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• Matthew Mott: Change of format can rejuvenate Jos Buttler

  England head coach Matthew Mott suspects a switch from ODIs to T20s and a shift to the top of the order can get Jos Buttler firing on all cylinders again.

  Buttler’s World Cup hangover followed him to the Caribbean with two single-figure scores either side of a sparkling unbeaten fifty in a new-look England side’s 2-1 ODI series defeat by the West Indies.

  He was out for a golden duck in Saturday’s decider in Barbados, caught at fine-leg after an imprudent hook, bringing the England captain’s average down to a modest 18.09 in his last dozen innings.

  With ODIs on the back-burner till September, England can focus on building towards the T20 World Cup in June with a five-match series against the co-hosts, where Buttler will be in his usual opening role.

  “It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format, you move on pretty quickly,” Mott said ahead of the T20 series opener on Tuesday at the Kensington Oval.

  “Jos showed his class the other day and he may well, at the top of the order, come out and take the bowling on as he has done for for a number of years.”

  Will Jacks and Phil Salt have put on four opening stands of 50 or more in five ODIs, finding some fluency together in the manner predecessor Jason Roy did, first with Alex Hales then Jonny Bairstow.

  The pair’s success invites speculation as to whether England could persevere with the pair in T20s and move Buttler down to number three in a reshuffle, but Mott dismissed the notion out of hand.

  “Jos is a lock-in, definitely opening,” Mott said. “He’s proven over a very long period of time.

  “It will be just what he needs to get up the top and really boss the game from the start and I know for a fact he’s looking forward to it.”

  Mott’s position came under scrutiny after England’s shambolic World Cup and he has lost 18 ODIs in his tenure and won 16 – but five of those have been against non-Test playing Ireland and the Netherlands.

  A series defeat against a side that did not qualify for the World Cup was another low moment but the success of this tour might be judged on how the T20s pan out with a more experienced bunch of players.

  Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes and Tymal Mills are now in tow and, alongside Reece Topley, they trained in Bridgetown barely 12 hours after England’s rain-affected defeat at the same venue.

  The quintet give England more depth with the ball, while Mills and Topley are attractive options at the death after their pacemen struggled at the back end in the ODI defeats in Antigua and Barbados.

  On both occasions, England were in with a sniff of victory courtesy of their spinners – led by teenager Rehan Ahmed, who was described as “a bit of a revelation for us with the ball” on this tour by Mott.

  But Sam Curran was flayed and recorded the most expensive ODI figures by an England bowler in the opener while Gus Atkinson leaked 24 in an over when the Windies needed 33 in 24 balls in the finale.

  “We’ve got some really good (death bowling) options,” Mott added. “The guys getting an opportunity haven’t had a lot of opportunity in this format yet but I think they will be better for the experience.

  “Sam’s definitely a player that we really want to invest in. He hasn’t missed too often at the death for us. But he’s that type of bowler that wants the ball in his hand at the back end.

  “When you’ve got guys who want to do that, they’ll come out on top more often than they miss it as well.”

  Andrew Flintoff is due into Barbados on Sunday night and is scheduled to be at training on Monday as he rejoins England’s coaching set-up in a paid role as a team mentor.

• Athanaze, Carty get deals but Holder, Pooran and Mayers decline as CWI announce centrally contracted players

  Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its centrally contracted players for the upcoming 2023 to 2024 season. The contracts, a mark of distinction and recognition, were based on outstanding performances during the rigorous 2022 to 2023 evaluation period, with recommendations from Selection Panels and the final nod from the Board of Directors.

  However, the announcement came with a twist, as three big-name players from the Men's team—Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, and Nicholas Pooran—chose to decline central contracts. Despite this decision, the trio confirmed their commitment to represent the West Indies in T20 Internationals throughout the contract year.

  For the West Indies Men, the list boasted four new faces, each carrying the dreams and aspirations of a cricket-loving nation. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, right-handed batter Keacy Carty, and left-handed batters Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, all earned their places in the prestigious list of centrally contracted players. Their inclusion signified not only individual achievement but also a commitment to the collective goal of steering West Indies cricket to new heights.

  The Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes, the Lead Selector for the West Indies Men's team, shared his thoughts on the selections, "With a busy year of cricket ahead, in all three formats, we have held several detailed discussions with the two Head Coaches on the brand of cricket they want to play. We are very clear in the direction we want to go. The players who have been offered contracts are among those who we expect to feature, as we look to build towards challenging for the top spot when we host and compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on home soil."

  Dr. Haynes emphasized the significance of the upcoming challenges, including Test Series in Australia and England and the preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 in the 50-over format.

   

  

  On the women's front, two all-rounders, Zaida James and Sheneta Grimmond, received their first central contracts. Ann Browne-John, the Lead Selector for the West Indies Women's team, expressed the selectors' confidence in the chosen players. "The selectors have identified a cadre of players who we believe can drive West Indies cricket forward. We have placed emphasis on the development of the younger players, which we view as pivotal in the pathway to the international level."

  Contracted players (West Indies Men)  Alick Athanaze, Kraigg Brathwaite,  Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Shai Hope,  Akeal Hosein,  Alzarri Joseph,  Brandon King,  Gudakesh Motie,  Rovman Powell,  Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales,  Romario Shepherd

  West Indies Women:  Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

   

   

• England lose ODI series as West Indies chase reduced target

  England battled hard, but their first ODI series since the World Cup debacle ended in defeat after the West Indies pinched a nail-biting decider in Barbados.

  Chasing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern adjusted target of 188 in 34 overs after several rain interruptions, the Windies lurched from 99 for two to 135 for six following Will Jacks’ unlikely three wicket-haul.

  But after Jacks and Rehan Ahmed were bowled out, leaving the Windies requiring 33 off the last four overs, Romario Shepherd greeted returning quick Gus Atkinson with back-to-back sixes to turn the tide.

  Atkinson leaked 24 from the over and Shepherd ushered the Windies to a four-wicket win, with 14 balls to spare, with a belligerent 41 not out off 28 balls alongside debutant Matthew Forde (13no).

  Forde earlier took three for 29 as England stumbled to 49 for five, with captain Jos Buttler out for a golden duck after an ill-judged hook at Alzarri Joseph took a top edge and ballooned to the fine leg fielder.

  Ben Duckett’s classy 71 off 73 balls, putting on 88 with Liam Livingstone (45), dug England out of a hole and was the backbone of their 206 for nine in 40 overs, with the lower order adding some grit.

  A 2-1 loss in their first assignment is hardly the start Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott would have wanted in this reset post-World Cup, but a top-order collapse left them with a mountain to climb after they were asked to bat first when play belatedly got under way following a two-hour rain delay.

  England’s openers had made four successive partnerships of 50 or more, but were separated in the first over as Phil Salt’s lame chip just about carried to Joseph.

  Forde’s day got better when Zak Crawley shaped to leave but the ball reared up off a length, thudded into his glove and looped into the slips.

  The rookie’s only misstep occurred with a misfield on the boundary after Duckett’s meaty pull, giving the left-hander the first of three fours in an over but Forde atoned in his next over, hitting a nagging length and finding a bit of shape to take the edge of Jacks.

  Matters deteriorated even further in the 10th over for England as Joseph’s direct hit ran out a diving Harry Brook while Buttler’s rush of blood to his first delivery left them five down.

  England have endured some epic collapses in the Caribbean down the years and this briefly threatened to be added to an ignominious list, but Duckett and Livingstone stabilised the tourists.

  Duckett was especially impressive, strong on his favoured cuts and pulls off the back foot but he eschewed his customary sweeps to the spinners until he had adjusted to an unpredictable pitch.

  After going past 50, the left-hander then Livingstone upped the ante, each hammering sixes off Joseph but both perished when they were too early on balls holding up in the pitch. Duckett got a leading edge to short midwicket while in Shepherd’s next over, Livingstone miscued to mid-on.

  After a 45-minute rain delay which led to England’s innings being reduced from 43 to 40 overs, last-wicket duo Atkinson and Matthew Potts got them above 200 with an unbroken stand of 35 off 29 balls.

  Another downpour took more overs out of the game and meant a revised target, with England making a breakthrough after eight deliveries when Brandon King punched Atkinson to Jacks on the ring.

  While Sam Curran found lavish movement and Potts, in for the unwell Brydon Carse, was tidy, there were no further inroads as Buttler turned to Ahmed in the ninth over. The leg-spinner was greeted with a glancing cut by Alick Athanaze before ending his over being driven for another four by Carty.

  Ahmed clipped Athanaze’s off-stump without dislodging the bails, tricking England into a review for caught behind, before Atkinson returned to pin the left-handed opener lbw five short of his 50.

  After Shai Hope tamely chipped Ahmed’s googly to midwicket, Buttler opted for spin at both ends on an increasingly wearing pitch where prodigious turn was on offer.

  Jacks capitalised as Shimron Hetmyer lobbed to point while Sherfane Rutherford holed out. Carty, who had dropped two simple catches when the Windies fielded, made a crucial 50 but gave Jacks a return catch.

  Jacks drew the edge of Shepherd two balls later but the ball whistled away for four while the Windies big-hitter threw his hands at Ahmed to alleviate some of the building pressure.

  Buttler opted to turn to Atkinson after Ahmed and Jacks bowed out but the paceman delivered two full tosses which were dispatched over the rope, the first following a fumble by Livingstone.

  There was no coming back from that for England and Shepherd sealed victory in Livingstone’s next over with a slog sweep for four.