Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosted the Professional Cricketers Draft for the 2021-2022 season, which took place over two rounds via a video call with representatives from all six Territorial Board Franchises. Several teams drafted young, emerging players to complete their 15-member squads, while others chose to boost their ranks with more experienced players.
Among those drafted, are several former West Indies Under-19 players, two of whom won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2016. Batsmen Jyd Goolie and Kirstan Kallicharan, who were both members of the team which won the world title in Bangladesh, were drafted by their native Trinidad and Tobago to the Red Force team. The left-handed Goolie, who turned 24 earlier this month, has so far played four first-class matches and has a highest score of 128.
Left-arm spinner Barbadian Joshua Bishop, who bowled impressively in this year’s CG Insurance Super50 Cup, was snapped up by the Barbados Pride. The Pride’s second pick was another Barbadian, seam bowler Akeem Jordan, who, like Bishop, took a five-wicket haul in the marquee 50-over event earlier this year. Windward Islands Volcanoes has also chosen youthful talents in Darius Martin, a fast bowler from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Gilon Tyson, a Dominican fast bowler who is also a capable lower-order batsman.
Guyana Jaguars, went for the more experienced Guyanese duo of wicket-keeper/batsman Anthony Bramble and fast bowler Keon Joseph; while Leeward Islands Hurricanes chose seamer, Antiguan Nino Henry and Daniel Doram from St. Maarten, a tall left-arm spinner. Jamaica Scorpions have put their faith in Jamaicans, Nicholson Gordon, the livewire fast bowler with eight first-class matches under his belt, as well as Alwyn Williams, a medium-fast bowler who bats left-handed, and who had so far made five appearances at the first-class level.
Starting July 1st 2021, a total of 90 professional cricketers inclusive of the 12 cricketers drafted today, will receive regional retainer contracts for the next twelve months.
The draft was conducted over two rounds, with each franchise allocated ninety (90) seconds to make their pick. Round one picks were completed in the reverse order of the tournament standings at the end of the 2019/2020 West Indies Championship, won by the Barbados Pride, meaning the Leeward Island Hurricanes had the first pick. The draft was independently supervised by BDO Eastern Caribbean.
Full Squads for West Indies Championship 2021/2022:
Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Colin Archibald, Sheno Berridge, Keacy Carthy, Jahmar Hamilton, Amir Jangoo OHT, Kofi James, Kian Pemberton, Ross Powell Jeremiah Louis, Devon Thomas, Damion Williams, Tyron Williams, Terance Ward, Nino Henry*, Daniel Doram*.
Windward Islands Volcanoes: Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Keron Cottoy, Kenneth Dember, Larry Edward, Kavem Hodge, Ryan John, Obed McCoy, Desron Malony, Preston McSween, Kimani Melius, Denis Smith, Devon Smith, Darius Martin*, Gilon Tyson*.
Jamaica Scorpions: John Campbell, Sheldon Cottrell, Akim Fraser, Patrick Harty, Brandon King, Andre McCarthy, Jamie Merchant, Marquino Mindley, Paul Palmer, Rovman Powell, Jeavor Royal, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Nicholson Gordon*, Alwyn Williams*.
Guyana Jaguars: Kelvon Anderson, Christopher Barnwell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Leon Johnson, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Romario Shepherd, Vishaul Singh, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Anthony Bramble*, Keon Joseph*.
Trinidad &Tobago Red Force: Bryan Charles, Terrance Hinds, Imran Khan, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jason Mohammed, Uthman Muhammed, Isaiah Rajah, Denesh Ramdin, Jayden Seales, Keegan Simmons, Jeremy Solozano, Tion Webster, Jyd Goolie*, Kirstan Kallicharan*.
Barbados Pride: Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Jonathan Carter, Dominic Drakes, Shane Dowrich, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Kyle Hope, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer Ashley Nurse, Jomel Warrican, Akeem Jordan*, Joshua Bishop*
ECB chief insists no decision made on Mott future
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has denied reports a decision has already been made on Matthew Mott's future as white-ball coach.
Mott's future has been called into question in the aftermath of England's failure to defend their T20 World Cup crown in the United States and West Indies, losing to India in the semi-finals.
Mott also oversaw England's calamitous 50-over World Cup campaign last year, as they lost six of their nine matches in India and crashed out in the group stage.
Reports earlier this week suggested the decision had already been made to dispense with Mott's services, with Eoin Morgan a contender to succeed him, though the former limited-overs captain has since said he has no interest in the role.
Asked by BBC Test Match Special if Mott's future had already been decided, Gould said: "That's not true. That's certainly not true.
"Matthew Mott is a really good guy and coach. He's got a great track record and it is the same with [captain] Jos [Buttler].
"We are always assessing options - that is what happens in high-performance sport, you are always assessing your options.
"You never want to be drawn into being given the dreaded vote of confidence or anything like that. Competitive sport always brings scrutiny and decisions.
"We'll constantly want to assess our options but we'll always want to do the right thing by the sport, the team and individuals."
West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance
England lost three wickets in a dramatic end to day one of the third Test against West Indies, leaving them in a precarious position after restricting the tourists for 282.
Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total.
But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.
Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.
Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls.
Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.
Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.
England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.
Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.
That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate
This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.
That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.
Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Bairstow set sights on swift England Test return
Jonny Bairstow bit back when asked if he was targeting an England return, insisting it is "all I want to do."
Bairstow was dropped from England's Test team for the ongoing series against West Indies.
The 34-year-old was part of England's T20 World Cup squad, and played in all five Tests of the tour of India earlier this year.
Bairstow has made 100 Test appearances, and when asked what his immediate target was, the wicketkeeper-batsman told former England captain and now-BBC Sport pundit Michael Vaughan: "All I want to do is play for England. That's end of.
"You don't need to ask me that do you? I think you know me well enough and I think you've known me for long enough to know that."
Bairstow did, however, enjoy a break away from the game, having had four weeks off before he joined the Welsh Fire for the Hundred.
He said: "At the same time it's been a great period of time.
"I had the best part of seven months away from home. Since January, I had five nights at home in my own bed since, until three weeks ago.
"That's the thing you have to sacrifice, time at home but at the same time, when you are away for that period of time, it takes its toll."
England are 2-0 up against the Windies in their three-match series, with the final Test starting at Edgbaston on Friday.
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