Having the right mindset begins with identifying what you want. Without a clear picture of what winning looks like you'll never know if you're on the right path, which means you can't course correct. West Indies Head coach Darren Sammy knows this all too well, which is why he is hoping the team can align a success mindset with proper execution to achieve their goals.
In fact, Sammy pointed out that players are already aware of the direction he wants to go with the regional outfit and believes the ongoing ICC World Cup qualifiers represents the perfect place to start consistently improving the quality of their play and, by extension, maintain some semblance of respect for themselves.
West Indies, who are hunting one of two places to the 50-over World Cup in India in October, won their opening game against United States by 39 runs at the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.
Prior to that, they registered a 3-0 series sweep of United Arab Emirates, followed by warm-up victories over the same opponent, as well as Scotland.
"I am quite happy with the way we are going the six games that we have played we have taken steps in trying to play the brand of cricket that we want to play. So, it's about sticking to our guns and the plans we put in place and committing to the execution," Sammy said.
"In the first (qualifying) game against USA we got the win that we needed, it was a great start to the tournament, but we have so much more in the tank. The guys weren't happy with the way they played which is good sign for us, we keep challenging ourselves and it's still a work in progress trying to find the identity of our cricket moving forward but I was pleased with the victory," he added.
It is obvious why Sammy took pleasure in the win given what is at stake, but where the overall performance is concerned, the former captain and all-rounder, who took over the reins late last month, was left with a mixed bag.
This, as West Indies, a two-time world champion, recovered from the early loss of openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers, with four players hitting half-centuries in their 297 all out in 49.3 overs.
Johnson Charles top scored with 66, while Jason Holder (56), Roston Chase (55) and captain Shai Hope (54) all did some damage, while Nicholas Pooran also chipped in with 43 runs.
Gajanand Singh had an unbeaten 101 off 109 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, for the US team, but it wasn't enough to overhaul West Indies total.
"I listened the captain's post-match interview and ideally, you would want one of them to score big hundred, but he was happier that performances came from different batsmen in the group. You look at Brandon King who has been playing well, didn't get a score and Kyle Mayers didn’t get a score so it's a good sign for us that as a group, even though we were under pressure, we came back strongly.
"Ideally you would want one of those (batsmen) to convert (50s) into hundred and we as a team celebrate the milestones after. But the guys are preparing well, they are hitting lots of balls and they understand the direction the team wants to go in as a batting unit," Sammy shared.
"Again, I say it's early days but once the mindset is to get to what we want to do as a team, I believe you will see improvements in the days to come. So again, it's a work in progress and with the ball we created a couple opportunities, but we dropped a few catches that could have affected us in the bigger scheme of things," the St Lucian noted.
West Indies are currently second in Group A on four points, two behind Zimbabwe, who defeated Nepal and Netherlands in their two fixtures to date. Sri Lanka, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Scotland and Ireland are contesting Group B.
However, West Indies are set to square off against Nepal on Thursday and if the confidence exuded by Sammy is anything to go by, then another two points is already in the bag for the regional side. Nepal currently occupies third position on two points, following victory over US.
"Nepal is a team that is on the rise, and they have been playing good cricket, so again we respect all our opponents, but we focus on the things that we do as a team or the direction and brand of cricket that we want to play. Whenever we bat that new ball, we have to make sure the opposition don't get too much ahead when the new ball comes.
"I thought we could have had more intent (against US) because that's one of the things we have been talking about as a batting group...intent to score and when I say that it's not necessarily looking only for boundaries but looking for scoring opportunities and when you do get the good balls, you can still get the rotation of strike going. It all boils down in our preparation which we have been doing well and I have full confidence and belief in the men that they will go out and do themselves and the region proud," Sammy declared.
On that note, he shared his views on the effects of the early start which he expects the top order, in particular, to better navigate on this occasion, if they lose the toss and are asked to take first strike.
"We knew it, anywhere in the world a 9:00am start will pose a challenge with the new ball to the batters, so whoever wins the toss will most likely want to bowl first. But our focus as a batting group is to understand the challenge that the new ball poses and making sure that the opposition doesn't get on top of us," Sammy reasoned.
"Our skills will come into play but as you have seen in all the games, once we survive that new ball period, there are plenty of runs on offer and for us as a batting group, it is just to limit the damage or the threat that new ball poses up front. But again, the way the guys have prepared, I expect the challenges to be met with good consistency and good skills from my men," he ended.
When viewers tuned in to the JAAA All Comers Meet #3 at the National Stadium on May 20, they would’ve seen a familiar name, albeit in another sport.
In section two of the Men’s 100m, West Indies Test vice-captain, Jermaine Blackwood, took part in his first track meet, running 11.76 to finish seventh. That run, according to the 31-year-old, was just for fun.
Cross-training is a way for athletes to participate in training for one sport to improve aspects of their game in another sport and this is a method Blackwood has started to utilize.
Since February of this year, the batsman has been training with the Titans International Track Club in Kingston.
Blackwood says the decision came after a suggestion from his friend and member of the club, 2011 World 100m champion Yohan Blake, after he told Blake he wanted to work on his fitness.
“Just before I went to South Africa, I started training with Titans International,” Blackwood told SportsMax.tv on Tuesday.
“I reached out to Yohan (Blake) and told him I want to come and do some fitness work and he said I should come to the track and train with his club and, from that day, I haven’t looked back since,” he added.
The Jamaican said that he’s seen a significant improvement in his fitness levels since starting to train with the club.
“I can see that my overall fitness has improved a lot from there until now and I’m in very good shape,” Blackwood said before going into how the training has helped his batting.
“Whenever I’m fit and I’m playing, I tend to score more runs because my mind is clear on the kinds of shots I want to play. My decision making is clear,” he said.
“I just tell myself I’m coming in here to put in the work and, once I do that, I’m going to score even more runs. Fitness is a big part of my batting. My back doesn’t get tight when I’m fit and that helps me to bat even longer,” he added.
When asked if this training will allow him to prolong his career, Blackwood responded saying, “Yeah for sure. My body feels really good. I don’t really feel like my age right now because I’ve been getting up early, coming in and putting in the work. I reach the track at 6:00 am, leave at 9:00 am to go to the gym with Yohan and then after the gym I do my cricket training. I have to stay disciplined and Know that, once I put in the work, it will pay off.”
Blackwood also said that he plans to continue training with Titans International whenever he’s not playing cricket.
Half centuries from Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Jason Holder crucially helped the West Indies to 297 in 49.3 overs, which was good enough for a 39-run win against the USA in their opening match of the ICC World Cup qualifier at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Sunday.
Gajanand Singh scored an unbeaten 101, his first in One Day Internationals as the USA, needing 298 for victory, closed on 258-7.
Singh, whose ton came from 109 deliveries and Nosthush Kenjige, who scored a quick-fire 34 not out from 32 balls shared in an unbroken 76-run eighth-wicket partnership that for a while made things uncomfortable for the two-time world champions.
Shayan Jahangir contributed 39 and Aaron Jones 23, but the USA were unable to get on top the West Indies bowling. Kyle Mayers was the best of the bowlers with 2-30 while Alzarri Joseph took 2-68. Akeal Hosein went wicket-less but his contribution was no less crucial as his 10 overs only yielded 38 runs.
The USA justified Captain Patel’s decision to field first when Saurabh Netravalkar had Brandon King caught by Gajanand Singh at midwicket for a duck and Kyle Phillip bowled Kyle Mayers for two to have the West Indies in early trouble at 14-2.
However, Hope and Charles led the recovery with a 115-run third-wicket partnership but both soon fell to injudicious shots. The partnership was broken when Hope was dismissed for 54 off a fullish delivery floated up outside off by Nosthush Kenjige, the Barbadian batter playing an uncontrolled one-handed backhand shot toward Shayan Jahangir mere metres inside the wide cover boundary.
Five balls later, Charles was on his way back to the hutch for 66 after he skewed a Steven Taylor delivery off a thick edge to Saurabh Netravalkar inside the ring at backward point as the West Indies slipped from 129-2 to 137-4.
Nicholas Pooran and Roston Chase set about another repair job with a 55-run partnership but with the score at 192, Pooran skied Taylor to Jahangir on the sweeper boundary to be out for 43. With his very next delivery Taylor had Rovman Powell caught Gajanand Singh inside the long off boundary.
At 192-6, the West Indies were in danger of being bowled out for under 250 runs but were spared those blushes courtesy a 74-run seventh-wicket partnership between Chase and Jason Holder, who took the score to 266 when Chase lost his wicket to Netravalkar for 55.
Kyle Phillip dismissed Holder for 56 and Alzarri Joseph for three two balls later as the West Indies closed on 297.
Phillip took 3-56 while Netravalkar and Taylor each took 3-53 in a solid effort against their supposedly superior opponents.
Former West Indies all-rounder and current assistant coach, Carl Hooper, has described being back involved with West Indies cricket as a “fantastic feeling” and believes the West Indies are ready for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.
The 56-year-old who represented the West Indies in 102 Tests and 227 ODIs from 1987-2002, was named as part of new white ball coach, Daren Sammy’s staff.
Hooper described “helping batsmen prepare for games” as his primary role on the staff.
“Obviously, it’s a fantastic feeling,” Hooper told the media in a press conference on Friday.
“West Indies cricket has always been dear to me. I’ve been away for a long time but I’ve kept track of our progress or lack thereof so it’s good to be back,” he added.
Hooper, one of the finest cricketers Guyana has ever produced, also acknowledged that being around some familiar faces has eased his transition into the role.
“I’m among some familiar faces as well especially from the coaching staff perspective. I know Daren (Sammy) and Floyd (Reifer). James Franklin is new to me but I think I might’ve played against him,” he said.
“Then, when it comes to the players, I know quite a few members there. I met Jason (Holder) when I was stationed back at the High-Performance Center in 2014 or 2015, I know Shamarh (Brooks) as well and, of course, the two locals from my country, Romario (Shepherd) and Keemo (Paul) I also know so I’m among some familiar faces and it’s good to be back,” he added.
Hooper is currently with the team in Zimbabwe as they prepare to open their account in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers against the USA on Sunday and he expressed confidence in the team’s chances to advance through the qualifiers and into the World Cup scheduled for October 5-November 19 in India later this year.
“We’re ready. You get a feel or a vibe of the energy in the team. I think Daren (Sammy) is an inspirational leader and he’s been tasked with trying to get the West Indies into the World Cup which will be massive for us. The energy’s been great and we’re looking forward to the game on Sunday and I’m sure we’ll do well.
Rovman Powell smashed a 55-ball 105 as the West Indies secured a 114-run over the UAE in their second warm-up match ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Windies posted a mammoth 374-9 off their 50 overs after winning the toss and batting first at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare.
Vice-captain Powell hit eight fours and eight sixes in his knock while Nicholas Pooran and Keemo Paul got brisk half-centuries in support.
Pooran hit five fours and five sixes on his way to a 67-ball 74 while Paul hit four fours and four sixes to make 54 off 50 balls.
Kyle Mayer (33) and Johnson Charles (30) also got meaningful contributions against Muhammad Jawadullah’s 3-50 from eight overs and Karthik Meiyappan’s 2-51 off six overs.
Yannic Cariah and Jason Holder then led the way with the ball as the UAE finished their 50 overs 260-9.
Basil Hameed tried his best with an unbeaten 122 while Vriitya Aravind made 54 but it wasn’t enough as Cariah claimed his second straight four-wicket haul of the warm-ups with 4-55 from his 10 overs.
Holder provided good support with 2-26 from seven overs.
The West Indies will open their account in the World Cup Qualifiers against the USA on Sunday.
Yannic Cariah claimed four wickets while captain, Shai Hope, and Romario Shepherd both hit fifties as the West Indies defeated Scotland by 91 runs on Tuesday in their first warm-up game before the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Scots won the toss and put the West Indians in to bat at the Harare Sports Club.
Hope top scored with a 65-ball 57 while Shepherd provided some valuable lower-order hitting with a brisk 34-ball 53 as the Windies posted 264 in 48.4 overs.
Hope’s knock contained six fours while Shepherd hit five fours and three sixes.
Chris Sole took 4-50 from his 10 overs while Jack Jarvis and Chris Greaves each claimed three wickets for Scotland.
The West Indies then successfully defended the total, needing only 33.5 overs to bowl the Scots out for 173.
Cariah produced an excellent spell of bowling to claim 4-46 in nine overs while Roston Chase took 3-43 from 5.5 overs.
Brandon McMullen and Matthew Cross were the chief scorers for Scotland with 38 and 35, respectively.
The West Indies next warm-up match will take place at the same venue on Thursday against the UAE.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the match schedule and venues for the highly anticipated West Indies versus India Men’s Series in July and August.
The Series starts with two Test matches as part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. Windsor Park in Dominica will host the first Test match from 12-16 July. The second Test match, to be played from 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, will be historic marking the 100th Test match played between the two teams.
The Test Series is followed by three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five T20 Internationals (T20Is). The CG United ODI Series will start at Kensington Oval in Barbados with the first and second matches on 27 and 29 July. The CG United ODI Series concludes on 1 August at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad which will be hosting a West Indies Men’s ODI for the first time.
The T20Is also bowl off at Brian Lara Cricket Academy on 3 August. Guyana hosts the second and third T20Is at the Guyana National Stadium on 6 and 8 August. The T20I Series concludes in Lauderhill, Florida with a blockbuster weekend of back-to-back matches on Saturday 12 August and Sunday 13 August at Broward County Cricket Stadium.
Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the schedule and venues for the highly anticipated visit by India. One of the highlights will be the 100th Test at the Queen’s Park Oval and this promises to be a fantastic occasion as we celebrate this historic event between these two proud cricketing nations.”
Grave added: “We also look forward to hosting India in the white ball fixtures and welcoming fans to attend the matches across the region, as well as in the United States. It will be 18 days of entertainment for cricket lovers to enjoy and savour.”
Official West Indies Tour Operator packages, including match tickets will be announced first. The Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, available through the Windiescricket.com website, will launch ticket sales by Tuesday 20 June. Fans can sign up to receive the first news of tickets going on sale at https://www.windiescricket.com/updates.
MATCH SCHEDULE
India tour of West Indies 2023
Test Matches
12-16 July: 1st Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica
20-24 July: 2nd Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
* Local start time: 10h00 (09h00 Jamaica time)
CG United ODIs
27 July: 1st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
29 July: 2nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1 August: 3rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
* Local start time: 09h30 (08h30 Jamaica time)
T20 Internationals
3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana
8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana
12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
* Local start time: 10h30 (09h30 Jamaica time)
Ever since his exploits at the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup, Alick Athanaze was expected to transition well to the senior international level.
In a tournament that included the likes of Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Harry Brook, Athanaze finished as the leading run-scorer with 418 runs in six matches, including two centuries and two fifties.
Five years later, the 24-year-old was finally given a chance to perform for the West Indies on the biggest stage and he grabbed that chance with both hands.
The left-hander opened the batting as the West Indies pursued 185 for victory in the third ODI against the UAE and played excellently, making a 45-ball 65 to top score.
“It was a really good experience. I haven’t batted much in the night so it was a first for me, actually,” Athanaze said in a post-match interview.
Athanaze also made history at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He brought up his half-century off just 26 balls, equaling India’s Krunal Pandya for the fastest ODI fifty by a debutant ever.
“Normally, that’s how I play in the powerplay. I always look to get the team off to a good start,” he said.
“I was a bit nervous but I think they went away when I got my first runs,” Athanaze added.
Athanaze also gave credit to the mentorship he has received from West Indies legend and current performance consultant, Brian Lara.
“For me, it has been really good. Basically, what we spoke about was judging lengths and trying to get ahead of the bowler; try to think about what is to come and pre-meditate balls. It worked really nicely. I got myself into some good positions. It was good to bat out there tonight,” said Athanaze.
Hopefully, this is the start of an excellent career in international cricket for the Dominican.
Alick Athanaze and Kevin Sinclair played starring roles to help the West Indies beat the UAE by four wickets in the third ODI at Sharjah on Friday.
The hosts, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, got off to an excellent start, reaching 142-2 inside 23 overs before the West Indies took control of proceedings.
The UAE lost their final eight wickets for 42 runs to eventually be dismissed for 184 in just 36.1 overs. The bulk of the scoring was done by Vriitya Aravind who got a 75-ball 70 including eight fours and one six. Captain Muhammad Waseem also contributed 43.
Kevin Sinclair was excellent in his 7.1 overs, taking a career-best 4-24 while Yannic Cariah took 2-34 from eight overs.
The West Indies then lost six wickets on their way to 185 in 35.1 overs.
The successful chase was led by debutant, Alick Athanaze, and Shamarh Brooks.
Athanaze hit nine fours and three sixes on his way to a rapid 45-ball 65 at the top of the innings while Brooks made a composed 58-ball 39.
The Dominican's fifty came off just 26 balls, tying the record for fastest ODI fifty by a debutant, equaling India's Krunal Pandya against England in 2021.
Things got a bit tricky for the tourists when Karthik Meiyappan dismissed Keacy Carty (20) and Kavem Hodge (0) off consecutive balls in the 26th over to leave them 145-5.
Stand-in captain, Roston Chase, who ended 27*, as well as Raymon Reifer (15) and Keemo Paul (2*) ensured the Windies avoided a historic collapse.
Aayan Khan, Muhammad Jawadullah and Karthik Meiyappan all took a pair of wickets, each.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel today announced that Johnson Charles has been named as the replacement for Gudakesh Motie in the 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament to be played in Zimbabwe, starting on Sunday 18 June.
Left-arm spinner Motie has not recovered from a lower back injury. Charles recently made a return to the West Indies ODI team for the ongoing three match ODI series against United Arab Emirates in Sharjah. He scored 63 in the second match, his 50th ODI appearance, and was named Player of the Match.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We want to wish Motie the best as he continues his rehabilitation. He is one of the players who we expect to feature in West Indies cricket going forward, so we want to see him recover fully so he can participate when called upon.”
Haynes added: “When we discussed the replacement player, we looked at the possibility of another spinner in the squad. However, we felt it was better to go with Charles. He is experienced at the international level, he will add value to the team for what will be a very important tournament. He also has knowledge of the Zimbabwe conditions having played ODI matches there before, so we see him as the right man for the job at this stage.”
West Indies will arrive in Harare on Saturday 10 June, where they will prepare for the 10-team tournament. They have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Zimbabwe, Nepal, Netherlands and the USA.
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 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.
FULL SQUAD
Shai Hope (captain)
Rovman Powell (vice-captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Johnson Charles
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Keemo Paul
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
West Indies Match Schedule
All matches start at 9am local time (3am Eastern Caribbean/2am Jamaica)
Sunday 18 June: v USA at Takashinga Cricket Club
Thursday 22 June: v Nepal at Harare Sports Club
Saturday 24 June: v West Indies at Harare Sports Club
Monday 26 June: v Netherlands at Takashinga Cricket Club
Cricket West Indies has rubbished reports about the International Cricket Council (ICC) possibly asking England to step in and hist next year’s ICC T20 World Cup, originally scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA.
A number of media outlets including CricTracker, Sportskeeda and the Daily Mirror have reported that the venue shift is being considered due to a lack of infrastructure in the USA but CEO of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, denied these claims and questioned the source of the information.
“No!” was Grave’s answer when asked about the validity of the claims being reported.
“I don’t know where that’s coming from. I’m in London for the World Test Championship final and I’ll be here again for the ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM) in a few weeks’ time so who knows what the agenda is. There’s no truth to it,” Grave added.
The West Indies previously hosted the ICC T20 World Cup in 2010.
Brandon King and Johnson Charles both struck fifties as the West Indies took an unassailable 2-0 lead over the UAE with a 78-run win in the second ODI at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
The day started brilliantly for the West Indies as the opening pair of King and Charles put on 129 for the first wicket after West Indian captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bat first.
In the process, Charles brought up his fifth ODI half-century before being dismissed for a rapid 47-ball 63. The St. Lucian hit eight fours and three sixes in his knock.
King, who brought up a maiden ODI hundred on the way to a man of the match performance in the first encounter, continued his good form with 64 off 70 balls including four fours and as many sixes.
The tourists then got solid contributions from Odean Smith (37), Keacy Carty (32), Kavem Hodge (26) as they were eventually bowled out for 306 with one ball to spare.
Zahoor Khan led the way with the ball for the UAE with 3-44 from 9.5 overs while Aayan Khan (2-45), Ali Naseer (2-69) and Sanchit Sharma (2-69) also provided good contributions.
The UAE reply looked to be coming to an end quickly at 95-5 in the 24th over before a fighting 80-run partnership between Basil Hameed and Ali Naseer brought some respectability to proceedings.
Hameed batted valiantly, facing 84 balls before he fell for 49. He hit a boundary and three sixes in his knock.
Meanwhile, Naseer, who struck a fifty in the series opener, got his second straight half-century with a 53-ball 57 including six fours and three sixes.
Vriitya Aravind also contributed 36 and Aayan Khan 23* as the UAE eventually made 227-7 off their 50 overs.
Kavem Hodge (2-46 from 8) and Roston Chase (2-49 from 10) were the day’s best bowlers for the West Indies while debutant, Akeem Jordan, Odean Smith and Yannic Cariah were the other wicket-takers.
Brandon King scored his maiden ODI century to lead the West Indies to a comprehensive seven-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates with 88 balls to spare in the opening match of their three-match series at Sharjah on Sunday.
Captain Shai Hope showered praised on his bowlers for the clinical execution in the lop-sided victory.
“There was no hurry. They all bowled well, I can't single out too many, and I was happy with the execution,” he said. “Nice to see Hodge play in West Indies colours now and hopefully we can continue. I don't think there were devils in the surface but credit needs to be given to the bowlers.”
He reserved special praise for the Player of the Match.
“King is an exceptional player and someone who I thought would've scored a lot more runs early in his career. But happy for him. He saw the opportunity to take the game forward and happy to see him get his first hundred today,” said Hope who collected the award for King, who was suffering from cramps.
Set a target of 203, King scored a run-a-ball 112 to guide the West Indies to 206-3 from 35.2 overs in the day/night encounter. He was the last man out with the West Indies 10 runs shy of their target.
King shared in an opening stand of 48 with Johnson Charles that ended when Charles bowled for 24 while going for a big shot off Zahoor Khan delivery that cut back to hit his off stump for 24.
A 91-run second wicket partnership followed between King and Shamarh Brooks, who rode his luck before he was eventually trapped lbw by Aayan Azfal Khan for 44. King, who was dropped on 52, then took the match away from the hosts with a 54-run partnership with Keacy Carty before being last man out, caught behind off the bowling of Rohan Mustafa.
King’s knock included 12 fours and four sixes, three of which came in the 34th over bowled by Karthik Meiyappan. The second of those sixes took King from 96 to his first ODI century.
Captain Shai Hope replaced him and quickly ended proceedings with consecutive sixes off Karthik Meiyappan to end on 13 not out from just four balls. Carty was on seven from 19 balls when the match ended in the 36th over.
UAE won the toss and chose to bat and were restricted to 202 all out in 47.1 overs. Ali Naseer scored a useful 58 from 52 balls and Vriitya Aravind, a contrasting 40 from 77 balls. Asif Khan also contributed 27 against the West Indies attack led by Keemo Paul, who took 3-34.
Dominic Drakes took 2-29, Yanic Cariah weighed in with 2-26 and Odean Smith 2-40.
West Indies ODI captain Shai Hope hopes to see development when his team takes on the UAE in three ODIs starting at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The regional side will take on the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before making the journey to Zimbabwe to take part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9.
The squad for the UAE series will be missing some of the players who participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL) which ended last week, meaning several new players will get an opportunity to represent the region on the biggest stage.
“I just see it as another series,” said the 29-year-old in an interview on Saturday.
“Every time we step onto the park the aim is to perform for West Indies and it gives some new guys an opportunity to showcase their skills on the world stage,” he added.
The squad will also include some players who have been selected for the qualifiers and Hope wants them to use this opportunity as preparation for the task at hand.
“For the members of the qualifiers squad, it gives us some prep leading into that important task,” said Hope before he reiterated the importance of development.
“Just want to see the guys continue to grow. The main thing for me is development. Over time, we’re going to get better and hopefully that one percent can be shown here in UAE,” he added.
Hope, the 12th ranked ODI batsman in the world according to the latest ICC rankings, also described working with new head coach, Daren Sammy.
“I can definitely commend the communication. I see everyone being clear and frank; that’s one of the main principles here. We haven’t had many training sessions to focus on more physical stuff. It’s been, more so, based around the mental side of the game. We know that Sammy loves his stats and his planning so we’re all on the same page where we’re looking to move West Indies cricket forward,” Hope said.
New Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s ODI and T20I teams, Daren Sammy, gave some insight in the coaching style he wants to implement going forward with the regional outfit.
Sammy, 39, was hired as West Indies coach in May, with his first assignments coming very soon when the West Indies tackle the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before attempting to secure a spot in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup set for India from October 5-November 19 when they contest the ICC World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9 in Zimbabwe.
The St. Lucian former West Indies captain has previously coached the likes of Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and the St. Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.
The former all-rounder says his coaching style will be similar to his leadership style during his playing days.
“My coaching style is similar to my leadership/captaincy style. The first thing I said when I spoke to my staff is that when we pack our bags, just leave the ego at home. Pack everything else but leave the ego at home. That’s how I’ve lived my life,” Sammy said.
“Yes. I’m the head coach, but it takes a team effort in order to move things forward. I believe myself and the captain must be in sync with the way we want to play. Also, the selection panel, everybody must understand what the plan and the vision is for the team and it will take all of us to make it happen” Sammy added.
He also outlined that delegation will not be a big part of his philosophy as head coach, instead promoting a more inclusive approach to preparing the team.
“On the ground, I have to be a part of the system. I will not be true to myself if I said ‘hey, you take on this now.’ I have the head coach role by name but it doesn’t mean I’m going to designate; I’ve never been that type of leader. I’ve always incorporated everyone into the world and the job that has to be done. That’s why it’s a team. It’s not Tennis or Golf.”
With his inexperience in the role of head coach in mind, Sammy said he plans to use methods learned from the large number of head coaches he played under during his career to develop his own coaching style and methods.
He did, however, single out two coaches he reached out to for guidance, namely former West Indies coaches Otis Gibson and Phil Simmons.
“The number of coaches I’ve worked through throughout my career, whether it be through franchise cricket, the West Indies team or different teams I’ve played for, I’ve gathered so much knowledge. I see the good things they do that I can implement for myself,” he said.
“Otis Gibson and I are quite close. We’ve always been in contact from way before he came into the setup. We had a very good relationship in terms of planning the cricket and how we presented to the guys. I also worked with Phil (Simmons) and we won a Championship together so everybody has their own styles,” Sammy added.
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