CWI Media
When the West Indies began their training sessions in Colombo on Thursday in preparation for their two-Test series against Sri Lanka later this morning, there were several areas of immediate focus for the players.
Among them, combatting the home side’s dangerous spinners.
Head Coach Phil Simmons, in his first media session on Thursday, revealed that successfully playing Sri Lanka’s spinners was high on their list of priorities like it was in Bangladesh where the West Indies emerged 2-0 winners over the home side in February.
“I think there will be a heavy dose of spin coming from them because we saw it when they played England they even opened the bowling with a spinner, so we are going to be focusing a lot on how we combat that spin with the new ball and then bat as normal after that because we played spin alright in Bangladesh,” Simmons revealed.
“We did what we had to do to score the runs we needed and to win the games, so we need to bring that same sort of mentality we had on that away tour and preparation today started like that.”
Doing well against Sri Lanka’s spinners, Simmons explained, could prove to be crucial to time the West Indies batsmen spend at the crease, rotating the strike and not losing wickets playing rash shots out of frustration at being bogged down.
That also will be something he and his players will pay some attention to, Simmons revealed.
Rotating the strike will be “definitely an area of focus, especially when you’re playing against quality spinners,” he said, “you have to continually change their mode, especially if we have left and handers at the crease so it is something that we are going to be discussing and putting into practice.”
The West Indies will play a four-day warm-up match in Colombo starting on Sunday, November 14 because they take on Sri Lanka in the first of two Tests beginning on November 21 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
The second Test is set to begin on November 29 at the same venue.
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West Indies squad named for first two England T20Is in Barbados
Cricket West Indies has named a dynamic 15-man squad for the first two matches of the 'Rivalry' T20I series against England, with Rovman Powell leading the team as captain.
Following a dominant 2-1 ODI series win capped by a decisive eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval, the West Indies team heads into this series with renewed confidence. The squad announced for the first two games in Barbados showcases a mix of seasoned T20 stars and in-form players who have excelled in recent competitions.
The squad includes seasoned players such as Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer, alongside the versatile talents of Matthew Forde and Terrance Hinds. Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Shamar Joseph bring further strength to the lineup, while explosive batsmen Brandon King and Evin Lewis add depth at the top. Gudakesh Motie joins Nicholas Pooran, returning with Andre Russell after both missed the recent tour to Sri Lanka, and Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd complete a formidable squad, ready to go for another victorious series in front of home fans.
Guiding the team is Head Coach Daren Sammy, who is joined by Team Manager Rawl Lewis. Supporting Sammy are Rayon Griffith as the fielding coach, Floyd Reifer handling batting responsibilities, and James Franklin overseeing bowling. The team’s physiotherapist is Denis Byam, with Ronald Rogers providing strength and conditioning expertise, while Dane Currency attends to the squad’s massage therapy needs. Avenesh Seetaram contributes his analytical insights as the team analyst, and Jerome Foster will serve as the Media and Content Officer.
The 'Rivalry' series kicks off with two back-to-back matches at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 9 and 10, before moving to Saint Lucia for three more games at the Daren Sammy Stadium on November 14, 16, and 17. Fans across the Caribbean are set for an action-packed series as the West Indies aim to extend their undefeated home streak in T20Is, facing off against a challenging England squad in what promises to be a thrilling display of cricket.
Shepherd, Paul back Region One’s Under-13 Tapeball Competition, encouraging young talent and community development
Guyana and West Indies cricketers Romario Shepherd and Keemo Paul are lending their support to the budding cricket stars of Region One, standing behind the Under-13 Tapeball Competition with a generous sponsorship of $300,000 for the first-place cash prize.
The tournament, which kicked off recently at the Kamwatta Recreation Ground, is organized by the Sebai Primary School PTA and is being held under the impactful theme, “End Child Labour.”
Shepherd, who has been a longtime supporter of the event, and Paul’s involvement mark a strong show of commitment to nurturing youth talent while raising awareness around child labour in the region.
The final match, scheduled for November 16 at Fitzburg Recreational Ground, promises to be a grand affair.
Thanks to the International Organization for Migration, champions will receive beautifully crafted trophies, while the Ministry of Labour has sponsored trophies for sub-regional winners and runners-up.
The competition is the result of a combined community effort, with other sponsors stepping forward to offer their support, as Orlando Rogers of One Plus Total Solutions and Skywest Charter Service have donated the $200,000 second-place prize.
Meanwhile, ASP Chandradat Kooldeep, Maureen Rebeiro, Pro Red Resources, Peter De Freitas, International Imports and Supplies, Breeze Enterprise, Frontier Pharmacy, Mr. Ram Supreme Construction, Toshau Barmeter, CDC Chair Matthew’s Ridge, Alana James Amin, and the Department of Education Region One have all contributed to making the event a success.
Giving the lineup of young talent from various primary schools competing, the Under-13 Tapeball Competition is not just a game but a platform for personal growth and an important message to combat child labour in the community.
Haris and Saim lead Pakistan to record nine-wicket victory
Haris Rauf’s second five wicket-haul and half-centuries by Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique led Pakistan to a nine-wicket victory over Australia in the second ODI on Friday.
Pakistan's win also levelled the three-match series with their biggest ODI win over the world champions in Australia, setting up a decider in Perth on Sunday.
The hosts started poorly with the bat, losing Jake Fraser-McGurk (13) and Matt Short (19) inside the first seven overs, with Shaheen Afridi claiming both early wickets.
Steve Smith top scored with 35 but was bowled out by Mohammad Hasnain (1-27), before Rauf ripped through Australia's middle order for the second consecutive game.
On his way to figures of 5-29, the 31-year-old claimed the wickets of Inglis (18), Marcus Labuschagne (six), Aaron Hardie (14), Glenn Maxwell (16) and Pat Cummins (13).
Shaheen Afridi secured the final wicket of Adam Zampa (18), with Pakistan handed a target of 164 runs to take the series to a decider.
And the tourists made light work of their run chase, with Ayub (83) and Abdullah Shafique (64) combining brilliantly to produce an opening stand of 137.
Zampa eventually made the breakthrough with the wicket of Ayub, but the damage had already been done. Babar Azam sealed the win with a six, with Pakistan reaching their target in just 26.3 overs.
Data Debrief: Shaheens stars play their part
Pakistan have not won an ODI series in Australia since 2002, but their showing on Friday will give them confidence of claiming a historic win.
They registered their biggest ODI win against the world champions in Australia in terms of both balls (141 balls) and wickets (nine) remaining. Previously, Pakistan's biggest ODI triumph over Australia in their own backyard had come in Sydney in 1981, winning by six wickets.
But the victory was inspired by Ayub and Shafique's 137-run stand for the first wicket, which was Pakistan’s second-best opening stand in an ODI against Australia, only behind Mohsin Khan and Mudassar Nazar (141) in 1985.
Mohammad Rizwan also played his part. His tally of six catches is the joint-most for any wicket-keeper in an ODI for Pakistan, going level with Sarfaraz Ahmed against South Africa in 2015.
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