Wasim Khan, the International Cricket Council general manager, accepts the landscape of the sport has changed as he urged countries and franchise leagues to find a way to “coexist”.

Jason Roy last week became the first England player to cancel his national contract, an incremental deal worth between £60,000 and £70,000 per year, to pursue an opportunity in Major League Cricket in the United States, where he has reportedly been offered around £300,000 for two seasons.

There has been speculation about the Indian Premier League offering annual contracts while the relevance of bilateral cricket keeps cropping up as internationals are crammed into an already busy programme.

Khan admitted there is no putting the genie back in the bottle as the proliferation of domestic T20 competitions continues but he feels international cricket can live alongside these leagues.

“Obviously the way the schedule is structured now and the emergence of these leagues, there has to be a way for us to coexist,” said Khan, the former chief executive of Leicestershire and Pakistan.

“Nothing is going to be removed so we are going to have to coexist moving forward.”

The growing unease about the possibility of elite talent putting club before country in future hangs over cricket ahead of the final of the World Test Championship happening next week at the Kia Oval.

Khan, who expects “full crowds” for at least the first four days of the contest between India and Australia, thinks the format still holds some relevance and revealed the 12 full member nations have elected to keep hold of the World Test Championship for the next eight-year cycle.

“The members have signed up for the next eight years,” said Khan. “We’ve heard some of the top stars from around the world continually talking about the importance of Test cricket.

“We know that the emergence of these leagues does put pressure on the schedule but we’re confident that at least for the next eight years that continual context will be provided for red-ball cricket.

“It’s important we continue to find an opportunity to coexist, to ensure our schedules moving forward provides something for everybody.”

Ricky Ponting suggested earlier this month the ICC has a role to play in making sure players from smaller nations are well-remunerated in Test cricket so they do not go down the franchise route.

Khan confirmed the former Australia captain’s assertion the issue had been brought up in a Cricket Committee meeting but was taken no further.

“It was perhaps a misquote,” said Khan. “It was raised initially within the ICC Cricket Committee as a discussion point but there was certainly nothing taken forward around payments to players.”

Khan, though, believes it is up to the boards of individual countries how much they pay players, pointing out all full member nations will receive a substantial increase on previous earnings during the new rights cycle from 2024-27.

“The distributions the members will be receiving in the next cycle will be greater than what they received previously,” added Khan. “The payments they pay players is purely down to the members.

“If there are player associations there, they will certainly be negotiating with those, but where there’s not, it’s down to the boards – and particularly with the key players within those boards – to decide what the payment structure looks like moving forward.”

The 2023 SDC National T20 Cricket Competition’s parish-level games kickstart this Sunday, May 21 in the parish of St. Catherine with two games scheduled for Chedwin Park, St Catherine.

Bushy Park-Church Pen will take on Ewarton Slazenger at 10:00 am to be followed by Greater Portmore vs Old Harbour Cricket Club at 2:00 pm.

The following Sunday, on May 28th, the community of Buff Bay in the parish of Portland will come alive with games being played at the Charles Town Field.

On Sunday, June 4, the district of Treadlight in Clarendon will host their set of round-robin matches at the Sir P Oval before things head west to Sav La Mar in Westmoreland where the parish semifinals will be played at the aptly name ground of Paradise.

The tournament will culminate at Boscobel in St. Mary where the parish finals will be played on Sunday, June 18.

 Parish champions will receive JMD$120, 000 while first runners-up and second runners-up will receive JMD$60,000 and JMD$30, 000 respectively.

 Last year the Boscobel team emerged triumphant at the SDC/Wray & Nephew National T20 Cricket Competition when they won the title at the Port Rhoades Sports Club in Discovery Bay, St. Ann.

Dwayne Bravo has returned to Trinbago Knight Riders ahead of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Bravo returns to the Knight Riders after two seasons with the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, having won the title with them in 2021.  

Bravo is the leading wicket taker in T20 history and has more wickets than any other player at the CPL with 124 victims in this 97 matches. Bravo is also the leading wicket taker for the Knight Riders with more than 100 wickets for his home franchise. 

The all-rounder represented the Trinidad franchise from 2013 to 2020 claiming the title four times in that period. With five CPL titles Bravo is the most successful player in the tournament’s history and he is synonymous with Trinidad cricket so his return to his home team will be an exciting prospect for Knight Riders fans.

TKR Captain Kieron Pollard was elated at the news.

"Very exciting times. The champion DJ Bravo is coming back to his home franchise TKR," he said.

"Our relationship and our friendship is second to none and this is a very good opportunity for us both to represent TKR together once again, in the upcoming season. We are very happy to have him back in red and black."

 Venky Mysore, TKR Team Director was also glad to have Bravo back in the TKF fold.

 “DJ (Champion) Bravo has been one of the key pillars on which TKR has been built," he said.

"We are delighted to welcome him back home and look forward to another enjoyable season. There’s no doubt the entire #TeamTKR and our fans will eagerly look forward to seeing him back in TKR colours.”

The complete squads for the Republic Bank CPL will be announced during the draft show which will be broadcast at the end June 2023. 

Explosive West Indies batsman Johnson Charles has been called up by Kolkata Knight Riders for the remaining matches of the 2023 IPL season.

In what will be his first stint in the IPL, the 34-year-old Charles joins KKR as a replacement for Litton Das, who departs to represent Bangladesh in a three-match ODI series against Ireland from May 9-14. He was contracted by KKR at a cost of USD$60,000.

Charles returned to the West Indies set up in October 2022 after a six-year absence from the team.  In March 2023, he exploded scoring a 39-ball ton against South Africa and is expected to provide some stability to the KKR line-up that has struggled this season. KKR with only three wins from their nine matches so far this season are currently eighth in the 10-team league.

He will team up with former West Indies players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine in the KKR line-up

Rovman Powell has been traded to the Barbados Royals ahead of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in a move that sees Hayden Walsh moving the other way to join the Jamaica Tallawahs.

Powell, the West Indies T20 captain, led the Tallawahs to their third CPL title in 2023 and has scored 1337 runs for the franchise since first joining them in 2016.

“It is with a heavy heart that my time with the Tallawahs has come to an end,” Powell said in a post in Instagram Wednesday morning.

‘I have made lifelong friends and memories I will never forget; not least winning two CPL titles for my home franchise, one of those as captain, which I will always cherish.

“I am looking forward to joining the Royals and beginning a new chapter in my CPL career.”

Powell expressed his gratitude to his now former teammates and coaches on three-time CPL champions.

“I would like to thank all the players and coaches who have been part of my Tallawahs journey these past few years,” he said.

“Most of all, I want to thank the Jamaican fans for your support. Always remember, we likkle but we Tallawah!”

Walsh leaves the Royals having played for the franchise since 2019, claiming the Player of the Tournament title in his first year with the Barbados team. As an experienced leg spin bowler with international pedigree he will be a valuable addition to the Tallawahs squad.

The Republic Bank CPL draft show will be broadcast in late June 2023 with the tournament set to get underway on 16 August 2023.

Andre Russell has thrown Cricket West Indies under the buss in a recent interview claiming his Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders treats him better.

The 35-year-old all-rounder has played for KKR since 2014, when he helped them win the IPL title.

Since that time, Russell, who last played for the West Indies during the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021, has declined several opportunities to represent the regional team often citing health issues relating to long-term knee injuries.

During a recent interview on Star Sports in India, Russell said KKR makes him feel special for everything that Kolkata-based franchise did for him to get treatment done on his knees.

"Where I was, a few years ago, KKR actually make things happen for me where they send me to get proper treatments on my knees,” Russell said.

“That's something special to me to be honest. No other franchise or even my country never really invest that much on me."

Russell added that he feels at home at KKR.

"I'm happy here. I don't see any other franchise I would love to be a part of in this tournament because I've been here for about nine years now. Been here for so many years, I meet these guys, get closer to them every year," he said.

Gujarat Titans claimed an emphatic win over Mumbai Indians to move into second place in the Indian Premier League.

Inspired by Shubman Gill's third half-century of the season, the Titans swatted aside Mumbai by 55 runs on Tuesday.

Gill scored 56 from 34 deliveries before he was dismissed by Kumar Kartikeya in the 12th over, with the Titans on 91-3.

David Miller (46 from 22) and Abhinav Manohar (42 from 21) picked up the slack, driving Gujarat to 207-6 from their 20 overs.

Mumbai's chase started badly – captain Rohit Sharma caught and bowled by Hardik Pandya (1-10) in the second over, with Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma succumbing to Rashid Khan (2-27) in the eighth.

Cameron Green plundered 33 but his stand came to an end three overs later, with Noor Ahmad picking up the first of his three wickets.

Nehal Wadhera's 40, which included six boundaries, offered Mumbai some slim hope, but his dismissal in the 18th over all but ended their chances, with the Indians limited to just 152-9.

Gill keeps up sparkling form

No IPL player has scored more half-centuries than Gill this season, while his knock on Tuesday came at a strike rate of 164.7 – the second-highest of his campaign.

Slow starts stalling Mumbai's progress

The Indians managed just 29 runs during the powerplay, the second time they have scored such a measly total in the powerplay this season.

Rajasthan Royals are the only team to score fewer runs in a powerplay in 2023. That low score of 26 also came against the Titans.

The venues and fixtures for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been confirmed with the tournament taking place from 16 August to 24 September in Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.

The tournament gets underway in Saint Lucia with six matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket ground between 16 August and 20 August with home side the Saint Lucia Kings appearing in four of those fixtures.

From there the tournament moves on the St Kitts & Nevis with six matches at Warner Park between 23 August and 27 August with four games for the home team, the Patriots.

The next leg of the tournament will take place in Barbados with the CPL returning to the country for the first time since 2019. With six matches scheduled for the iconic Kensington Oval, and four home games for the Barbados Royals, there will be lots of excitement about the tournament’s return. The matches will take place in Barbados from 30 August to 3 September.

From 5 September to 10 September the tournament will be in Trinidad & Tobago. There will be four home games for the Trinbago Knight Riders and six matches in total.

The final leg of the tournament will take place in Guyana with the matches running from 13 September to 24 September. The knockout stages will be in Guyana again in 2023, with excitement already building after the successful running of the final last season.

“We are very pleased that the tournament will be staged in five countries in 2023,” said Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO. “As ever, the CPL is a chance for fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket. And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.”

 Men’s Caribbean Premier League 2023 Fixtures

Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium, St Lucia

Weds 16 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Jamaica Tallawahs

Thurs 17 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Barbados Royals

Sat 19 August, 10am -Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

                            7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors

Sun 20 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Royals

                           7:00pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Warner Park, St Kitts and Nevis

Wed 23 August, 7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs

Thurs 24 August, 7pm- St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors

Sat 26 August, 10am - Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders

                           7pm -St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Royals

Sun 27 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors

                           7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders

Kensington Oval, Barbados

Wed 30 August, 7pm - Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders

Thurs 31 August, 7pm -Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs

Sat 2 September, 10am - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs

                                8pm - Barbados Royals vs Saint Lucia Kings

Sun 3 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders

                                  8pm - Barbados Royals vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Trinidad and Tobago – Venues to be decided

Tues 5 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals

Wed 6 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors

Sat 9 September, 10am - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Saint Lucia Kings

                               8pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Jamaica Tallawahs

Sun 10 September, 10am - Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors

                                   8pm- Trinbago Knight Riders vs Saint Lucia Kings

Guyana National Stadium, Providence

Wed 13 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Thurs 14 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Saint Lucia Kings

Sat 16 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

                                  7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders

Sun 17 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Saint Lucia Kings

                                  7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Royals

 Tues 19 September, 7pm - Eliminator – 3rd place vs 4th place

Wed 19 September, 7pm - Qualifier 1 – 1st place vs 2nd place

 Fri 22 September, 7pm - Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator vs Loser Qualifier 1

Sun 24 September, 7pm - Final – Winner Qualifier 1 vs Winner Qualifier 2

Hayley Matthews scored an magnificent hundred in an all-round performance to lead Warriors Women to victory and the title over Falcons Women in the Fairbreak Invitational Tournament in Kowloon on Sunday.

The West Indies Women’s captain was adjudged Player of the Match for her 123 and 2-14 that spurred her team to a 94-run win. Batting first, Warriors Women scored 230-4 from their 20 overs. In reply, Falcons Women could only muster 137-8.

Matthews, who was last out, smashed 11 fours and nine sixes during her knock that lasted 52 balls.

After Matthews’ dismissal in the 15^th over, Kathryn Bryce then lashed an unbeaten 52 and Captain Sindhu Sriharsha 25 in an unbroken stand of 75 that took Warriors Women to their imposing total. Price’s runs came from just 20 balls and included eight fours and two sixes.

Anju Gurung was the best of the Falcons Women bowlers taking 2-43 from her four overs.

Faced with a daunting task of scoring more than 11 runs an over, Falcons Women were steady in the chase but were always behind the required rate.

Chamari Athapaththu (29), Danni Hyatt (20), Captain Suzie Bates (25) and Theertha Satish (29), all got starts but were unable to carry on. No other batter got into double figures as Matthews and Bryce (3-16) did the damage to keep their side ahead of the game and eventually to a comprehensive victory.

Warriors Women lost only once during the tournament.

Ravichandran Ashwin has aired his irritation with umpire calls in the Indian Premier League after Rajasthan Royals' three-run win over Chennai Super Kings.

Jos Buttler's unbeaten half-century in the first innings was enough to help the Royals hold off a dramatic late CSK rally led by MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja.

But the decision was made by umpires Virender Sharma and Vinod Seshan to change the ball in the 12th over of the hosts' losing chase.

Though the officials are within the laws of the game to do so, Ashwin acknowledged he was frustrated by the move after the Royals did not ask for it to be swapped.

"I'm quite surprised the umpires changed the ball for dew on their own," he said. "It's never happened before and I'm quite surprised.

"Some of the decisions in this year's IPL on the field have left me a little flummoxed, to be honest. It left me flummoxed in a good or bad way because what you need is a little bit of balance.

"We're going as a bowling team and we're not asking for the ball to be changed. But the ball was changed on the umpire's accord. I did ask the umpire, but he said we can change it.

"So I hope every time there's dew they can change it every single time going forward in this IPL. You can do whatever you want, but you need to be standard."

Ashwin is not the first player to criticise the decision-making process by umpires, with Punjab Kings' Sam Curran voicing his displeasure over ball changes.

The Royals are currently top of the IPL standings, having picked up three wins from their first four games this season.

A third Jos Buttler half-century of the Indian Premier League season saw Rajasthan Royals edge a dramatic three-run victory over Chennai Super Kings.

The England white-ball skipper rattled off another superb knock of 52 to continue his rich vein of form during Wednesday's clash at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

But his side's tally of 175-8 was almost knocked off by a pyrotechnic finale from MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, who crashed 36 runs off the final two overs.

Despite the early loss of fellow opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), it was Buttler's sturdy second-wicket partnership with Devdutt Padikkal (38) that kept Rajasthan ticking over.

Even when their 77-run stand came to an end, subsequent turns from Ravichandran Ashwin (30) and Shimron Hetmyer (30 not out) continued to punish a loose bowling attack.

Jadeja's tidy 2-21 off four overs came too late to restrict the damage, and CSK were forced straight onto the offensive themselves when they came to the crease in pursuit.

For a while, it looked like they would prove handily successful in their chase, before the loss of Devon Conway (50) and Ajinkya Rahane (31) saw them tumble to 113-6.

But then, with their side in need, the veteran duo of Dhoni (32 not out) and Jadeja (25 not out) almost dragged them over the line, finishing just shy with 172-6 after Sandeep Sharma held his nerve in the final over.

Buttler continues IPL brilliance

Having led England to T20 World Cup glory last year, there was little doubt the wicketkeeper-batter's form would again be a big-time player for the Royals, and so it has been proven.

After 54 against the Sunrisers and 79 against the Capitals, he has once again shown himself invaluable to the Royals and their hopes of success this season.

Dhoni rolls back the years

Having needed 40 runs off the final dozen balls, it appeared a stretch too far even for the 41-year-old and his superb skills.

But he hasn't hung up his pads yet for a reason, and his devastating knock, with three maximums and an additional four, helped set up the grandstand finish.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has sought to calm speculation over Babar Azam's future as captain without assuring the batter of his place.

Babar currently captains Pakistan in red-and-white-ball formats, and led the side that reached last year's T20 World Cup final against England.

But a disappointing home season, combined with a stand-off over the PCB's appointment of Shan Masood as his ODI vice-captain, has cast doubt over his position.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sethi acknowledged discussions have taken place about Babar's captaincy, but says he remains secure for the moment.

"For months, media and cricketing circles have been discussing [the] pros and cons of retaining Babar Azam as captain in all formats of the game," he wrote. 

"Since this decision is ultimately [the] chairman's, I have sought views of selection committees headed by Shahid Afridi, and now Haroon Rashid.

"Both committees thought [the] matter merited discussion, but both later came to the conclusion that the status quo should be retained.

"I have subsequently publicly stated this position. In the final analysis, my decision will be subject to the success or failure of [the] status quo.

"I will also be guided by what the selectors and director [of] cricket [operations] and head coach have to say going forward.

"I expect they will be in the best position to advise me. Therefore, we should support Babar and not make [the] matter controversial in [the] interests of [the] national team."

Sai Sudharsan's unbeaten 62 helped Gujarat Titans continue their winning start in the IPL with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals.

Chasing 163, defending champions Gujarat lost three wickets before the end of the powerplay, including that of captain Hardik Pandya for just five.

But Sudharsan's half-century, aided by a big-hitting cameo from David Miller (31 off 16), set up an ultimately straightforward win.

The 21-year-old survived an eighth-over review for caught behind and put on 53 for the fourth wicket with Vijay Shankar (29).

Miller then joined Sudharsan in the middle and ensured the Titans raced to their target with 11 balls to spare – the Capitals' 162-8 never having really looked like being enough.

David Warner had opened with 37 but required 32 balls, with that plodding run rate keeping the Titans firmly in the match.

Nortje enjoys opener rewards

In a brief spell in which the Capitals looked capable of causing their opponents some problems, Anrich Nortje dismissed openers Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill.

Since the start of the 2022 tournament, Nortje has taken the wicket of six openers, the second-most among Capitals bowlers.

Miller turns on the style

The Titans have an impressive record chasing targets of 150 or more, doing so a leading seven times in the past two years.

They were able to do so this time in large part due to Miller's contribution, which saw two fours and two sixes in a 28-minute dash to the finish.

Republic Bank Limited, the largest indigenous bank in the English-speaking Caribbean, has been announced as the new title sponsor and official bank of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The announcement was made by CPL Chief Executive Officer, Pete Russell, in a press conference held Wednesday in Port of Spain to launch the 2023 season of the T20 cricket tournament.

 Having previously sponsored the CPL as the official banking partner since 2015, the bank will now assume the league’s highest sponsorship profile for the next three (3) years.

Republic Bank has also been confirmed as a partner for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) which will return in 2023 for its second edition. The WCPL sees the best female cricketers from across the region and around the world showcase their skills in front of a huge global audience.

“Republic Bank are the perfect partner for the CPL and WCPL, a company that shares our passion for cricket and Caribbean culture,” said Pete Russell, CEO of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.

“The CPL is a driver of economic growth and the creation of jobs, so having a financial group like Republic Bank as the title sponsor makes perfect sense. In addition, Republic Bank has a great track record of spreading the love of cricket across the region, something that is important to all of us at the CPL.”

Nigel Baptiste, Group President and Chief Executive Officer for the Republic Group, said: “We are excited to be the Title Sponsor and Official Bank of the Caribbean Premier League. Cricket is hugely important to Caribbean heritage, culture, community and youth development and as the Caribbean’s largest sporting event and one of its most significant sport entertainment exports, the CPL demonstrates to the world the Caribbean’s capability and prowess, illustrates our talent and future potential, and showcases our joyous and incomparable spirit.”  

New skipper Rovman Powell powered West Indies to a stunning three-wicket win against South Africa in a rain-reduced T20I clash on Saturday.

The start in Centurion was pushed back because of wet conditions and the contest was reduced to an 11-overs-a-side thrash, with South Africa totting up 131-8, helping by David Miller crunching 48 from 22 balls.

Miller struck three sixes as the home side recovered well from losing opener Quinton de Kock to the first ball of their innings at SuperSport Park.

West Indies made a flying start to their reply as Brandon King and Kyle Mayers took 17 runs from the first four deliveries. King's 23, and 28 from Johnson Charles, helped to put the tourists in a strong position, but it was Powell who played the crucial innings.

The 29-year-old Jamaican hit five sixes in an explosive 43no from 18 balls, holding his nerve after West Indies lost two wickets to Sisanda Magala (3-21) in the 10th over.

Powell's maximum from the second delivery of the 11th over brought the teams level, and he tucked away a single into the leg side from the next ball to seal the win, taking West Indies to 132-7.

Powell starts as he means to go on

The chance to lead arose for Powell when Nicholas Pooran resigned as West Indies' white-ball captain after last year's T20 World Cup.

Powell has taken on the T20I job, with Shai Hope leading the ODI team, and this was a whirlwind beginning for the incoming captain, firstly with the match being reduced to a quickfire slog, and then with the pressure falling on his shoulders with the bat.

He came in at 66-3 in the fifth over, after the breakneck start, and saw the job through, posting his joint-sixth highest T20I score in what was his 47th innings at this level.

Trend to continue?

The last three T20I series between these teams have been won by the touring side, and with two games remaining in this series we might be on for a repeat.

South Africa are experiencing a dire run of series results in T20Is at home, having lost their last four such series, last getting a home success against Sri Lanka in March 2019.

Over the longer course of a full 20 overs it might prove a different story between these teams, with the win for West Indies on this occasion being just the second in their last 16 T20Is away from home. They and South Africa go again on Sunday, also in Centurion.