Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the match schedule and venues for the first two rounds of the West Indies Championship, the region’s first-class four-day red ball tournament, which will be played in Antigua and Grenada.

 The tournament will open with the Windward Islands Volcanoes hosting the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Grenada National Stadium (GNS). This match will start on 31 January and will continue on 1 to 3 February.

In Antigua, defending champions the Barbados Pride will start their bid for a third straight title when they face Guyana Harpy Eagles in the feature match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) on 1 to 4 February. The third contest will see the Leeward Islands Hurricanes hosting the Jamaica Scorpions at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) from 1 to 4 February.

The second round will be played from 8 to 11 February when the Barbados Pride will meet the Jamaica Scorpions at CCG; Trinidad & Tobago Red Force travel to face the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the SVRS, and the Guyana Harpy Eagles take on the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the GNS.

The third round of the West Indies Championship resumes on 15 March with the final round concluding on 1 April when the 2023 Champions will be crowned and presented with the Headley Weekes Trophy. The final three rounds will all be played in Trinidad and the venues will be announced at a later date.

Roland Holder, CWI’s Manager of Cricket Operations said: “We are happy to announce the match schedule and venues for the first two rounds of the West Indies Championship, our flagship regional tournament on the annual calendar. The six teams have been preparing diligently for the upcoming season and we expect to see keen competition this year as they battle for the Headley Weekes trophy. From the tournament, the best performers also have the reward of playing for Team Weekes and Team Headley in the new tournament announced by CWI scheduled for April and May.”

The new Headley Weekes Series will follow the West Indies Championship and will feature three matches and three teams. Team Headley and Team Weekes will select from the best performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI. The new West Indies Academy will provide the third team in the new Series.

Team Headley and Team Weekes are named in honour of West Indies pioneers and legendary batting greats George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes, whose names are also honoured on the Trophy for the winners of the West Indies Championship. All three matches will be played from 18 April to 6 May at CCG in Antigua.

Every West Indies Championship match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Fans can follow each and every game from their mobile devices, computers or connected TVs, including access to live ball-by-ball scoring on the Windiescricket.com live match centre.

2023 WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH SCHEDULE

All matches start at 10am Eastern Caribbean time (9am Jamaica time)

 

GNS – Grenada National Stadium, Grenada

 

SVRS – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua

 

CCG – Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua

 

ROUND 1:

 

31 January to 3 February - Grenada

 

Windward Islands Volcanoes v Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at GNS

 

1 to 4 February - Antigua

 

Barbados Pride v Guyana Harpy Eagles at SVRS

 

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Jamaica Scorpions at CCG

 

ROUND 2:

 

8 to 11 February – Grenada and Antigua

 

Windward Islands Volcanoes v Guyana Harpy Eagles at GNS

 

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at SVRS

 

Jamaica Scorpions v Barbados Pride at CCG

 

ROUND 3:

 

15 to 18 March in Trinidad – Venues to be confirmed

 

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles

 

Jamaica Scorpions v Windward Islands Volcanoes

 

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride

 

ROUND 4:

 

22 to 25 March in Trinidad - Venues to be confirmed

 

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Barbados Pride

 

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Jamaica Scorpions

 

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Windward Islands Volcanoes

 

 ROUND 5:

 

29 March to 1 April in Trinidad - Venues to be confirmed

 

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Jamaica Scorpions

 

Guyana Harpy Eagles v Leeward Islands Hurricanes

 

Barbados Pride v Windward Islands Volcanoes

 

 

 

Headley Weekes Tri-Series

 

All matches to be played at CCG, Antigua

 

Match 1: 19 to 22 April: Team Headley v West Indies Academy

 

Match 2: 26 to 29 April: Team Weekes v West Indies Academy

 

Match 3: 3 to 6 May: Team Weekes v Team Headley

 

 

 

SQUADS (Rounds 1 and 2)

 

Barbados Pride: Shane Dowrich (Captain) Camarie Boyce, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Drakes, Keon Harding, Chaim Holder, Akeem Jordan, Nicholas Kirton, Jair McAllister, Shayne Moseley, Zachary McCaskie, Shamar Springer, Kevin Wickham; Vasbert Drakes (Head Coach)

 

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Leon Johnson (Captain), Veerasammy Permaul (Vice Captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Akshaya Persaud, Ashmead Nedd, Shamar Joseph; Ryan Hercules (Head Coach)

 

Jamaica Scorpions: Paul Palmer jr (Captain), Jamie Merchant, Alwyn Williams, Aldaine Thomas, Leroy Lugg, Kirk McKenzie, Romaine Morris, Abhijau Mansingh, Patrick Harty, Akim Fraser, Marquino Mindley, Gordon Bryan, Ojay Shields; Andrew Richardson (Head Coach)

 

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force: Darren Bravo (Captain), Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Jason Mohammed, Terrance Hinds, Jyd Goolie, Jeremy Solozano, Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Vikash Mohan, Uthman Muhammad, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre; David Furlonge (Head Coach)

 

Windward Islands Volcanoes: Alick Athanaze (Captain), Jerlani Robinson, Kavem Hodge, Keron Cottoy, Sunil Ambris, Justin Greaves, Tevyn Walcott, Kenneth Dember, Preston McSween, Teddy Bishop, Daurius Martin, Kimani Melius, Nicklaus Redhead; Shirley Clarke (Head Coach)

 

Leeward Islands Hurricanes (provisional squad): Jahmar Hamilton (Captain), Mikyle Louis, Kieran Powell, Colin Archibald, Terance Warde, Jeremiah Louis, Keacy Carty, Ross Powell, Kofi James, Damion Williams, Kelvin Pitman, Hayden Walsh jr., Rahkeem Cornwall; Stuart Williams (Head Coach).

 

 

 

 

 

 


Former West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell believes serious consideration should be given to attempting to retrieve the team's former coach Richard Pybus for the recently vacated position of head coach.

Pybus was sacked in controversial circumstances four years ago as part of a raft of changes made by the then-incoming Cricket West Indies administration of president Ricky Skerritt and his vice president Kishore Shallow.

The move had proven to be particularly unpopular at the time, given the fact that West Indies, under his leadership had only just put together an impressive performance in a Test series win against England and showed plenty of good qualities in a battling 2-2 tie in the ODI series between the teams.
In addition to that, several stakeholders and even some players advised the administration against making so many changes with the 2019 World Cup less than two months away.

 With the post once again vacant following the resignation of Phil Simmons, Powell believes the opportunity could exist to correct what many consider to have been a grave error in judgment.
As to whether the 54-year-old Pybus, who is reportedly shortlisted for the South Africa job, would be interested in returning after a departure in such acrimonious circumstances, or whether the CWI be willing to make such a drastic reversal is another thing entirely.
"Why can't we go back for him (Pybus) he was doing a good job and we have tried another way and it seems as if things didn't go down the right road," Powell told the Mason and Guest radio program.
As a part of their election platform, the Skerritt, Shallow administration had promised to give priority to Caribbean-born individuals for top leadership positions.
"If you look at Pybus and what he did with the West Indies, I would have been willing to cut off my nose to spite my face for him...how do you know why a man becomes a man when he can accept that he was wrong, apologize and move on," Powell added.
Prior to his appointment as coach of the team, Pybus endured somewhat of a rocky tenure, serving as High Performance director in February 2018, having previously served as West Indies director of cricket from 2013 to the end of 2016.

 

 

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has congratulated Sir Clive Lloyd on being awarded an Honorary Doctorate from The University of Guyana.

The legendary former West Indies captain received the honour for being an exemplar in the field of sport, management and leadership during the university’s graduation ceremony in Georgetown on Friday.

“We want to congratulate Sir Clive on this well-deserved honor bestowed on him by the University of Guyana,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

“Sir Clive’s leadership style brought unity and pride to his team. His vision and passion on the game and his respect and trust for his colleagues were the driving forces behind his immense success as he drove the West Indies to become a sporting dynasty. We celebrate with Sir Clive as he receives this valued award for his service to Guyana and West Indies cricket.”

Sir Clive Lloyd was captain of the West Indies team during a period of unprecedented dominance, which included winning the Cricket World Cup in 1975 and 1979.

He played 110 Test matches between 1966 and 1985, where he scored 7,515 runs with 19 centuries. He also played 87 ODIs and made 1,977 runs with a best score of 102 in the 1975 World Cup final against Australia at Lord's.

Two members of the West Indies Women U19 squad have been included in a 14-member squad set to face England Women in the first two T20 Internationals at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on December 11 and at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on December 14.

Djenaba Joseph and Trishan Holder have been called up as replacements for Shakera Selman, who has been ruled out and Chedean Nation, who sustained injuries during in the CG United ODI series that the home side lost 3-0.

Joseph and Holder are currently in Antigua for a high-performance camp with the U19 Rising Stars ahead of the ICC Women’s U19 World Cup in South Africa in January 2023.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Karishma Ramharack returns to the squad after missing the CG United ODI series due to injury.

“The upcoming T20 series is vitally important as the team continues its preparations for the World Cup in February 2023. With some of the senior players missing out through injury, it is an ideal opportunity for the other players to start cementing a place in the World Cup team,” said lead selector Ann Browne-John.

Full squad: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shemaine Campbelle (Vice Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Trishan Holder, Djenaba Joseph, Kycia Knight, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz and Rashada Williams.

 

Cricket West Indies (CWI), in partnership with the Jamaican Cricket Association (JCA) will be delivering a week-long series of coach-development events across the country this coming week.

The aim of the initiative is to provide accessible, ongoing personal development opportunities for local coaches to further prepare and inspire them to have a positive impact on the players within their communities.

Former West Indies Captain and current CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams will be involved in the delivery of all events, alongside CWI Coach Development Manager, Chris Brabazon and local Coach Developers Philip Service and Gibbs Williams.

The events will include several two-day practical coaching components of the CWI Competition Coaching Course (Level 1) which will be held at both the Trelawny multi-purpose stadium on the island’s north coast on 5 and 6 December and at the historic Sabina Park in the capital Kingston on 8 and 9 December.

“It has been a massive year for our CWI Coach Development programme with over 40 face-to-face and online courses and workshops delivered to over 730 coaches,” said Brabazon.

“To now be heading back to Jamaica to continue the work alongside such a high calibre line-up of presenters is very exciting and I am sure that the participants, the panel ourselves, and ultimately the local players will gain plenty from the interactions.”

Four CWI Coach Development Workshops will also be held each evening following the preceding accreditation courses. These free workshops are open to all previously accredited coaches and will cover both “Spin Bowling” and “Batting against Spin” on alternate nights. Former West Indies and Jamaica spin bowler, Nikita Miller and current CWI Academy Head Coach, Andre Coley will also be involved in the delivery of these events which will utilise some talented young spin bowlers and batters from each locale.

“The upcoming week is part of CWI’s strategic objective to raise coaching standards across the region through a rigorous coach education and development programme,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

“On top of delivering the face-to-face component of the CWI Level 1 course, the specialist workshops will concentrate our efforts to address specific issues affecting our regional game.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed today that Nicholas Pooran has decided to relinquish the white ball captaincy of the West Indies Men’s team following the team’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 tournament just completed in Australia.

 “I have given the captaincy a great deal of thought since the enormous disappointment of the T20 World Cup," said Pooran. "I took on the role with great pride and dedication and have given it absolutely everything over the past year.

“The T20 World Cup is something that must not define us and I will readily get involved in the upcoming reviews. And whilst it will be several months until we reconvene as a squad, I want to give CWI plenty of time to prepare for the matches against South Africa in March and beyond.”

The Trinidadian middle-order batsman said relinquishing the captaincy is not an indicator that he was throwing in the towel.

 “This is not me giving up. I remain ambitious and still view the captaincy of West Indies cricket as an honour that is bestowed upon you. There is no doubt I remain fully committed to West Indies cricket and I look forward to providing my services as a senior player in a supportive role," he said.

"By stepping down now as the West Indies white ball captain I believe it is in the best interests of the team and for me personally, as I need to concentrate on what I can deliver to the side as a player. I desperately want us to be successful and the most value I can give to the team is through fully focusing on the role of consistently scoring runs at crucial times.

“I am very thankful to CWI for the opportunity and faith shown in me and for the support that I have received by our devoted fans since taking the role, and to my teammates who have worked so hard as well. I know we have it in us to carry West Indies cricket forward and be proud.”

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams thanked Pooran for his time leading the two teams.

“On behalf of CWI I want to thank Nicholas for his time leading our white ball teams. Having spoken with him I know he remains fully committed to West Indies cricket and I am convinced he has a big role to play in our future,” Adams said.

Last year and earlier this year, Pooran led the West Indies in the absence of Kieron Pollard, enjoying a T20 International (T20I) Series win against Australia at home (4-1). He was officially appointed West Indies Men’s white ball captain in May this year when Pollard stepped down. Overall, Pooran led the team in 17 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 23 T20Is, recording Series wins against the Netherlands (ODI 3-0) and Bangladesh (T20I 2-0).

The West Indies Men’s next white ball series is against South Africa in March 2023 (directly after the two Test Match Series) and consists of three ODIs and three T20Is.

 

West Indies batting great Brian Lara is among a three-member group of independent professionals named by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to conduct a comprehensive review of the early exit by the West Indies Men’s team from the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

CWI on Wednesday announced that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Review Group will undertake a holistic assessment of all aspects of the team’s preparation and performance at the global tournament. 

Along with Lara, who is also a current IPL T20 head coach, the panel also includes international cricket coach, South African Mickey Arthur and Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., a High Court Judge at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, who will serve as Chair of the group that has already begun their work.

 “CWI is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and totally independent panel agree to serve West Indies Cricket under challenging circumstances. I am especially grateful for their commitment to lend some of their valuable time to this important review project," said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

"t is vital that players, coaches, administrators, and all of us who love West Indies cricket, recognize that creating a sustainable learning culture, throughout the organization, is a prerequisite for player growth and team improvement. Emotion-based and knee-jerk type decisions have failed CWI repeatedly in the past. I am confident that this independent World Cup review process will produce findings and learnings that should be of great benefit to our cricket system going forward.”

The West Indies team failed to qualify for the Super12s phase (second round) after losing unexpectedly to lower ranked teams, Scotland and Ireland. The losses caused great disappointment and frustration among all West Indies cricket stakeholders. The Group B qualifier round was played at Bellerive Oval in Tasmania where the team achieved their only victory over Zimbabwe, a team that qualified ahead of West Indies by defeating both Scotland and Ireland. 

 

The CG United Super50 Cup returns on October 29, with the Caribbean’s 50-over cricket rivals competing for the first time since February 2021.

The West Indies Academy team and Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) will join the six regional franchise teams to contest the 2022 CG United Super50 Cup, to be played in Antigua and Trinidad from October 29 to November 19.

 The 2022 edition of the region’s pre-eminent 50-over white-ball competition also marks the start of the countdown towards the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and an opportunity for players across the West Indies to push for consideration and selection for the West Indies ODI team. 

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force will defend their title and host Zone A featuring the Windward Islands Volcanoes, Guyana Harpy Eagles and CCC. Zone B will feature hosts the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Barbados Pride, Jamaica Scorpions and the West Indies Academy. The opening match will be on Saturday 29 October and sees Zone B hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes facing the West Indies Academy.

For the first time, the West Indies Academy will be featuring in the CG United Super50 Cup and the West Indies Academy players will have the development opportunity to play List A cricket against the best in the Caribbean. This opportunity is part of the Academy programme’s main objectives of bridging the gap between youth and professional cricket in the region. The West Indies Emerging Players side famously won the Super50 Cup in 2019 and six of those players have since gone on to represent the West Indies.

The opening match will be the first of 10 Zone B games to be played at the Sir Vivian Richard Stadium (SVRS), all of which will be broadcast live on ESPN Caribbean, the exclusive Caribbean broadcast partner of the CG United Super50 Cup, as well as on ESPN+ in the USA. Two further Zone B games will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), the home of Cricket West Indies.

All of the Zone A matches in Trinidad will be split equally between the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) and Queen’s Park Oval (QPO), with the first two games played on Monday, October 31. Every Zone A match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel in the Caribbean and around the world.

Each team will play six group matches, playing each of their Zone competitors twice. The top two teams from each Zone will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be played in Antigua at the SVRS on Wednesday 16 November and Thursday 17 November. The CG United Super50 Cup final will be at the same venue on Saturday, November 19.

“The 2022 CG United Super50 Cup promises to be an action-packed event for our fans to feast on exciting cricket rivalries and for players to push for selection to the West Indies. This year’s tournament feature some of the region’s best and upcoming talent competing to win the CG United Sir Clive Lloyd Trophy,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
"We are looking forward to seeing the West Indies Academy and CCC play against our professional regional teams and expect the competition to provide them with an excellent development opportunity. This will help to broaden the pool of players being exposed to highest levels of competition at the regional level. CWI welcomes and thanks title partners CG United for their continued sponsorship of the CG United Super50 Cup, as their investment has proved invaluable to the development of the game in the region.”

 

Match schedule:

Zone A

Matches at BLCA start at 2pm local time (1pm Jamaica); matches at QPO start at 9am local time (8 am Jamaica)

31 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v CCC at BLCA

31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes v Guyana Harpy Eagles at QPO

2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA

2 November: CCC v Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO

5 November: Guyana Harpy Eagles v CCC at BLCA

5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO

7 November: Windward Islands Volcanoes v Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA

7 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v CCC at QPO

9 November: CCC v Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA

9 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles at QPO

12 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA

12 November: Guyana Harpy Eagles v CCC at QPO

Zone B

Matches at the SVRS start at 2pm local time (1pm Jamaica) unless otherwise stated. CCG matches start 9am local time (8am Jamaica)

29 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v West Indies Academy at the SVRS (start 1pm) – Live on ESPN Caribbean

1 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Jamaica Scorpions at the SVRS (start 1pm) – Live on ESPN Caribbean

1 November: West Indies Academy v Barbados Pride at CCG

3 November: Barbados Pride v Jamaica Scorpions at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

5 November: Jamaica Scorpions v West Indies Academy at the SVRS (start 9am) - Live on ESPN Caribbean

6 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

8 November: Barbados Pride v Jamaica Scorpions at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

9 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v West Indies Academy at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

11 November: West Indies Academy v Barbados Pride at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

11 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Jamaica Scorpions at CCG

13 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride at the SVRS- Live on ESPN Caribbean

14 November: Jamaica Scorpions v West Indies Academy at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

16 November: Semi-final 1 – Winner of Zone A v Second of Zoner B at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

17 November: Semi-final 2 – Winner of Zone B v Second of Zone A at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

19 November: FINAL at the SVRS - Live on ESPN Caribbean

Shamarh Brooks has replaced Shimron Hetmyer in the West Indies squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, Cricket West Indies announced on Monday. CWI has advised the International Cricket Council (ICC) of the change after Hetmyer missed his re-scheduled flight to Australia.

The flight was rescheduled at the request of the player, who cited family reasons.

According to CWI, with flight availability a real challenge, a seat was found for him to leave Guyana today, Monday, October 3, meaning he would miss the first T20 International (T20I) against Australia on Wednesday, October 5 at the Metricon Stadium.

“This morning, Mr Hetmyer, informed the Director of Cricket that he would not be able to get to the airport in time for his flight this afternoon to New York,” CWI said.

“This afternoon we informed the CWI Board of Directors that the Selection Panel had unanimously decided to replace Shimron Hetmyer with Shamarh Brooks in our T20 World Cup squad,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

“​ Whilst we changed Shimron’s flight from Saturday to Monday due to family reasons, it was made clear to him that if there were any further delays and issues with his travel to Australia then we would have no choice but to replace him in the squad, as we are not prepared to compromise the team’s ability to prepare for this extremely important global event.

“Shamarh has been a part of our recent T20 International squads and delivered strong performances in the latter stages of the recently concluded CPL. ​ He will fly out as soon as possible this week to Australia and I wish him and all the squad all the very best for the tournament.”

Brooks has been in good form scoring an unbeaten 109 from 52 balls against the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the semi-final of the 2022 Hero CPL. He scored 47 from 33 in the finals to help the Jamaica Tallawahs win their third title and their first since 2016 on Friday, September 30.

The squad will now be: Nicholas Pooran (Captain), Rovman Powell (Vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith

 Cricket West Indies (CWI) today named three “Rising Stars Team of the Tournament” from the recent Rising Stars Under-19, Under-17 and Under-15 Championships. The Leeward Islands won the Rising Stars Under-19 Championship presented by Winlott which was played in St Vincent. The Windward Islands won the Rising Stars Under-17 Championship held in Trinidad and Barbados captured the Rising Stars Under-15 Championship which was hosted by the Grenada Cricket Board. 

Six players feature on both the Under-17 and Under-19 teams of the tournament. These are left-handed allrounder Nathan Edwards who led the Leewards to the Rising Stars Under-19 Championship title; openers Rampertab Ramnath and Stephan Pascal; as well as batters Jordan Johnson; Joshua Dorne, and Mavendra Dindyal.

Jordan and Edward were members of the West Indies Rising Stars U-19 team which played in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup, hosted in the Caribbean by CWI earlier this year. Other members of that West Indies World Cup squad: batter Ackeem Auguste; allrounder Johann Layne; wicket-keeper Carlon Bowen-Tuckett; fast bowler Isai Thorne and off-spinner Onaje Amory were also named in the Rising Stars Under-19 Championship team of the tournament. 

Vice President of CWI, Dr Kishore Shallow, congratulated the players on their selection and also spoke of the importance of investment in the Rising Stars championships as part of CWI’s Future Stars cricket development programme across the region.

“On behalf of CWI, I want to congratulate all the players who have been named in the three Rising Stars Teams of the Tournament," Dr Shallow said.

"This is a project we have implemented to add an additional incentive to the players’ pursuit of excellence and to help grow their self-confidence. It rewards the leading performers who have emerged from what were three high-quality tournaments.

“At CWI, we have strengthened the development of young players, and we have increased investment in related programs. This year we welcomed the return of age-group red-ball and white-ball tournaments as part of our very busy Summer of Cricket.”

The Rising Stars age group Championships play a crucial role in the growth and development of the next generation of West Indian cricketers. The Championships are a key component in the system for identifying the West Indies U19 Men’s and Women’s teams. This provides the best opportunity to thrive and develop further with the goal of feeding into the West Indies Senior Men’s and Women’s teams.

Rising Stars Teams of the Tournament:

Rising Stars Under-15: Darrius Batoosingh, Navin Boodwah, Shem Sargeant, Kemar Dixon, Brendan Boodoo, Matthew Miller, Pajay Nelson, Akobi Crichlow-Byer, Arif Khan, R’Jai Gittens, Arun Gainda; 12th man: Jorden Charles

Rising Stars Under-17: Stephan Pascal, Rampertab Ramnath, Jordan Johnson, Joshua Dorne, Orlando James, Nathan Sealy, Divonie Joseph, Micah McKenzie, Nathan Edward, Solomon Bascombe, Jatario Prescod; 12th man: Mavendra Dindyal

Rising Stars Under-19: Stephan Pascal, Rampertab Ramnath, Jordan Johnson, Ackeem Auguste, Joshua Dorne, Tarrique Edward, Nathan Edward, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, Onaje Amory, Johann Layne, Isai Thorne; 12th man: Mavendra Dindyal

-ENDS-

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Desmond Haynes says the panel decided to not pick T20 big-hitter Andre Russell for the Windies World Cup squad based on a combination of his long-term absence from the regional team and recent struggles.

The 34-year-old has not played for the West Indies since representing the squad at the World Cup last year, despite controversially featuring in several lucrative T20 tournaments since then, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Vitality T20 Blast.

In addition, the player has failed to make much of an impression in this season’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which is admittedly closely watched by the panel of selectors.  In six matches the all-rounder has averaged 7.40 and has a top score of 17.  With the ball, he has taken four wickets.

“We just didn’t consider Russell for selection and that was it,” Haynes said of the player’s exclusion.

“We haven’t really seen a lot of Russell in playing cricket for the West Indies recently and judging from what is happening now we just decided that we would move on,” he added.

Russell has played 67 matches for the West Indies and averaged 19.50 with a strike rate of 150.  He has taken 37 wickets at an economy rate of 9.18.

Former Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron would only consider another bid for the leadership of the sport’s regional governing body under the right conditions because leading the CWI is too difficult.

Cameron, 51, was a director of the then West Indies Cricket Board between 2002 and 2019 and was elected president in 2013.

Cameron’s tenure as president was tinged by controversy and conflict with several West Indies players and he lost the presidency to former West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt in 2019.

However, in recent months the Skerritt administration has come in for criticism and the West Indies teams have had a poor run of form in all formats, prompting discussion as to whether Cameron would consider another run at the presidency.

“The first time I ran for a cricket office was 2013 for president of Cricket West Indies. Prior to that my work was what put me forward and persons would come and say we need your help here or we believe you can lead here and there,” Cameron told Sportsmax. TV.

“If I am asked then obviously I would consider it but it would be under different circumstances and the situation is that we would have to find a way to get everybody in agreement because what you don’t want is the fragmentation of the boards, the issues, it’s very difficult.”

He admitted that there isn’t much appeal to stepping back into the hot seat, especially with the myriad of issues affecting the region and sports administration.

“To be honest, West Indies cricket is very difficult. It’s difficult to organize. You’re talking about 16 different countries, different parishes, different views, different races, all those things play a significant role and it’s the challenge we have in the CARICOM,” Cameron reasoned.

LIAT (the airline) has died because the governments of the OECS couldn’t get it together and agree. There is no silver bullet. There is no one man or one woman who can change the fortunes but it’s really a message that everybody could buy into, and that is kind of what I was trying to do.”

He did offer a solution to the issues that ail regional cricket.

“My view is that a merit-driven system is what works,” he said.

“As a region, full of talent, very bright people let us try and focus on a merit-based system, get the best people in all the areas and I think we will start seeing success.”

 

 

There is a new format coming to the Caribbean in 2022 with Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League bringing you THE 6IXTY – Cricket’s Power Game.

The first edition of THE 6IXTY will take place from August 24-28 in St Kitts & Nevis at one of world cricket’s fastest scoring grounds – Warner Park. Future expansion plans of the 6IXTY include the potential of multiple events at different locations around the Caribbean and beyond.

THE 6IXTY is a joint venture between Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League with the two organizations working closely together to create another world-class event.

“This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game,” said CPL CEO Pete Russell.

“There will be world-class men’s and women’s cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket.”

CWI President Ricky Skerritt said he is excited by the introduction of the new format.

"THE 6IXTY has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward," he said.

"I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans.”

The first edition of THE 6IXTY will see men’s and women’s teams compete in a new 60-ball tournament featuring many of the best cricketers from around the world with SKYEXCH the title sponsor for 2022.

This revolutionary format will see brand new innovations that will change T10 cricket and make the game even faster-paced and action-packed.

Under the rules, each batting team has six wickets – at the fall of the sixth wicket they are all out; each batting team has two PowerPlay overs. They can unlock a third PowerPlay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra PowerPlay over can be taken at any time between overs three to nine.

There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls, the 30 balls will be delivered as five separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than two overs for the innings.

 If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time, a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls. Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler.

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Cricket West Indies (CWI) has launched a search for someone to replace Ramnaresh Sarwan who has resigned as West Indies Senior Men’s and Youth Selector citing personal reasons.

The former Guyanese middle order batsman was appointed a selector for the West Indies Men’s Youth and Selection Panels on January 6, 2022. CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams thanked Sarwan for his contributions during the short time he served in the role.

“Given the depth of his experience in the game, we are disappointed that Ramnaresh is unable to continue in the role of a selector, but we fully understand and accept his reasons,” Adams said.

“We are grateful for his contribution during the period he was involved and hope that he will be able to contribute to West Indies Cricket in some capacity in the future.”

Resulting from the resignation, CWI will initiate a recruitment process as soon as possible through a competitive process, based on established criteria.

The aim, CWI said, will be to complete this process in the shortest possible time so that a suitable candidate can complete the selection panel in carrying out its duties. Robert Haynes, who is the current Lead Selector of the Men’s Youth Selection Panel and former interim Chairman of Selectors, will act as Sarwan’s replacement until a suitable full-time candidate is appointed.

Haynes will work alongside Senior Men’s Team Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr Desmond Haynes and Head Coach Phil Simmons.

The West Indies Men’s team is currently touring the Netherlands for the first-ever ODI Series between the Netherlands and West Indies as part of the ICC ODI Super League.

Cricket West Indies has thanked Kieron Pollard for his service to the West Indies Men’s Team for the past fifteen years, including as captain of the One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) teams since September 2019.

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