will be over, too, because I’ll knock you out and you won’t be able to play anymore’. There were a few expletives in between obviously!
Ambrose, who was named player of the match, went on to end the Test with overall figures of 9 for 65, including a 4 for 20 haul in the second innings. The West Indies went on to win the match by nine wickets but Australia claimed the Frank Worrell Trophy after winning the series 2-1. The West Indian has insisted that are no hard feelings between the two, but it has not been a subject that has been broached in any encounters since.
