Having enjoyed three-consecutive series victories since taking over as West Indies Twenty20 captain, Rovman Powell credits the Caribbean’s side’s success under his leadership, to the overwhelming support of teammates and staff.
Powell, who was appointed in February following the sudden resignation of Nicholas Pooran, has so far guided West Indies to T20 International triumphs away to South Africa, as well as home wins against India and more recently England.
The accomplishment not only ensured West Indies ends the year unbeaten in a series, but more importantly, serves as a solid platform on which they can build ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup to be hosted jointly by the Caribbean and United States.
“I think I just have a good bunch of guys around me. I have a very good support staff and the guys respect me and they trust me and trust my judgement. And also, I try to lead from the front. I think as a captain once you lead from the front then naturally guys will follow,” Powell said after West Indies topped England 3-2 at the end of a five-match series in Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite being young at heart at 30 years old, Powell boast extensive captaincy experience. He led Jamaica Tallawahs to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title last year in his third year in charge full-time, and also captained Jamaica to the Regional Super50 title in 2022. He has previously deputised for West Indies in three One-day Internationals (ODIs) and one T20I.
A month after taking the reins, Powell saw West Indies to a 2-1 series win over South Africa, and they followed that up with a 3-2 victory over India in August.
With their latest success coming against reigning World champions England, Powell said it provides a significant boost in confidence, as West Indies continued their preparation for next year’s T20 showpiece.
Powell has won eight of his 13 matches in charge while averaging 36 with the bat – well above his career average of 25.
“It also gives us confidence [and] confidence for me personally. I try to lead and lead from the front. Once I’m doing what I have to do as a batter first, then the captaincy will take care of itself,” the soft-spoken Jamaican shared.
“I realise as a captain once you’re doing your job, then your decision-making becomes sharper, you don’t second guess yourself when you come under pressure,” he added.
Meanwhile, Powell’s compatriot Andre Russell, also endorsed his leadership.
“I support him a hundred per cent. As the captain, even though he looks up to me, I’m not going to tell him ‘Ok, you need to do this, and you have to do this.’ I respect him as a leader and he’s been doing tremendously so far for the team and for himself,” Russell said.
“I think the confidence he has as a captain and as a player batting-wise, then working with his instinct, [making] bowling changes, making crucial decisions. He managed us as bowlers very well, so hats off to him for that. I don’t need to say much to him – he’s doing a good job,” the electrifying all-rounder added.
The current five-match Twenty20 series between West indies and England in the Caribbean, has triggered changes in the ICC World rankings for the format.
This, as West Indies batsman Brandon King climbed into the top 10, and England spinner Adil Rasheed assumed the new World number one ranking.
King, who stroked an unbeaten 82 in Barbados that gave West Indies a 2-0 series lead, is up six places to sixth, while Nicholas Pooran is up two spots to 12th.
Rashid has been rewarded for his good consistent form in the Caribbean, as he moved up two places to take the top spot from Afghanistan's Rashid Khan. West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein is the sixth-ranked T20 bowler.
Meanwhile, there remains only one West Indies player holding a top 20 position in the latest One-day Internation (ODI) rankings, with West Indies skipper Shai Hope being the highest rated at 11th on the batting list.
Phil Salt’s maiden T20 century and Harry Brook’s nerveless batting at the death helped England reel in a mammoth 223, as they breathed fresh life into their five-match series against West Indies.
The hosts put on a six-hitting masterclass, as they cleared the rope 16 times and collected 79 runs in the last four overs, but they were upstaged as Salt underpinned England’s successful chase in Grenada.
On a hot and humid day, Salt belted half of England’s 18 sixes – a ground record in this format – as he recorded 109 not out off 56 deliveries, before Brook completed the seven-wicket win with a ball to spare.
Salt’s efforts left England needing 21 off the final over, and Brook followed up a four with three sixes in four balls off Andre Russell as the tourists narrowed the deficit to 2-1 in the five-match series.
Jos Buttler made 51 in a 115-run opening stand with Salt, who became just the fifth male from his country to record a T20 international hundred, while Liam Livingstone contributed a breezy 30 as England equalled their joint second highest chase in this format.
Scores: West Indies 222-6 (20 overs); England 226-3 (19.5 overs)
Earlier, Nicholas Pooran cracked six sixes and as many fours in a brilliant 82 off 45 balls to lead West Indies to what initially seemed a daunting total.
Holding a 2-0 lead at that point, the Windies were full of confidence and cleared the rope on 16 occasions, taking their tally across the three matches to 43 sixes.
Captain Rovman Powell belted 39 off 21 deliveries, while Sherfane Rutherford marked his first appearance of the series with 29 off 17.
Not even Adil Rashid was exempt from the carnage as he leaked 15 in his final offering, albeit having Pooran caught in the deep to finish with two for 32.
Reece Topley was magnificent up top in his first match back since a broken finger ended his World Cup early, taking one for 14 in three overs in the powerplay but he conceded 18 after being given the 20th.
Topley and Gus Atkinson were given their first outings as England shuffled their bowlers, with Chris Woakes and Rehan Ahmed left out, but it was a mixed bag from the tourists after winning the toss.
Rashid, Topley and Moeen Ali escaped most of the damage, but Tymal Mills went for 25 in the 17th over and Sam Curran 21 in the 19th – although he did claim a couple of wickets two days on from being belted for 30 in five legal deliveries.
Pooran steadied the Windies, after they lost both openers by the second over, then upped the ante after reaching a 37-ball fifty, taking 29 off his next eight deliveries before holing out off Rashid.
Nicholas Pooran cracked six sixes and as many fours in a brilliant 82 off 45 balls as West Indies posted 222 for six in their bid to wrap up a T20 series win over England.
Holding a 2-0 lead in this five-match series, the Windies were full of confidence and cleared the rope on 16 occasions in Grenada, taking their tally across the three matches to 43 sixes.
Captain Rovman Powell belted 39 off 21 deliveries while Sherfane Rutherford marked his first appearance of the series with 29 off 17 as the Windies pressed the accelerator to add 79 in the last four overs.
Not even Adil Rashid was exempt from the carnage as he leaked 15 in his final offering, albeit having Pooran caught in the deep to finish with two for 32.
Reece Topley was magnificent up top in his first match back since a broken finger ended his World Cup early, taking one for 14 in three overs in the powerplay but he conceded 18 after being given the 20th.
Topley and Gus Atkinson were given their first outings as England shuffled their bowlers, with Chris Woakes and Rehan Ahmed left out, but it was a mixed bag from the tourists after winning the toss.
Rashid, Topley and Moeen Ali escaped most of the damage but Tymal Mills went for 25 in the 17th over and Sam Curran 21 in the 19th – although he did claim a couple of wickets two days on from being belted for 30 in five legal deliveries.
Pooran steadied the Windies after they lost both openers by the second over then upped the ante after reaching a 37-ball fifty, taking 29 off his next eight deliveries before holing out off Rashid.
Opening batsman Brandon King played a crucial role in allowing the West Indies to take a 2-0 lead over England in their five-match T20I series at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada on Thursday.
The 28-year-old batted through the West Indian innings to help them post a formidable 176-7 from their 20 overs on a St. George’s pitch that offered a lot to the bowlers.
“We found it a bit difficult to start. It’s a low and slow pitch. Not what we’re used to here, we usually get a good batting wicket, so, we had to assess very quickly,” said King in a post-match interview.
“We lost some early wickets so we had to try and decide how to go about it in a smart way,” he added.
Individually, King made 82* off 52 balls, his eighth fifty in T20 Internationals, hitting eight fours and five sixes. His first run of the innings was also his 1000th in T20Is.
“I think there’s always some level of luck involved as well,” King said about being able to bat through the innings on that pitch.
“I was the one that got the start in the powerplay. It was difficult for new batters to come in and get going, especially against the spinners. We lost some early wickets so, given that I got the start, I tried to take it as deep as possible,” he added.
The hosts lost the wickets of Kyle Mayers (17), Nicholas Pooran (5), Shai Hope (1) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) all within the first 10 overs of their innings before King and skipper Rovman Powell combined to put on 80 for the fifth wicket.
“Extremely crucial,” was how King described Powell’s innings of 50 from 28 balls including a 30-run 16th over off Sam Curran.
“A fantastic innings from him. He eased the pressure off me a little bit as well. Nobody has the power that he has. There are some shots only he can play so it was very important at that stage of the innings that he got those quick runs,” King added.
Powell’s heroics were needed after England’s spin duo of Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed accounted for the wickets of Pooran, Hope and Hetmyer.
“The spinners. You could see from early they were getting some purchase from the wicket with the new ball. Adil Rashid is obviously a very experienced bowler who knows how to bowl around the world. He bowled an excellent spell. It was important to us to not give him too many wickets and take the majority of the runs off the pace bowlers,” King said.
On the bowling side for the West Indies, King said his teammates did well to follow the game plan and use information from their own innings.
“Taking the information from the first innings, we knew what lengths were difficult. We went out and tried to apply that in the field. The guys fielded well as well so we’re very happy with that,” he said.
He also singled out Gudakesh Motie for conceding just nine runs in his spell.
“Excellent spell from him. To bowl four overs for nine runs in a T20 game is amazing. A good call from the skipper and the coach to bring him in for this game. Obviously, they read the pitch very well so he was crucial for us today,” he said.
The West indies will have a chance to clinch the series with on Saturday in the third T20I beginning at 12:30pm Jamaica Time (1:30pm ECT) at the same venue.
West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell says he might sign off from international cricket at the end of next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, as he believes the region possesses enough young talent to fill the gap after his departure.
The explosive player's declaration followed his much-anticipated return to action for the West Indies on Tuesday, when he produced an inspiring performance with both bat and ball to lead the Caribbean side to a four-wicket win over England in the first of five T20s.
Russell took a format-best three for 19 in his first international since the 2021 T20 World Cup, which induced an England collapse from 117 for two in the 11th over to 171 all out, with three balls unused.
He later smashed a 14-ball 29, in an unbroken 49-run partnership with captain Rovman Powell, who made a 15-ball 31, to see West Indies to their highest successful run chase at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
The 35-year-old Jamaican, who expressed delight at being back in the fold, pointed out that the World Cup, to be hosted in the West Indies and United States, will be his last, but in the same breath, said he would be happy to return, if needed.
"It all depends on how the World Cup goes for me for me. To be honest, I still have a lot in the tank but based on discussion with the coach [Darren Sammy], I told him that after World Cup I would walk away from international cricket, but if they need me, I will come out of retirement," Russell said with sweat still trickling down his face after his player of the match performance.
"So that's the plan that I have; there are so many young talents here, all-rounders that are similar to myself, so sometimes you realize you're going into 36, so just give the youngsters the opportunity and if West Indies still need me, I would be willing to put in the hard yards for them to be honest," he added.
With questions surrounding his decision to comeback after a two-year absence, Russell explained that it was always on the cards, provided he performed well in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) a few months back.
"Sammy mentioned that once I did what I had to in CPL he would definitely enter my name for selection, and I had my fingers crossed because I always want to play for West Indies. Sometimes people might think otherwise and think we just want to play leagues, but I try to make sure that I look after my body to ensure that when I am called up, I am ready. So, I was ready and excited for this call up," he shared.
For Russell, the performance in which he removed dangerous opener Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Rehan Ahmed in his four overs, was almost as if scripted, as he revealed that he had dreamed of the outcome.
“Since I got the call up, I have been dreaming that my first match back, I would be player of the match. I loved the start that I got, picking up an important wicket, and then start to pull it back in the middle,” Russell said.
“I was excited to see all the guys there, trying to make sure that the plan that we discussed in the huddle came out and you know it was good to pull it back from a high scoring game to 170. We know how good of a quality spinners England have, so it was good to actually restrict them, and we could have some push and comfort to get the score,” he noted.
Finally, Russell, like the professional he is, dodged a bouncer when asked about the pending departure of Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers, who all rejected the Cricket West Indies central contract.
“I was just scrolling on Google, and I saw that, I don't know what's going on really, but I won't get into that to be honest. I'm here to play cricket and I'm just happy that I can wear this crest on my chest. So, with off the field stuff like that, they must know why they turned down the retainer,” Russell said.
The second contest is scheduled for Grenada on Thursday.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its centrally contracted players for the upcoming 2023 to 2024 season. The contracts, a mark of distinction and recognition, were based on outstanding performances during the rigorous 2022 to 2023 evaluation period, with recommendations from Selection Panels and the final nod from the Board of Directors.
However, the announcement came with a twist, as three big-name players from the Men's team—Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, and Nicholas Pooran—chose to decline central contracts. Despite this decision, the trio confirmed their commitment to represent the West Indies in T20 Internationals throughout the contract year.
For the West Indies Men, the list boasted four new faces, each carrying the dreams and aspirations of a cricket-loving nation. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, right-handed batter Keacy Carty, and left-handed batters Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alick Athanaze, all earned their places in the prestigious list of centrally contracted players. Their inclusion signified not only individual achievement but also a commitment to the collective goal of steering West Indies cricket to new heights.
The Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes, the Lead Selector for the West Indies Men's team, shared his thoughts on the selections, "With a busy year of cricket ahead, in all three formats, we have held several detailed discussions with the two Head Coaches on the brand of cricket they want to play. We are very clear in the direction we want to go. The players who have been offered contracts are among those who we expect to feature, as we look to build towards challenging for the top spot when we host and compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on home soil."
Dr. Haynes emphasized the significance of the upcoming challenges, including Test Series in Australia and England and the preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 in the 50-over format.
On the women's front, two all-rounders, Zaida James and Sheneta Grimmond, received their first central contracts. Ann Browne-John, the Lead Selector for the West Indies Women's team, expressed the selectors' confidence in the chosen players. "The selectors have identified a cadre of players who we believe can drive West Indies cricket forward. We have placed emphasis on the development of the younger players, which we view as pivotal in the pathway to the international level."
Contracted players (West Indies Men) Alick Athanaze, Kraigg Brathwaite, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd
West Indies Women: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Selection Panel has named the 15-man squad to play against England in the first three matches of the five-match T20 International (T20I) series from 12 to 21 December. It marks the first time that both nations will be going head-to-head in a T20I series during the festive season as West Indies come home for Christmas. The West Indies T20I squad return to action after their thrilling 3-2 Series win against India in August.
Matthew Forde is selected for the T20I squad for the first time, having impressed with the new ball throughout the past two CPL seasons and this follows his recent selection for the West Indies ODI squad. Sherfane Rutherford is also selected and returns to the squad after last representing the regional side in January of 2020. Gudakesh Motie returns to the T20I squad after recovering from injury which caused him to miss selection for the India Series.
The T20I squad also sees the return of all-rounder, Andre Russell, who last played for the Men in Maroon at the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Johnson Charles, Obed McCoy, Odean Smith and Oshane Thomas miss out on selection after featuring in the previous T20I squad.
Shai Hope becomes the vice-captain of the T20I team, to add to his role as captain of the West Indies ODI team. The Selection Panel has the opportunity for squad adjustments ahead of the final two matches of the Series to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on from 19 to 21 December.
Speaking about the composition of the squad, CWI lead selector, the Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes said: “This will be the final home T20I series for the West Indies in 2023, as they prepare to be one of the two host teams for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA in June 2024. We have selected a squad that we think gives us the best chance of success in that tournament. We will continue to assess in the lead up to the competition."
Fans can purchase tickets online and in advance from the Windies Tickets service, presented by MasterCard. Fans can save up to 20% on tickets when they purchase online in advance and local fans can benefit from other promotions and benefits. West Indies fans can also benefit from a further saving thanks to Mastercard, West Indies official payments partner. Caribbean fans who register with a Caribbean address and a Caribbean-bank issued Mastercard, can benefit from a further 20% off selected tickets when visting the following link: https://www.windiescricket.com/news/west-indies-fans-to-benefit-from-special-mastercard-ticket-promotion-as-official-partner-of-the-west-indies/
Venue box offices are open at least 5 days in advance of each match.
Catch the action live in the Caribbean on Rush, the Flow Sports App, or the Sportsmax App and on TNT Sports in the UK. Visit the windiescricket.com website for further details on the live broadcast with our other media partners around the world.
FULL SQUAD
West Indies v England T20I Series Schedule (Match start time in brackets)
1st T20I – 12 December – Kensington Oval, Barbados (6.00pm local time/5.00pm Jamaica time)
2nd T20I – 14 December – National Stadium, Grenada (1:30pm local time/12.30pm Jamaica time)
3rd T20I – 16 December – National Stadium, Grenada (1:30pm local time/12.30pm Jamaica time)
4th T20I – 19 December – Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4:00pm local time/3.00pm Jamaica time)
5th T20I – 21 December – Brian Lara Academy, Trinidad (4:00pm local time/12.30pm Jamaica time)
Stadium gates open two hours before first ball is bowled.
Deccan Gladiators' hopes of a hat-trick of Abu Dhabi T10 titles were dashed by New York Strikers, who put in a fantastic bowling display led by Sunil Narine in the final to romp home by seven wickets with four balls in hand on Saturday.
Big scores had gone down as the tournament wore on, but Gladiators' 91 for 5 after being sent in appeared insufficient for the big occasion. It proved to be exactly that, despite Strikers being 7 for 2 in 1.1 overs, with openers Muhammad Waseem and Rahmanullah Gurbaz dismissed cheaply.
Niroshan Dickwella and Asif Ali, the Player of the Match, put the innings back on track, before Dickwella was sent back by Andre Russell for a 12-ball 14. From there on, it was all about Asif and captain Kieron Pollard, who put up 56 runs together without much scoreboard pressure to weigh them down.
Asif scored 48 not out in 25 balls with two fours and four sixes, and Pollard chipped in with 22 not out in 13, with a four and six, as Strikers won the title.
The win was set up by the bowlers, though. Gladiators had a decent opening stand of 28 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Nicholas Pooran, the No. 1 and No. 3 on the tournament run-scorers' list, but Narine broke through in the third over with Kohler-Cadmore's wicket for a seven-ball 13. Pooran fell to George Scrimshaw two balls later, and Gladiators were suddenly 28 for 2, which became 36 for 3, 41 for 4, and 57 for 5 after 7.1 overs, with Narine returning 2 for 6 from his two overs without conceding a single boundary.
Russell, who finished with an unbeaten 30 from 18 balls with two fours and two sixes, and David Wiese, 20 not out from 11, with a four and two sixes, completed the innings with some momentum, but it was too few for Gladiators to defend on the night.
In a performance worthy of a defending champion, Nicholas Pooran's Deccan Gladiators secured their spot in the final of the 2023 Abu Dhabi T10 after defeating Samp Army by 28 runs in Eliminator 2 on Friday. The victory sets the stage for a highly anticipated rematch with the New York Strikers, echoing the showdown that captivated fans in the 2022 final.
Just an hour after Pooran's remarkable innings of 70 from 25 balls in the Gladiators' previous 10-wicket triumph over the Bangla Tigers, the explosive batsman showcased his prowess once again. Pooran contributed a rapid 26 from nine balls before being dismissed, setting the foundation for Tom Kohler-Cadmore's unbeaten 36 and Imad Wasim's explosive 35 from 17 balls, propelling the Gladiators to a total of 117-5.
The Samp Army bowlers, led by Qais Ahmad and Salman Irshad, put up a commendable effort, with Ahmad dismissing Pooran and the dangerous Andre Fletcher in successive deliveries. Ahmad’s efforts resulted in figures of 2-11 while Irshad took and 2-24.
Jason Holder supported with 1-16.
However, the Gladiators' bowling unit proved even more formidable.
Pooran's strategic decision to deploy spinners upfront paid off immediately, as Imad Wasim and Fabien Allen secured the first two wickets for just 11 runs in the second over. Waqar Salamkheil then wreaked havoc in the Samp Army middle order, claiming remarkable figures of 3-6. Despite a quick-fire 31 from 14 balls by Karim Janat, who was eventually dismissed by Andre Russell, Samp Army found themselves at 64-5.
Needing 53 runs from the final 16 balls, Samp Army faced an insurmountable challenge, finishing on 89-6. The Gladiators' clinical performance paved the way for their advancement to the final, where they will once again lock horns with the New York Strikers in a battle for T10 supremacy on Saturday.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
