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• CWI CEO Grave outlines next steps after host countries announced for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup

  In June next year, the West Indies, along with the USA, will host their third senior men’s ICC tournament when the cricket world descends upon our region for the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

  The West Indies previously hosted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2007 as well as the second edition of the T20 World Cup two years later.

  Last week, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago were announced as the seven Caribbean countries that will host matches along with New York, Texas and Florida in the USA.

  CEO of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, described the confirmation of the region as hosts as a “big landmark” in a CWI interview last week and is looking forward to inviting the rest of the world to the Caribbean.

  “It’s a big landmark for us at Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the ICC because, having this confirmation now that seven of our host countries have made successful bids to host matches means that a lot of the work and detailed planning that we need to do in order to make the most of this huge opportunity to host out third men’s ICC tournament in the West Indies, and this time in partnership with our friends at USA cricket, can start,” he said.

  He also went into what are the next steps in preparing for next year’s festivities.

  “The next big step is to get the match schedule agreed with the ICC. We’ve got the ten hist venues. The next stage is to work through the detailed match schedule. This is the first World Cup ever to have 20 teams so it’s a big tournament to organize and there’s a small window from early June to the 30^th of June when the final will take place to get all the matches in. We’ve got group stages after the warm-up games. We’ve then got the super eights stage then semi-finals and final so, once that schedule is agreed, then it’s all systems go in terms of tickets being on sale around December to coincide with us welcoming England to the region,” Grave said.

  “It’s really important that we get the match schedules announced so that we can invite the world to come to the Caribbean next year,” he added.

  Grave also expressed gratitude to the various Governments who put forward successful bids to host matches.

  “We’re enormously grateful for the continued support we get from the Governments of the West Indies,” he said.

  “All of them that put forward bids have been successful in securing matches which is great news. We’re really looking forward to some of the improvements that those Governments have put forward in their proposals to us and the ICC in terms of ensuring that they are ready for what is the pinnacle of the men’s game currently. It’s a huge opportunity for the region to use the platform of hundreds of millions of fans watching our beautiful countries and our iconic venues and we want everyone in the world to come to the Caribbean and experience what we have to offer,” he added.

  While encouraging people from all over the world to make the trip, Grave also urged local fans to come out and support the regional side in their bid for a third World T20 title.

  “Absolutely. We’ve seen that unique kind of atmosphere when we hosted the 2018 Women’s World T20 with big crowds in St. Lucia and Antigua when the West Indies played and I’m sure when the West Indies play next June there’ll be big crowds at all the venues,” he said.

  “We want every host country to show what a welcoming and exciting place this is to watch and play cricket and it’s really important that the fans come out in their masses. The school children will be invited as part of our community engagement program so that we can show what kind of an atmosphere it is to the world,” Grave added.

   

   

   

   

• On This Day in 2014 – Sir Bradley Wiggins wins time-trial gold in Spain

  Sir Bradley Wiggins won gold in the men’s time trial at the Road World Championships in Spain on this day in 2014.

  Wiggins clocked 56 minutes 25.52 seconds for the 47.1-kilometre route in Ponferrada to win by an emphatic margin of 26.23secs.

  Germany’s Tony Martin, seeking a fourth straight world title, had to settle for silver, while Tom Dumoulin of Holland took bronze.

  It was Britain’s first gold in the event in 20 years, since Chris Boardman won the inaugural edition of the road time trial.

  Wiggins said: “I paced it perfectly. I still had gas in the final. Even on the last descent, I knew I was ahead, but I was pushing all the way.

  “I don’t know what to say. I knew coming into it that I had the legs.

  “Once I saw the course I knew if I was ever going to beat Tony it would be here.”

  Wiggins – Olympic time-trial champion as well as Tour de France champion in 2012 – added a first road world title to multiple golds he had achieved at World Championships on the track.

• Cyclist Dahlia Palmer threatens legal action over Jamaica Cycling Federation's suspension of her coach Robert Farrier

  In a potentially precedent-setting move, lawyers at New City Chambers, representing Dahlia Palmer, a Jamaican cyclist based in Trinidad and Tobago, have issued a final written warning to the Jamaican Cycling Federation. The letter, sent on September 20, 2023, threatens legal action against the federation unless they reconsider their suspension of Ms. Palmer's coach, Mr. Robert Farrier, and permit his attendance at the 2023 Pan Am Games and future events.

  The legal dispute stems from a series of events that have unfolded over the past months. In May 2023, the federation's Secretary, Ms. Donna-Kaye Sharpe, sent an email stating that athletes, coaches, and managers must fund their participation in the Pan American Track Championships. These championships served as a crucial qualifier for the PANAM Games 2023 and the Olympic Games 2024.

  Ms. Palmer and Mr. Farrier decided to self-fund their participation, a decision that eventually led to Ms. Palmer's impressive performance at the championships, securing her qualification for the PANAM Games 2023.

  However, issues arose when Ms. Palmer opted not to attend the CAC Games 2023. She cited her lack of trust in the accompanying coach, Mr. Carlton Simmonds, as a primary reason. Mr. Farrier expressed concerns about Coach Simmonds during a virtual conference in May 2023, indicating that Ms. Palmer preferred to focus on events like the championships that held Olympic qualification status.

  On June 7, 2023, the federation sent letters to both Ms. Palmer and Mr. Farrier expressing disapproval of Ms. Palmer's non-attendance at the CAC Games and concerns about Mr. Farrier's comments regarding Coach Simmonds. Mr. Farrier, to his surprise, received a 12-month suspension in response.

  As tensions mounted, the federation requested a meeting with Ms. Palmer on August 31, 2023, to discuss her non-attendance at the CAC Games and the Olympics 2024. Ms. Palmer insisted that any discussions about her cycling career must include Mr. Farrier, her coach and manager.

  Attorney Amy Rajkumar, whose signature appears beneath the missive, argues that the federation's actions amount to breaches of duty and an abuse of power. They emphasize that the federation never provided additional staff or financial support for Olympic qualifiers attended by Ms. Palmer. Moreover, Mr. Farrier was never selected to accompany athletes during fully funded events organized by the association.

  The lawyers contend that the federation's suspension of Mr. Farrier, their refusal to provide a copy of the Federation's Constitution and Selection Policy, and their financial negligence violate the International Olympic Committee Code of Ethics, which highlights principles like safety, well-being, and respect for universal ethical standards.

  The letter concludes with a request that the federation reconsiders their decisions, lifts Mr. Farrier's suspension, and fully funds Ms. Palmer's attendance at the PANAM Games 2023. Failure to comply by noon on September 26, 2023, will result in legal action against the federation.