West Indies have been drawn alongside the Netherlands, Nepal, United States, and hosts Zimbabwe in Group A of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.
The ICC has unveiled the two groups, match schedules and venues for the 10-team tournament from 18 June to 9 July. All matches will start at 9am local time (3am Eastern Caribbean Time/2am Jamaica Time). Group B features Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ten teams will be competing for the two remaining places at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup which will be played in India in October and November later this year.
West Indies face the USA in the opening Group A fixture on Sunday 18 June at Takashinga Cricket Club, followed by Nepal on Thursday 22 June at Harare Sports Club. West Indies meet hosts Zimbabwe on Saturday 24 June at Harare Sports Club. The fourth preliminary match will be against the Netherlands on Monday 26 June.
Each side will play the other teams in their group once with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage from Thursday 29 June to Friday 7 July. The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage.
All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group. The final will be played at Harare Sports Club on Sunday 9 July. The two finalists will both progress to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy said: “We know what’s at stake and the singular focus is to secure one of the two spots for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. We trust in our preparation and, now that we know the matchups, we will plan accordingly. These are exciting times ahead for this confident bunch of young men. Our duty is to also make our fans proud and we intend to do exactly that.”
FULL SQUAD: Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell (vice captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd
MATCH SCHEDULE
All matches start at 9am local time (3am Eastern Caribbean/2am Jamaica)
Sunday 18 June
Zimbabwe v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Monday 19 June
Sri Lanka v UAE, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Tuesday 20 June
Zimbabwe v Netherlands, Harare Sports Club
Nepal v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Wednesday 21 June
Ireland v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Oman v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Thursday 22 June
West Indies v Nepal, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v USA, Takashinga Cricket Club
Friday 23 June
Sri Lanka v Oman, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Saturday 24 June
Zimbabwe v West Indies, Harare Sports Club
Netherlands v Nepal, Takashinga Cricket Club
Sunday 25 June
Sri Lanka v Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club
Scotland v Oman, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Monday 26 June
Zimbabwe v USA, Harare Sports Club
West Indies v Netherlands, Takashinga Cricket Club
Tuesday 27 June
Sri Lanka v Scotland, Queen’s Sports Club
Ireland v UAE, Bulawayo Athletic Club
Thursday 29 June
Super 6: A2 v B2, Queen’s Sports Club
Friday 30 June
Super 6: A3 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A5 v B4, Takashinga Cricket Club
Saturday 1 July
Super 6: A1 v B3, Harare Sports Club
Sunday 2 July
Super 6: A2 v B1, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: A4 v B5, Takashinga Cricket Club
Monday 3 July
Super 6: A3 v B2, Harare Sports Club
Tuesday 4 July
Super 6: A2 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 7th v 8th Takashinga Cricket Club
Wednesday 5 July
Super Six: A1 v B2, Harare Sports Club
Thursday 6 July
Super 6: A3 v B3, Queen’s Sports Club
Playoff: 9th v 10th Takashinga Cricket Club
Friday 7 July
Super 6: A1 v B1, Harare Sports Club
Sunday 9 July
Final, Harare Sports Club
The three-match ODI Series between UAE and the West Indies will now begin a day earlier with the two teams playing the opener on Sunday, 4 June at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The first match was originally scheduled for Monday, 5 June. The West Indies Men’s team will arrive in Dubai on Thursday, 1 June.
The second match will be played on Tuesday, 6 June with the third and final match scheduled for Friday, 9 June.
All three day-night matches will start at 4:30pm with the toss at 4pm at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Both teams will depart for Zimbabwe at the end of the series for their World Cup qualifying campaign which begins on 18 June.
The all-important tournament will confirm the remaining two spots for the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India.
UAE vs West Indies ODI series, matches to start at 4:30pm (8:30AM Caribbean/7:30AM Jamaica)
4 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
6 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
9 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
Full squad: Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King (vice captain), Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Dominic Drakes, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith, Devon Thomas.
Lead selector for the West Indies Men’s senior team, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, says Shimron Hetmyer made himself available for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe but was not picked because team management wanted to stay with a team similar to the one that had success in South Africa in March.
The West Indies drew the ODI series 1-1 before enjoying a 2-1 victory in the T20s.
“Yes, Hetmyer was available. He did send through an email to Jimmy (Adams), our director of cricket, stating that he was available for the tour,” Haynes said.
“We have a new captain in Shai Hope and he was very happy to express his views about the type of camaraderie we had in the team in South Africa.
We as selectors saw some commitment and a real change in our approach to one-day cricket and we thought it’s only fair to stick with those guys at this time,” he added.
The left-hander, currently representing the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), last represented the regional side in the ODI format in 2021 against Australia. His last T20I appearance for the Windies came in August last year against New Zealand.
Although initially selected for the T20 World Cup in Australia between October and November last year, he was replaced in the squad after failing to board a rescheduled flight to Australia.
Haynes, however, made it clear that this is by no means the end for Hetmyer or any player who wasn’t selected.
“I must say, though, that I want the public to know that nobody has been ruled out of selection for the West Indies. We do not have the depth of players to rule out anybody for selection,” Haynes added.
The West Indies will take on the UAE in three ODIs from June 5-9 before moving over to Zimbabwe for the World Cup qualifiers from June 18-July 9.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced the appointments of the new Head Coaches for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams. Andre Coley has been appointed Head Coach for the Test and ‘A’ Teams and Daren Sammy has been appointed the Head Coach for the white ball One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) Teams.
The new Head Coaches were selected following an open and transparent interview process, and the appointments were confirmed following the CWI Board of Directors meeting on Thursday 11 May.
Daren Sammy’s first assignment will be the three-match ODI Series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah in June, ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. Andre Coley’s first assignment will be the two-match Test Series against India in the Caribbean in July.
Sammy is a former West Indies captain in all three formats, who led the West Indies to the ICC T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. Since retirement, he has coached franchise teams in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League. Coley is a former Jamaica wicket-keeper/batsman who has coached at all levels in West Indies cricket. He was Interim Head Coach of the West Indies team on the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year with his most recent assignment as Head Coach of the West Indies Academy.
The 39-year-old Sammy said: “It will be a challenge but one that I’m ready for and excited about. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity, especially looking at the players we have and the impact that I believe I can have in the dressing room. I believe I will bring the same approach as I had as a player: the passion, the desire for success, and my undying love for West Indies cricket. When I look around there is an abundance of talent, and what I saw in South Africa in the white ball matches under new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell and the leadership provided by Andre Coley, there is great belief that we can do well. I’m looking forward to imparting my knowledge, my tactical acumen, my communication skills and my man-management skills. I get excited about putting the plans together and seeing the players execute them.”
Coley, 48, said: “I am honored to be appointed West Indies Men’s Head Coach of the red-ball team after serving in the interim role on the Zimbabwe and South Africa tours. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities as we sharpen our focus on moving up the Test rankings, and qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June 2025. I also look forward to working with all our stakeholders, deepening relationships and fostering a high-performance mindset. I am also excited to be working closely with the ‘A Team’ as we seek to optimize opportunities for teams to play competitive cricket outside of our first-class competition and giving players greater exposure to different conditions at the international level. I believe that my expertise in the use of analytics, my leadership style and technical knowledge along with collaborative efforts alongside Daren, will make a positive contribution to player development and team performances.”
In March, CWI announced that the role of Head Coach for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams will be split into two separate positions, a decision made with reference to the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group to consider splitting coaching duties as one factor to help improve team preparation.
Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said: “We are delighted to announce the appointments of Andre and Daren to the positions of red ball and white ball Head Coaches of the Senior Men’s Teams. They are well equipped for their roles, and we are confident they will bring different perspectives, skills and real passion to the West Indies dressing room. The introduction of separate coaches signals the start of a new approach for the West Indies Men’s Teams, and we know it will enable greater focus on player communication, team planning and preparation to the benefit of our players and West Indies cricket.”
The recruitment process for a Head Coach of the West Indies Women’s team has commenced and the deadline for applications of Wednesday 17 May. Further information on the timing and process for appointing a new Head Coach of the West Indies Academy to replace Coley will be announced at a later date.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has confirmed the dates and host countries for the remaining 2023 West Indies Rising Stars age-group Championships following the Rising Stars Men’s U15s Championship which took place in Antigua last month.
The final three upcoming tournaments are the Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s, Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s and Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championships which are all important steps in the development pathway for the next generation of West Indies men’s and women’s cricketers.
The Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, consisting of six rounds of 30-over matches, will take place in Trinidad from 2 to 16 July. The Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship will take place in St Vincent between 2 July and 1 August, consisting of five rounds of 50-over white ball matches and four rounds of three-day red ball matches.
The Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s Championship will take place in Trinidad between 10 August and 1 September featuring five rounds of 50-over matches and for the first time also three rounds of two-day red ball matches.
The Men’s Rising Stars Championships will feature both red ball and 50-over white ball cricket which will help the players develop a strong foundation of skill-sets, both mental and technical, that they can build on as they progress through the CWI development pathway system.
Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket spoke of the importance of the West Indies Rising Stars Championships and age group cricket across the region and how essential they are to develop the next generation of young talent in the West Indies.
“These age group tournaments are of paramount importance, and we want to ensure the players get maximum opportunities and exposure. Many of our current and former international players have graduated from these tournaments and we continue to see this as the ‘nursery’ for West Indies cricket,” Adams said.
“With over 250 teenagers due to participate in these championships, this is the ideal platform for them to launch their careers and the tournaments will allow for ongoing talent identification and development of our best young players”.
TOURNAMENT DATES
2 to 16 July: Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, Trinidad
2 July to 1 August: Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship in St Vincent
10 August to 1 September: Men's’ Rising Stars Under 17s Championship in Trinidad
Thelston Payne, the former Barbados and West Indies wicketkeeper batsman died on Wednesday at the age of 66. Reports emerging from Barbados said he died of pancreatic cancer. He had been ailing for some time.
A capable wicketkeeper, the floppy-hat wearing Payne spent most of his Test career as an understudy to Jeff Dujon with whom he shared a resemblance.
He served as Dujon’s back up during the 1984 tour of England, in Australia 1984-85, and on later trips to New Zealand, Pakistan and Sharjah. His only chance came when Dujon missed the second Test against England at Port-of-Spain in 1986 through injury, and he held five catches in a comprehensive win.
He played seven One Day Internationals for the West Indies scoring 126 runs at an average of 31.50 and took six catches.
He was more successful in his first-class career that spanned more than a decade.
Payne played 68 first class matches, scoring 3391 runs at an average of 36.85 for Barbados with six hundreds and 25 half centuries. Behind the stumps, he took 103 catches and completed eight stumpings.
In paying tribute, Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow said Payne's contributions to West Indies Cricket will be cherished.
“On behalf of CWI, I offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Thelston Payne. He is one of those unsung heroes of West Indies cricket who served the game at all levels for over four decades. During his playing career, he was a dynamic keeper and stylish batsman and was part of the great era of West Indies cricket when we dominated world cricket, under Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards.," Dr Shallow said.
“After his playing days were over, he made a meaningful contribution as a coach and mentor in Barbados at the grassroots level. He also played a key role in the development of many players. His contribution will be remembered and we will remain grateful to this stalwart of cricket.”
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Hon. Olivia “Babsy” Grange, says Jamaica intends to throw their hat in the ring in hopes of being able to host matches at next year’s ICC T20 World Cup set to be held in the West Indies and the USA in June.
“In relation to the World Cup, we are interested. We are looking at the numbers and I’m in discussion with Billy Heaven, President of the Jamaica Cricket Association,” Grange told SportsMax.TV.
“A letter was written to the Prime Minister about it by Cricket West Indies and he has referred the matter to me. We’re looking at the numbers and having discussions. The bid is coming up shortly so we have to make a decision very soon but it is something we’d like to do,” the minister added.
For context, Jamaica has not hosted a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match since 2019 and will, once again, not host any in the upcoming season. The country last hosted an international game in January 2022 when the West Indies hosted Ireland for three ODIs and three T20Is.
As it relates to 2023, “things didn’t quite come together for matches” according to CPL Head of PR and Communications Peter Miller.
“Talks are ongoing for 2024 and we are hopeful that we will have matches in Jamaica in the future.”
The main problem, as put by CPL CEO Pete Russell, has been “a lack of support from the Government and the private sector.”
“We have made no secret of the fact that we have lacked support in terms of bringing the CPL to Jamaica over the years and this has been a challenge,” Russell told the Jamaica Observer recently.
The CEO emphasized his point by drawing a comparison with Guyana, who will host the playoffs for this year’s tournament and have also submitted a proposal to host games at the World Cup.
“We feel that what CPL does for the host countries speaks for itself, with Guyana Government’s Cricket Carnival a prime example of what can be achieved if stakeholders work together. There was a 90% increase of international arrivals into Guyana in September 2022 with 31,050 international visitors arriving in the country. There were no hotel rooms available, and money was being put into the Guyanese economy,” he said.
“We want to be able to come back to Jamaica but, for this to happen, we need support from the Government and the private sector,” he added.
Cricket West Indies has moved to settle their legal dispute with former selectors Courtney Browne and Eldine Baptiste, cricket commentator and broadcaster Andrew Mason is reporting.
The two former West Indies players received letters of termination on April 10, 2019, shortly after Ricky Skerritt and Dr Kishore Shallow won the Cricket West Indies presidential elections in March that year. The termination letters made reference to a task force that was being established to review the selection system. The task force that was chaired by CWI Vice President Dr Kishore Shallow was expected to make recommendations.
Notwithstanding that the task force had not yet met, CWI fired the selectors ahead any recommendations that would have come from the task force. The matter has been before the courts for the past four years until now when Mason reported that CWI had decided to settle and will pay all legal costs and 15 months’ payment of the contract.
Mason anticipates that Brown’s pay out would amount to about US$75,000. The money would represent welcome funds for Browne, who is still undergoing rehabilitation after suffering serious injuries in a motor-vehicle accident in December 2019.
The driver of the other vehicle involved in the accident, died on the spot.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is undertaking a thorough bid process for Caribbean countries wanting to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the West Indies and USA in June next year.
Countries have been required to demonstrate their ability to deliver a world-class venue and stage the matches by providing match and training facilities, undergo a venue inspection, provide immigration, customs, medical and security support, as well as other operational and logistical requirements including accommodation for the members of the teams, match officials and broadcast crew.
Visits to Caribbean venues that are contemplating submitting proposals to host ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches started on Wednesday, 26 April. A small team will visit each country to look at facilities and discuss the pathway to becoming a host country. A similar process will also be followed to identify venues to host matches in USA.
Countries selected will have the opportunity to promote themselves to a global audience of over one billion people from all over the world. This tournament will also inject significant investment into the economy of each host nation.
“We are delighted that the next edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place in the West Indies and the USA. Of course, the Caribbean is a region rich in cricket culture where fans can enjoy a carnival experience with a fine tradition of producing exciting and flamboyant cricketing stars across all formats of the game,” said Geoff Allardice, CEO of ICC.
“The T20 World Cup is a special event in the calendar and this upcoming edition of the men’s event will expand to 20 teams competing to claim the ultimate prize in T20 international cricket. All host countries play an important role in the provision of world class venues, training facilities and services for players and officials, with the upgrade of any facilities providing a lasting legacy for the game in the West Indies.”
Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said hosting the World Cup is an opportunity to spur economic growth across the region.
“This will be the most significant sports event held in the West Indies for a generation, helping us to unlock new commercial and economic growth opportunities for the ICC, CWI and our region as a whole,” he said.
“This will be the fifth ICC global event that we have proudly staged, 14 years since we last hosted a Men's World Cup event, and this time it will be bigger than ever. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will be co-hosted with the USA and is the largest ICC World Cup in history, with 20 teams playing 55 matches.
“This tournament will be a major financial boost to the West Indies and all our host countries as it's the perfect opportunity to invite the world to the biggest cricket carnival ever staged. CWI aims to partner once again with our regional governments to ensure that we collectively capitalize on this fantastic platform to promote the region to the world.”
Grave added that hosting the tournament will be an “opportunity for us to rebuild our cricket, re-engage our traditional cricket supporters and attract a new generation of fans. Cricket has always been part of our culture and we will celebrate this tournament by providing memorable experiences for teams and cricket fans on and off the field that will blend the unique Caribbean matchday experience with the very best in American sporting entertainment.”
The format of the tournament will see the 20 teams participating – with four groups of five teams in the first round. Each team will play one match against the other teams in the group. The top two teams from each group will move into the Super8s stage and these eight teams will be spilt into two groups of four with each team playing one match against the other teams in top two teams from each group of the Super8s will advance to the Semi-Finals.
This is the second time that the West Indies will have hosted the event, with the first time back in 2010. West Indies have won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on two occasions – in 2012 in Sri Lanka and 2016 in India.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced the full schedule for the West Indies Men’s 2023 International Home series against England. The world champions will visit the Caribbean in December where they will play a three-match CG United One-Day International (ODI) Series and five match T20 International (T20I) Series.
England arrive in Antigua to start the tour with two CG United ODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on 3 and 6 December. The third CG United ODI will be played at Kensington Oval, Barbados on 9 December followed on 12 December by the first of five T20Is.
The Spice Isle of Grenada welcomes both teams for two T20Is on 14 and 16 December and the tour concludes in the week before Christmas with the fourth and fifth T20Is at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad which will be hosting a West Indies vs England men’s fixture for the first time on 19 and 21 December.
CWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Johnny Grave said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the England match schedule and to welcome once again their many travelling fans to the region for a pre-Christmas white-ball tour. “
Grave added: “This tour will be a major economic boost to the host countries, as well as providing our fans with the chance to see some of their favourite players in action against one of our biggest rivals. The tour will also help with our ongoing venue preparation and event planning for one of the biggest events ever to be staged in the region, the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which takes place in June next year.
"We also look forward to announcing the fixtures and venues for the India tour of the West Indies in July and August very soon."
Official West Indies Tour Operators and ticket information for the series will be announced in the coming weeks with tickets available in advance on the Windies Tickets service presented by Mastercard, accessible via Windiescricket.com where fans can also find all the latest news and scores. Fans can register sign up to receive the first news of tickets going on sale at https://www.windiescricket.com/updates/.
MATCH SCHEDULE
CG United One-Day Internationals
3 December: 1st CG United ODI, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
6 December: 2nd CG United ODI, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
9 December: 3rd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
T20 Internationals
12 December: 1st T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados
14 December: 2nd T20I, Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
16 December: 3rd T20I, Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
19 December: 4th T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
21 December: 5th T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
West Indies white ball opener Brandon King was a significant contributor as Team Weekes ended day one of their Headley-Weekes four-day series fixture in a strong position against the West Indies Academy at Coolidge on Wednesday.
King made a 148-ball 92, supporting Zachary McCaskie’s 147-ball 93, as Team Weekes ended the day 365-7 off 90 overs. Jahmar Hamilton (57) and Kevin Sinclair (52*) also got fifties on day one.
Entering this contest, King had an average of 34.84 in 32 First-Class games including three hundreds and 12 fifties.
King's last four-day appearance came in March last year when he made an unbeaten 119 for the Jamaica Scorpions against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Stadium.
He spoke about his return to red-ball cricket after the day’s play.
“Very happy to be back playing red ball cricket. It’s been a little while. It was great fun batting out there with no time restrictions,” King said.
The West Indies batsman opener got to the crease with his side 82-3 having lost the wickets of Keacy Carty for 12 and captain Alick Athanaze for a two-ball duck.
He then formed a crucial 136-run fourth wicket partnership with McCaskie.
“It’s 4-day cricket so you have time on your side and you want to try and build a partnership to put the team in a better position,” King said.
“We kept it simple. The pitch wasn’t doing a great deal so we just tried to take as little risk as possible while still putting the bowlers under pressure and it worked out for us,” he added.
Regarding the team’s plan going into the innings, King said it was simple.
“We know that the pitch is generally good for batting and that in the first session the bowlers would get something out of it. Our plan was always to try and bat through the first session with as little wickets as possible then bat the rest of the day,” King said.
“We weren’t too focussed on the number of runs but we knew that if we batted the whole day we’ll get a good score,” King added.
Day two takes place on Thursday.
The Sydney Cricket Ground unveiled a set of gates named after legends Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara on Monday.
According to ESPNCricinfo, April 24 was selected as the date to unveil the gates to mark Tendulkar's 50th birthday as well as the 30th anniversary of Lara's 277 at the SCG, his first Test century, though that Test was played in January 1993.
"The Sydney Cricket Ground has been my favourite ground away from India," Tendulkar said in a statement released by Cricket Australia.
"I have had some great memories at the SCG right from my first tour of Australia in 1991-92. It is a great honour to have the gates used by all visiting cricketers to access the field of play at the SCG named after me and my good friend Brian," he added.
"I'm deeply honoured to be recognised at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as I'm sure Sachin is,” Lara said.
“The ground holds many special memories for me and my family and I always enjoy visiting whenever I'm in Australia," Lara added.
That innings of 277 remained Lara's highest at the SCG. He totalled 384 runs at the ground in four Tests overall while Tendulkar had an average of 157 at the SCG, scoring 785 runs in five Tests over the years with three centuries, including a memorable 241 not out in January 2004.
The statement also outlines that the gates will be used by visiting players to access the field.
On hand to unveil the gates were SCG and Venues NSW Chairman Rod McGeoch AO, and CEO Kerrie Mather, as well as Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.
"Sachin Tendulkar's record at the SCG is simply remarkable, while Brian Lara's maiden Test century remains one of the most celebrated innings by a visiting player," Mather said.
"Both players continue to hold a deep affection for the SCG and they remain hugely popular whenever they visit Sydney."
"As the cricketing world celebrates Sachin Tendulkar's 50th birthday, this is a fitting and timely gesture by the SCG to recognise Sachin and Brian Lara as two legends of the international game with exceptional records at the SCG,” said Hockley.
"Their feats will no doubt be an inspiration to not only visiting international teams, but all players fortunate enough to walk onto the hallowed turf of the Sydney Cricket Ground, for generations to come."
The best women’s cricketers in the West Indies will be back in action as Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosts the CG United Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze regional tournaments in St. Kitts.
The CG United Super50 Cup matches will be played at three venues – Warner Park, the Conaree Cricket Centre, and St. Paul’s Sports Complex from 8 to 17 May with the 50 over matches starting at 10am local time.
The T20 Blaze will feature five full days of entertainment for the fans from 20 to 27 May at Warner Park. There will be three matches per day – starting at 10am, 2:30 pm and 7 pm (under lights).
Barbados are defending champions in the CG United Super50 Cup and Jamaica the defending champions of the T20 Blaze. The other teams are the newly renamed Trinidad & Tobago Divas, Guyana, Windward Islands and hosts Leeward Islands.
The Tournament comes on the cusp of CWI’s announcement to start a new Women’s Academy in July for the best U23 players in the region. This will be a major boost for the development of Women’s Cricket in the West Indies and forms part of the overall strategic plan to commit more resources to improving the women’s game at all levels.
CWI’s Director of cricket, Jimmy Adams said, "This year's CG United Super50 Cup and T20 Blaze will be a great opportunity for both talent identification and player development. We look forward to watching a healthy mix of experienced players along with some of the exciting talent we saw in last year's U19 competition. With international tours at home to Ireland and away to Australia this year, these regional tournaments will provide players a chance to fight for places."
Matches will be streamed LIVE on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel with live scorecards and ball-by-ball scoring on the Windiescricket.com live match centre.
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE
CG United Super50 Cup – play starts at 10am
Round 1: Monday 8 May
Windward Islands vs Guyana – Conaree Cricket Centre
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica – St. Paul’s Sports Complex
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Barbados – Warner Park
Round 2: Wednesday 10 May
Jamaica vs Trinidad & Tobago Divas – St. Paul’s Sports Complex
Guyana vs Barbados – Conaree Cricket Centre
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – Warner Park
Round 3: Friday 12 May
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Windward Islands – St. Paul’s Sports Complex
Jamaica vs Barbados – Conaree Cricket Centre
Guyana vs Leeward Islands – Warner Park
Round 4: Monday 15 May
Jamaica vs Guyana – Warner Park
Leeward Islands vs Trinidad & Tobago Divas – Conaree Cricket Centre
Barbados vs Windward Islands – St. Paul’s Sports Complex
Round 5: Wednesday 17 May
Leeward Islands vs Barbados – Warner Park
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Guyana – St. Paul’s Sporting Complex
Jamaica vs Windward Islands – Conaree Cricket Centre
CWI T20 Blaze (all matches played at Warner Park)
Round 1: Saturday 20 May
Windward Islands vs Guyana – 10am
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica – 2:30:pm
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Barbados – 7pm
Round 2: Sunday 21 May
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – 10am
Guyana vs Barbados – 2:30pm
Jamaica vs Trinidad & Tobago Divas – 7pm
Round 3: Tuesday 23 May
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Windward Islands – 10am
Jamaica vs Barbados – 2:30pm
Guyana vs Leeward Islands – 7pm
Round 4: Thursday 25 May
Jamaica vs Guyana – 10am
Leeward Islands vs Trinidad & Tobago Divas – 2:30pm
Barbados vs Windward Islands – 7pm
Round 5: Saturday 27 May
Leeward Islands vs Barbados – 10am
Trinidad & Tobago Divas vs Guyana – 2:30pm
Jamaica vs Windward Islands – 7pm
West Indies avoided a repeat of their remarkable, record-breaking defeat in the second T20I against South Africa by clinging on to win the series decider by seven runs.
The Windies had been on the wrong end of a historic run chase in the sides' previous encounter, the highest scoring Twenty20 match since the format was introduced.
But there would be no repeat in Johannesburg on Tuesday, even if Reeza Hendricks again made life difficult for the tourists after another strong Windies score of 220-8.
Hendricks was credited by centurion Quinton de Kock with inspiring the Proteas fightback in the second match, having contributed 68 off just 28 balls.
Missing De Kock's support, it was a one-man effort this time as Hendricks scored 83 off 43, not quite enough with South Africa falling short on 213-6.
West Indies had posted the second-highest T20I total not to include a single fifty but were also themselves grateful for the work of one batter in particular.
In a blockbuster conclusion to the first innings, Romario Shepherd had scored 26 from the final over to top-score with 44 from only 22 balls – the knock that ultimately proved the difference.
Phenomenal finish sees Windies safe
South Africa handed the ball to Kagiso Rabada with some confidence ahead of the 20th over, with the bowling superstar having restricted the Windies to 2-24 from his previous three overs.
Yet Shepherd, twice put down by De Kock, smashed Rabada all around the ground to set a daunting target. As a result, the Proteas needed to match Shepherd with 26 off the last but could only manage 18.
Repeat proves beyond Proteas
While Hendricks remained in the middle, it appeared very possible South Africa would pull off another stunning recovery. It would have been a record-breaking fifth successful 200-run chase in the format.
However, West Indies kept their nerve, crucially having Hendricks caught by captain Rovman Powell at long on in the 19th over. The Windies still have not lost a T20I series in South Africa, with two wins and a draw.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell got injured while trying to save a 5-year-old ball boy at the edge of the boundary area during the second T20 International against South Africa on Sunday, March 26.
Powell, while chasing a ball towards the boundary, avoided a potentially catastrophic collision and chose to get hurt himself.
The incident occurred in the third over of the South Africa chase when Quinton de Kock hit the ball towards the long off boundary.
Powell gave chase and was inside the dive length to pull the ball back into the field before it touched the boundary. The West Indies captain, however, saw a five-year-old ball boy trying to get to the edge of line and catch the ball and decided to abort the chase in the last minute.
The West Indies captain then jumped over the boy and the boundary line and crashed into the LED boards, before toppling over.
Visibly shaken from the incident, Powell had to be treated at the side-line and took a decent amount of time to get back into the field.
As for the game, South Africa won by six wickets after pulling off a record chase. The West Indies posted 258-5 off their 20 overs and the South Africans needed only 18.5 overs to reach 259-4.
The third T20I takes place at Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
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