Jimmy Adams, Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies does not believe regional players are taking advantage of the governing body to secure T20 contracts in the more lucrative T20 leagues around the world.

During a press conference on Monday with Lead Selector Desmond Haynes, Adams, who was also present, was asked whether this was the case in the wake of the recent development wherein Shimron Hetmyer took time off from the IPL to attend the birth of his child in Guyana, promising to return to complete the season, but using the same reason, has declared himself unavailable for the West Indies white-ball tours of The Netherlands and Pakistan that start later this month.

There have also been instances in the past where players have declined invitations to represent the West Indies choosing instead to play franchise cricket.

“You will have players who will opt not to take contracts because they want the freedom to go and play whenever and wherever. While I respect that, by the same token I think we kind of understand where those players’ priorities lie. There could be a few others like that around. We live with them and we move on if we have to,” Adams said.

“I don’t think that is a majority, I don’t think it impacts us in a negative sense, per se. We have had many players in the last few years who have played, who are not contracted players - your Chris Gayles, your Andre Russells.

“Yes, it needs managing for sure at both the international and the levels within the regions around the world. I think given where we are now in world cricket, and I believe where we are now in West Indies cricket, that we are doing a pretty good job of it.”

That said, Adams does concede that in regions like the West Indies where player contracts pale in comparison to those offered by the wealthy owners of IPL franchises, there is little that can be done.

“T20 cricket and the leagues are here to stay. I don’t necessarily think that they are a bad thing. At the end of the day what players have nowadays that they did not have in my time and Sir Desmond’s time was choice and I don’t think choice is a bad thing.

“We try to ensure we don’t have any overlaps with either IPL or CPL, so all our contracted players know that there is a minimum of two windows where they will not have any competing international cricket. As it stands now it is not something that sees us losing control.”

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a brisk 68 as Rajasthan Royals returned to winning ways in the Indian Premier League with a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings.

The Kings slipped to three defeats in their last five games as their playoff credentials came into question, but Mayank Agarwal's side managed to post a competitive 189-5 at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

Jonny Bairstow anchored the Punjab innings with 56 from 40 deliveries before being removed by Yuzvendra Chahal (3-28), who also picked up the wickets of Bhanuka Rajapaksa (27) and Agarwal (15).

Liam Livingstone (22) and Jitesh Sharma, who blasted 38 off just 18 balls, provided the Kings with late impetus, but their total seemed insufficient when the in-form Jos Buttler led the early response.

The England international smashed 30 off 16 but was caught off Kagiso Rabada's bowling (1-50), while Jaiswal and Sanju Samson (23) continued the charge before the latter was dismissed by Rishi Dhawan (1-25).

Jaiswal ensured the Royals were firmly in control, requiring a further 49 to win when he departed to Arshdeep Singh (2-29), who also claimed the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal (31) in the final over.

Shimron Hetmyer (31 not out) subsequently saw Rajasthan over the line with two balls to spare as Samson's side ended a two-game losing run to move level on points with second-placed Lucknow Super Giants.

Rejuvenated Jaiswal

Jaiswal mustered just 25 runs across his first three innings in the IPL this season, and was dropped after a poor run in which he produced scores of 20, one and four.

However, he made his mark on his return to the Royals XI as he produced his top score in the competition with his 68 against the Kings, which included nine fours and two sixes.

Classy Chahal returns to form

Chahal had struck just twice in four games, leading to concerns over the purple-cap holder's wicket-taking ability in the middle overs.

But the 31-year-old silenced his critics in emphatic fashion, picking up three important wickets after the powerplay, while bowling 10 dot balls as he went for just seven runs per over.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that St Kitts & Nevis will be hosting matches during the 2022 tournament which will run from August 30 to September 30. St Kitts & Nevis will host seven matches between August 30 and September 4 with the home team and current champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, playing in four of those games.

 Hero CPL will return to St Kitts & Nevis again in 2022 after the Federation successfully hosted the whole tournament in 2021.

 Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “The 2021 Hero CPL was an enormous success, and we are hugely grateful to the government and people of St Kitts & Nevis who were fabulous hosts. Warner Park is a fantastic venue, and we are very excited to be back there as St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get their championship defence underway in front of a home crowd.”

 The Hon. Jonel Powell, Minister of Sport for St Kitts & Nevis, said: “The hosting of the CPL in its entirety in 2021 in St Kitts & Nevis proved a success in every way for our people. Tremendous direct economic gains were made in our economy and to individuals at a difficult time due to the pandemic. Our people were able to receive some much-needed ‘Covid relief’ socially through the amazing matches, and our very own St Kitts & Nevis Patriots won its first CPL title in the most dramatic style.

 “This is why we are very pleased to partner with CPL once again as a host venue for their 2022 edition, and to have the opportunity to see our Patriots defend their title right here at historic Warner Park.”

The 2022 season will take place in four countries, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana with the final set to talk place at Providence on September 30.

KL Rahul crafted his second century of the Indian Premier League season against the winless Mumbai Indians as Lucknow Super Giants recorded a 36-run victory on Sunday.

Lucknow captain Rahul finished unbeaten on 103 off 62 balls, reaching three figures with a six off Riley Meredith (2-40), but Manish Pandey (22) was the only other batter to pass 20 in support of his skipper.

Kieron Pollard collected two dismissals for eight runs as the Super Giants posted 168-6 at the Wankhede Stadium, though Mumbai's hopes for their first win of the season diminished after losing regular wickets.

Ishan Kishan (eight) fell in bizarre fashion as he edged onto wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock's foot and into the hands of Jason Holder at slip, before Dewald Brevis (three) followed to Mohsin Khan (1-27).

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma offered brief impetus with 39 from 31 balls, but he was removed by Krunal Pandya (3-19) before Suryakumar Yadav (seven) was dismissed by Ayush Badoni (1-6) to leave Mumbai 67-4.

Pollard and Tilak Varma posed a late threat to Lucknow with a 57-run partnership, with the latter scoring a quick 38 before holing out to Holder (1-36).

Pandya then dismissed Pollard (19) and Daniel Sams (three) in the final over, either side of Holder running out Jaydev Unadkat (one), as Super Giants eased to their third straight win to move up to fourth.

Captain fantastic

Rahul powered a brisk 56-ball century against Mumbai earlier in the month and again played with remarkable control for his 103, which included 12 fours and four sixes.

Only Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler has scored more runs in this season's competition (491) than the Lucknow captain, who has 368 from his eight matches so far.

Classy Chameera thwarts Mumbai

Mumbai became the first side to lose their first seven games of an IPL campaign after falling to Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, but may have fancied their chances after being set 169 to win at Wankhede.

However, Rahul's bowlers kept things tight and controlled the second innings, with Pandya capably supported by Dushmantha Chameera, who went for just 14 runs from his four overs, including 15 dot balls.

Former West Indies fast bowler Corey Collymore has been appointed head coach of the Barbados Women Cricket team that will represent the West Indies at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England from July 28 to August 8.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that Saint Lucia will host matches during the 2022 season. Saint Lucia will be one of four countries to host Hero CPL matches in 2022 with the matches set to be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Beausejour.  

The 2020 and 2021 seasons of the Hero CPL took place in Trinidad & Tobago and St Kitts & Nevis respectively with the COVID-19 pandemic meaning the tournament needed to be played in one country. For the 2022 season, the plan is to move around the region once again with three venues being used for the group stages and another selected for the finals. 

 The tournament will take place from August 30 to September 30 with St Kitts & Nevis Patriots looking to defend the title they won in 2021. 

 Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO said: “We are very pleased to confirm that we will be back in Saint Lucia in 2022 and we are grateful to the government for working with us to make this happen. Saint Lucia has been such a huge part of the Hero CPL story and as we enter our 10^th season it is great to be back at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground this year.” 

 Lorine Charles-St. Jules, CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority commented: “We are delighted to be one of the venues for CPL this year. The pandemic limited major sporting events across the world so to be able to welcome back a prestigious tournament such as this means a lot to us. This event is full of opportunities. It’s a chance to enjoy the brilliant sportsmanship that you see on the cricket field and it’s an opportunity to come together and enjoy our Saint Lucian hospitality. We look forward to welcoming spectators and visitors this September.”

The Indian Premier League clash between Delhi and Punjab Kings was cleared to go ahead as scheduled on Wednesday despite a sixth coronavirus case in the Capitals camp.

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert became the latest Capitals player to return a positive test on the day of the match at Brabourne – CC.

Delhi had on Monday revealed that Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh had contracted COVID-19.

Tournament organisers gave the green light for the game against the Kings to be staged after the second round of tests all came back as negative.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also announced that the Capitals' showdown with Rajasthan Royals on Friday has been moved from MCA Stadium in Pune to Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

That decision was made as a precautionary measure following Seifert's positive test.

Kane Williamson's steady 57 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad claim their second Indian Premier League win in succession as they overcame Gujarat Titans by eight wickets.

The New Zealand captain anchored Hyderabad's chase brilliantly until he finally fell at the start of the 17th over to Hardik Pandya, yet the damage had already been done.

Hyderabad, chasing 163, were 129 by the time they lost their captain, though they did take their time in getting across the line – Nicholas Pooran (34 not out) and Aiden Markram (8 not out) sealing victory with five balls to spare.

Titans skipper Pandya scored an unbeaten half-century, yet Abhinav Manohar (35) was the only one of his team-mates to get above 20.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-37) and Thangarasu Natarajan (2-34) were the pick of Hyderabad's bowlers as the Titans were restricted to 162-7 from their 20 overs.

Unlike Pandya, Williamson was ably supported by Abhishek Sharma, whose 42 included six boundaries before he fell to Rashid Khan (1-28).

Rahul Tripathi (17) retired hurt, but Pooran's knock came from 18 balls as the wicketkeeper ensured his captain's work would not be fruitless.

Williamson delivers first blow to the Titans

Williamson's composure was crucial to the Sunrisers getting a second straight eight-wicket win, with his haul including six boundaries, four of which cleared the rope. Indeed, he brought up his half-century with a scoop from compatriot Lockie Ferguson.

The Titans had enjoyed a winning start to their inaugural IPL season, the only team to have managed three consecutive victories, but that run was ended in comprehensive fashion.

Khan just short of IPL milestone

With his dismissal of Sharma, Khan is now on 99 wickets in the IPL. While his landmark did not come on Monday, he will surely reach triple figures soon enough.

Rovman Powell is to assume a more involved role as captain for the Jamaica Tallawahs once the 2022 Hero CPL season gets underway in August.

Powell was appointed captain last season when the two-time CPL champions struggled to find consistency and missed the playoffs after only winning four of their 10 matches.

However, come next season, Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller expects Powell to work more closely with the new coaching staff headed by Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

“I think that Chanderpaul along with the assistant coaches has expressed that to Rovman," Miller revealed in a recent interview with Sportsmax.TV.

"We have been having some great meetings and I think this year we will see that all-inclusive where the player, as the captain, is involved in all aspects of team management, selection, etcetera,” Miller told Sportsmax.TV.

“I think we will see a different side of him (Rovman) this year.”

Turning his attention to Brandon King, who has been brought in to open the batting, Miller said the former Amazon Warrior will be given the opportunity to express himself in the coming season.

“Brandon is another dynamic player and we believe that having Brandon at the top of the order with Kennar (Lewis) will produce some exciting games, and Brandon also wanted to come home and we gave him that opportunity to play for the Tallawahs and express himself and we know how Brandon can express himself,” Miller said.

The CEO also hinted that the international players who have been signed will be very suited for the potentially spin-friendly pitches in Guyana that will host several matches including the CPL finals for the next three years. 

"When you see our international players then you will see why we selected those players because they will make a difference in Guyana," said Miller, who also expressed confidence that the Tallawahs will give a good account of themselves in the 2022 season.

"I am confident about the team. Look, we have a dream team support staff - Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly Ambrose, we have Andre Coley. We have an announcement to make in the coming days pertaining to our manager and that will really cement our support staff."

Aaron Finch's half-century and Ben McDermott's composure proved to be decisive as Australia defeated Pakistan by three wickets in Tuesday's thrilling one-off T20I.

Pakistan won the ODI series thanks in large part to the brilliance of captain Babar Azam and his superb 66 propelled the hosts to a competitive 162-8 in Lahore.

Babar's composure at the crease was much-needed for Pakistan, who lost Mohammad Rizwan (23) and Fakhar Zaman (0) in successive balls to T20I debutant Cameron Green (2-16).

Adam Zampa finally drew a stray shot out of Pakistan's skipper, who picked out Nathan Ellis to leave his side on 118-4.

Having already dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed, Ellis – the pick of Australia's bowlers with 4-28 – then did the damage through Pakistan's middle order, getting rid of the dangerous Khushdil Shah (24), Asif Ali (3) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (0), though Usman Qadir's flurry of 18 not out boosted the hosts.

Travis Head quickly set about getting the tourists' chase on its way, scoring a rapid 26 that included four boundaries before he was sent packing by Haris Rauf.

Josh Inglis (24) kept up the pace until Qadir struck, but Australia seemed well set before Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis and Green were dismissed in the space of 20 balls.

Yet captain Finch anchored the chase as he returned to form following back-to-back ducks in the ODI series, with his steady innings steering Australia into needing 15 runs from three overs.

A costly start to the 18th over from Haris saw McDermott plunder successive boundaries, though the pressure was back on Australia when Finch found Asif in the deep.

Afridi (2-21) rounded off an excellent spell by bowling Sean Abbott for a duck, yet another poor Haris ball handed McDermott the chance to clip away the winning boundary.

Captains come up big

Babar gave yet another exhibition of how he has risen to the top of the batting rankings in another sensational knock - his 66 coming at a strike rate of 143.47.

Yet it was World Cup winner Finch who took the trophy, as he showed plenty of patience to stay at the crease for 18 overs, showing why interim head coach Andrew McDonald backed him to stay on as skipper.

Historic tour comes to a close

It has been a brilliant match-up between Pakistan and Australia over the last month or so and the tourists will finally return home.

Australia have now won each of their past four T20Is against Pakistan, the first time they have gone on such a run, though this was the first meeting in the format between the teams in Pakistan.

Four-time Caribbean Premier League Champions Trinbago Knight Riders have signed Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell and middle-order batsman Nicholas Pooran for the 2022 season.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals will be hosted by Guyana for the next three years, starting in 2022. This is the first time the Hero CPL final will be held in Guyana and this long-term staging agreement will see the culmination of the tournament also taking place in Guyana in 2023 and 2024.

This season, Guyana will host seven group games, three knockout matches and the Hero CPL final which will take place on Friday, September 30 at The Guyana National Stadium in Providence.

The Hero CPL final will be the climax of festivities surrounding these games taking place in Guyana. The Government of Guyana in collaboration with the local private sector will also stage two weeks of events which will form a Cricket Carnival. This Carnival will celebrate the best that Guyana was to offer, showcasing the music, food and culture of this vibrant and fascinating country. 

 Over the previous nine seasons of Hero CPL there has been massive support for the tournament from Guyanese fans and the tournament is expecting significant excitement at the prospect of these hugely important matches taking place in the country.

Guyana’s economy is growing rapidly, and the country has a fantastic reputation as a destination for tourists looking for unspoiled nature. The Hero CPL finals will further showcase this wonderful country to a massive global audience – the total viewership for Hero CPL passed 500million in both 2020 and 2021.

“We are blessed with amazing fans across the Caribbean, and this is very clear whenever we visit Guyana where the atmosphere at Providence is electric. The idea of having the Hero CPL final in front of this wonderful crowd of passionate and knowledgeable cricket fans is a mouthwatering prospect,” said Pete Russell, Hero CPL CEO.

“We are very grateful to have such a positive relationship with the government and cricket authorities in Guyana and we thank them for helping us come to this hugely exciting agreement.”

His Excellency Dr Mohammad Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, said the citizens of Guyana are passionate about cricket.

 “Cricket is much more than a game for us in Guyana, it is a passion, part of our culture and a unifying force. As we celebrate “One Guyana” the hosting of the CPL final will be an energizing force,” he said.

“We are building a product that will be spectator focused, integrated with our regional partners for a global market. Cricket carnival is a fusion of entertainment and celebration that will be mind-blowing and unbelievably different from any other global cricketing event. We welcome all to the greatest celebration of music, pageantry, Caribbean vibes with a South American touch and of course, cricket played loudest.”

Kolkata Knight Riders eased to a six-wicket win in Saturday's 2022 IPL opener, with MS Dhoni unable to rescue a result for defending champions Chennai Super Kings in his first match since stepping aside as captain.

Dhoni skippered CSK to their fourth title in 2021, beating KKR in the tournament decider, before his shock decision to allow Ravindra Jadeja to lead the side this year – one of two notable changes that left the Super Kings looking a little short.

CSK first missed the steadying presence of the departed Faf du Plessis – Player of the Match in last year's final – at the top of the order and were in need of a lift from Jadeja when he arrived in the middle in the eighth over.

Instead, he had Ambati Rayudu run out and almost consigned Shivam Dube to the same fate before finally settling alongside Dhoni.

The 40-year-old still did much of the heavy lifting in their 70-run, 56-ball partnership, scoring 35 off his final 13 deliveries to reach an unbeaten 50 and allow Jadeja's (26 not out) innings-ending six to take the Super Kings to what they hoped would prove a competitive 131-5.

Ultimately, that was not enough, as 44 from KKR opener Ajinkya Rahane ensured the chase was always ahead of the game.

Three Dwayne Bravo wickets saw him draw level with Lasith Malinga's IPL record of 170, but Shreyas Iyer, KKR's own new captain, finished the job with his unbeaten 20.
 

Teething problems for first-time skipper

There were no safer pair of hands in the IPL last year than Jadeja's, as he made 13 catches – the most of any player excluding wicket-keepers. But this was a nervy bow as captain in his 201st IPL match, only looking remotely comfortable with the bat once Dhoni – walking in to huge applause – took control.

Similarly, Jadeja appeared far happier playing his natural game than making big calls in the second innings, taking a simple catch from Rahane but soon blowing a review on an lbw appeal that saw Sam Billings clearly glove the ball.

KKR's long wait for Wankhede win ended

KKR ultimately fell just short in the final, but they were happy to see the 2021 tournament shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to coronavirus. The Knight Riders had won only one of their previous six IPL matches in India.

They may well have feared this match at Wankhede Stadium then, a venue at which they had suffered eight successive defeats. However, a first KKR win here since May 2012 was secured with relative ease.

Dwayne Bravo has signed for Worcestershire Rapids for the 2022 Vitality Blast season in a bid to win another T20 league title.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have confirmed that this year’s CPL event will feature a women’s tournament with three franchise teams competing for the first Women’s CPL (WCPL) title. The three teams will showcase the best women’s cricketers from across the Caribbean with overseas stars rounding out the teams.

The three teams who will compete in the inaugural WCPL will be Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders.

The women’s tournament will take place during the men’s event inside the Hero CPL tournament window which this year will run from 30 August and 30 September.

The 2022 tournament will be celebrating 10 years of the Biggest Party in Sport and enters its 10th season off the back of a highly successful 2021, with over half a billion viewers tuning in for the second successive year.

“Increasing the opportunities for West Indian women and girls to get involved in cricket is one of CWI’s strategic priorities, and we are delighted that we have been able to partner with CPL to further the expansion plans that we had first unveiled in 2019 prior to the arrival of the COVID Pandemic. We are confident that all CPL women’s games will be highly competitive and will add quality entertainment to our fans in the region and around the world,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt.

Hero CPL will be played across more countries this year, with three Caribbean countries being selected for the group stages and fourth venue being chosen for the finals. CPL anticipates that this four-venue structure could become the norm for future seasons.

“The addition of a women’s event to the CPL is something that has been an ambition for a long time and we are very pleased that it has become a reality. We would like to thank CWI for working with us to make this happen. The Women’s T10 Challenge which took place during the 2019 CPL was a huge success and we are looking forward to the next step forward,” said Hero CPL CEO Pete Russell.

“We are very pleased to confirm the dates for the 2022 tournament and with travel around the world and region becoming easier CPL will be able to visit more than one country this year, so fans can enjoy CPL in person once again,” he added.

CWI has confirmed that a window has been created in an otherwise very busy international schedule so that all selected West Indies players will be available for this year’s Men’s and Women’s CPL tournaments.