Windies middle-order batsman, Shamarh Brooks, admits it was a crushing blow to narrowly miss out on a debut ODI century but insists it is just part of a learning curve.
Brooks put on a solid performance that proved the backbone of a close 24-run win in the opening match of the series on Sunday
Together with Windies skipper Kieron Pollard, Brooks put 155 runs on the board for the 5th wicket, which proved critical in stabilisng the team’s middle-order after floundering at 4 for 62.
On 93 the player seemed destined to be only the second West Indian to make an ODI century on debut but was out lbw off the bowling of Mark Adair.
“Word can’t express (how disappointing it was) but at the end of the day it was still my first game and I’m still happy with the score that I got. It’s just unfortunate to miss out on triple figures,” Brooks said.
“I wouldn’t say I panicked in the nervous 90s. Some people would have been a little more cautious having been set but as we all know it’s a learning curve at this stage. I’ll take this one on the chin and look to grow from strength to strength,” he added.
The West Indies and Ireland will face off again in the second match on Tuesday.
Veteran all-rounder Dwyane Bravo will join fellow West Indian Chris Gayle at Fortune Barishal for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after replacing Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka.
Gunathilaka was forced to pull out of the tournament after he failed to receive a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
In addition to Gayle, who will be playing for the franchise for the third time, the franchise has also added another two Caribbean players. Pace bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Obed Mccoy will also be joining the team.
The 38-year-old Bravo, who retired from international cricket following the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year, has previously represented the Chittagong Kings, Comilla Victorians, and Dhaka Dynamites in the BPL.
The competition, which is scheduled to bowl off on January 21, will be played across three cities and will feature 6 teams.
The West Indies secured a 24-run win over Ireland in the first of their three ODIs at Sabina Park today.
In pursuit of 270 for victory, captain Andrew Balbirnie and William Porterfield strode to the crease to begin Ireland’s reply.
Their chase got off to the worst possible start as experienced opener Porterfield was dismissed for a duck by Akeal Hosein in the second over to leave them at 1-1.
Andrew McBrine joined Balbirnie at the crease and the pair carefully carried the score to 30-1 after 10 overs.
McBrine, unfortunately, had to leave the field at the end of the 17th over, on 34 from 50 balls, after being struck on the helmet by Odean Smith with the score on 62-1.
Harry Tector came to the crease to join Balbirnie and the two brought the score to 74-1 at the end of 20 overs with Balbirnie on 31 and Tector on three.
Ireland brought up their hundred with only one wicket down in the 25th over with Balbirnie and Tector on 46 and 12, respectively.
Balbirnie brought up his 13th ODI 50 off 74 balls in the 27th over.
After 30 overs, Ireland was cruising at 134-1 with Balbirnie on 60 and Tector on 32.
Balbirnie (66) and Tector (42) continued scoring freely to bring up Ireland’s 150 in the 33rd over.
Tector brought up his fifth ODI 50 off 62 balls in the 35th over.
At the start of the 36th over, Balbirnie and Tector brought up their 100-partnership.
The West Indies finally got the breakthrough they were looking for when Romario Shepherd removed Balbirnie for 71 off 94 balls in the 37th over to leave Ireland 165-2.
Odean Smith got his first ODI wicket in the 38th over by removing Harry Tector for 53 to leave the tourists 173-3 needing 97 more to win from 75 balls.
Curtis Campher then became Shepherd’s second wicket when he was dismissed for six in the 39th over to leave Ireland 173-4.
After 40 overs, Ireland was 178-4 needing 92 from 60 balls to win with Lorcan Tucker on 3 and George Dockrell on 2.
Tucker was next to go, bowled by Alzarri Joseph for 9 in the 42nd over, to leave the score at 186-5.
Joseph then bowled a perfect yorker to dismiss Gareth Delaney in the 44th over for his second wicket to leave Ireland on 194-6 needing 76 from 37 balls to win.
Neil Rock came in as a concussion substitute for McBrine and helped Ireland bring up their 200 in the 45th over with four wickets in hand.
After a promising partnership with Dockrell, Rock was dismissed by Jason Holder in the 47th over for five to leave Ireland 222-7 needing 48 from 20 balls to win.
Dockrell gave the West Indies something to think about late on with some big shots but was eventually dismissed by Joseph in the 48th over for 30 from 25 balls to leave Ireland on 237-8, needing 33 from 14 to win.
Shepherd then got his third wicket of the innings, removing Craig Young for a duck in the 49th over to leave the score at 239-9.
The win was secured when Nicholas Pooran took a brilliant diving catch on the boundary off Odean Smith to dismiss Josh Little and secure a 24-run victory.
Alzarri Joseph and Romario Shepherd took three wickets each for the West Indies and they were supported by debutant Odean Smith who got two.
Earlier, Ireland won the toss and put the West Indies in to bat.
Shamarh Brooks (93) and captain Kieron Pollard (69) were the chief destroyers as the West Indies finished 269 all out off 48.5 overs, against three-wicket hauls from Mark Adair and Craig Young.
Brooks was voted Player of the Match.
Well-compiled half-centuries from captain Kieron Pollard and debutant Shamarh Brooks propelled the West Indies to 269 all out from 48.5 overs in the first ODI at Sabina Park today.
After Ireland won the toss and chose to field, vice-captain Shai Hope and debutant Justin Greaves were tasked to open the innings for the home side.
The pair battled to 18-0 from 5.4 overs before Greaves was removed caught off the bowling of pacer Mark Adair for 7.
Nicholas Pooran joined Hope and the pair brought the score to 36-1 after 10 overs with Hope on 17 and Pooran on five.
They reached 59-1 in the 17th over before Pooran was dismissed, caught on the boundary off the bowling of off-spinner Andrew McBrine for 13.
Shai Hope was the next batsman to go, caught by wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker off the bowling of medium-pacer Curtis Campher for 29 to leave the West Indies 59-3 early in the 18th over.
Roston Chase replaced Hope at the crease and didn’t last long, becoming McBrine’s second victim, for one, leaving the West Indies 62-4 after 19 overs with captain Pollard joining Brooks at the crease.
After 20 overs, the Caribbean side were 66-4 with Brooks on five and Pollard on one.
The same pair were at the crease when the West Indies brought up their 100 in the 27th over with Pollard on 20 and Brooks on 17.
After 30 overs, West Indies were 121-4 with Pollard on 26 and Brooks on 27.
Brooks brought up a debut ODI 50 off 61 balls in the 36th over to move the score along to 159-4.
Pollard followed suit in the 37th over, hitting consecutive sixes off McBrine to bring up his 13th ODI 50 off 51 balls.
With 10 overs remaining, the West Indies were 204-4 with Brooks and Pollard looking comfortable on 70 and 66, respectively.
Pollard finally went for 69 off 66 balls in the 42nd over to leave the Windies 217-5.
Brooks was dismissed narrowly short of a debut hundred in the 45th over, going off the bowling of Mark Adair for 93 from 89 balls to leave the West Indies 238-6 with five overs remaining.
Romario Shepherd was the seventh wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Craig Young in the 47th over for two to leave the score at 246-7.
More misery followed as Jason Holder went off the very next ball for 13 to leave the Windies 246-8 off 46.5 overs.
Alzarri Joseph was next to go in the 48th over for a duck to leave the score 253-9.
Mark Adair was the pick of the Irish bowlers with 3-38 from his 8.5 overs and he was supported by Craig Young who recovered from an expensive start to his spell to finish with 3-56 from nine overs.
Cricket West Indies (CWI), during a meeting of their Board of Directors on Thursday, announced the appointment of former Windies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan as a Selector to the West Indies Men’s Senior and Youth Selection Panels.
The panels are led by the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes and Robert Haynes respectively. Sarwan will be stepping down from his current role as Chairman of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Senior Selection Panel to focus on this role and avoid any conflict of interest.
“I am delighted to confirm that Ramnaresh Sarwan has agreed to accept the post of selector on CWI’s Men’s Senior and Youth Panels. He is a student of the game and knows what is required of our young cricketers in order to achieve international success. The Board of Directors are confident that Mr. Sarwan will add enormous value to the cricket system,” said CWI President Ricky Skerritt, reacting to the appointment.
Sarwan, a former West Indies captain who had an international career spanning over a decade, also reacted to his appointment to the panels.
“I want to thank CWI and everyone involved for giving me this opportunity to again serve West Indies cricket, as a member of the selection panels. I’m passionate about the game of cricket and especially West Indies cricket and once asked to contribute, I didn’t hesitate. I look forward to working with my colleagues, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes and Mr Robert Haynes, and the two Head Coaches, as well as everyone else involved in the development of this sport we love and respect so much,” he said.
Sarwan will be a member of the Men’s Senior and Youth Selection Panels until 30 June 2024, a period that includes four ICC Global Events, two T20 World Cups (2022 & 2024), the Cricket World Cup (2023), and the World Test Championship Final (2023).
He played 81 Test matches, 181 One-Day Internationals, and 18 T20 Internationals for the West Indies between 2000 and 2013.
He scored 5842 runs in Tests, including 15 centuries, and 5804 runs in ODIs, including five centuries, and was a member of the West Indies team which won the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in 2004.
West Indies One Day International and T20 captain, Kieron Pollard, implored his team to aim to put together a string of consistent performances on the eve of their first ODI against Ireland at Sabina Park in Jamaica.
Pollard spoke in a pre-match press conference on Friday and acknowledged the criticism the team has received for its frequent inconsistent play.
“A lot has been said over the last couple months in terms of performances by the West Indies team; us not doing well and losing games and it is something that we accept. We want to be able to string good performances together on a consistent basis and that is the nature of some of the conversations we’re having as a team,” Pollard said.
The Trinidadian also explained that finding the right combination can take time so fans should be patient.
“Hopefully the fans can bear with us until we find that right combination and guys in the frame of mind to actually perform on a consistent basis,” he added.
Finding that right combination is also made more difficult by the fact that some of the most talented players in the region have persistent fitness issues that prevents them from being selected to represent the Caribbean side, a notion which Pollard also echoed during his press conference.
“It has been a topical issue that has been plaguing us for the last couple years or so. I think it’s an individual choice. The selection policy is there, the fitness policies are there. Guys know exactly what is needed for you as an individual to represent the West Indies and sometimes as individuals, we tend to take things for granted. Yes, it has hindered the process of selecting the best team at any given time,” he said.
In terms of preparation, the captain says training has been going well and the team is relishing the opportunity to produce.
“We have an opportunity to try and put things right, so for the last couple days guys have been training hard. This is a different format to the ones that we have played recently and we’re looking forward to the challenges for the season ahead, not only this series,” Pollard said.
The first ODI between the West Indies and Ireland bowls off at Sabina Park on Saturday, January 8 at 9:30 am Jamaica time.
West Indies Women’s all-rounder, Hayley Matthews, has hailed the impact and approach of head coach Courtney Walsh for the team’s noticeable recent improvements.
Walsh took charge of the team in 2020, on the back of a difficult period that had seen the WI Women swept aside 5-0 during a tour of England and four straight series defeats prior to that. The team was also the subject of criticism for their overall fitness levels.
Fast forward a few months later and a fitter-looking Windies Women have shown signs of improvement, putting together much stronger performances that saw them win 2 of the last 3 ODI series. Matthews believes a new approach has slowly started to show benefits for both herself and the team.
“I think it’s been fantastic, just looking at the structure. Our entire camps and training session have been going really well. He’s brought in some fantastic coaches to work with us, you have Corey Collymore as a fast bowling coach, you have Ryan Austin as our spin coach, Steve Liburd for the fielding and the wicketkeeping and then Robert Samuels has been working with us for batting as well. So, I think there’s a really good balance at the moment,” Matthews told the Mason and Guest radio show.
“Everyone has been getting a bit more zoned in on the specifics and that’s something we were missing in the past, not having as much firepower in the coaching area. Really breaking it down to the basics in those general areas. That’s been really good and Courtney has done a fantastic job bringing in the right people to blend with the girls.”
Matthews has had an exceptional season herself and is one of three nominees for the ICC Women’s ODI Player of the Year award.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the appointment of legendary former West Indies opening batsman, the Most Hon. Dr. Desmond Haynes, as the Lead Selector of the West Indies Senior Men’s Team today.
Along with his outstanding cricket credentials, Haynes was recently honoured by the University of the West Indies with an Honorary Doctorate Degree and is a former Senator in the Parliament of Barbados.
He was confirmed as the new Men’s Team Lead Selector during a meeting of the CWI Board of Directors earlier today and CWI President, Ricky Skerritt, reacted to the appointment.
“I am delighted to confirm that the Most Hon. Dr. Desmond Haynes has agreed to re-join the CWI cricket system as the Lead Selector. His cricket knowledge and experience are second to none, and I am confident that Desmond is the right man for the right job, at the right time,” he said.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and all stakeholders, I wish Desmond every success as he commences his important Lead role, which starts immediately. I want to also take this opportunity to thank Roger Harper and Miles Bascombe for their commitment and integrity whilst they served on the panel over the past two years,” Skerritt added.
Haynes was grateful to the board for the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket again.
“I would like to thank President Skerritt and the CWI Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket once again. Being a selector is a thankless task, but a critical role in our cricket system and I am honoured to be appointed. I have always indicated that I would assist West Indies cricket in any way possible and I see this as an opportunity to do just that. I pledge to carry out my duties in a fair and professional manner,” he said.
Haynes will lead the West Indies Men’s Selection Panel until June 30, 2024, a period that includes four ICC Global Events, two T20 World Cups (2022 & 2024), the Cricket World Cup (2023) and the World Test Championship Final (2023).
He played 116 Test matches, four as captain, and 238 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies between 1978 and 1994.
He scored 7487 runs in Tests, including 18 centuries, and 8648 runs in ODIs, including 17 centuries.
He was a member of the West Indies team which won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1979 and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in June 2021.
With the West Indies One Day International (ODI) series beginning on Saturday, pacer Jayden Seales is feeling relaxed ahead of his maiden stint in the West Indies white-ball set up.
The 20-year-old Trinidadian pacer has already represented the region at the highest level, so far taking 16 wickets in four Test matches, with his debut coming against South Africa as a 19-year-old last year in St. Lucia.
His talents were first put on display for the world to see in the 2020 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup where he spearheaded the West Indies attack and was one of the most impressive bowlers in the tournament, finishing with 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 18.30.
Speaking at a press conference today, ahead of the start of the Ireland series, Seales spoke about coping with pressure as well as how staying away from negative comments and focusing on Cricket has been the key to his early success.
“I think I’ll be under pressure most of my career seeing that I’m the youngster in the team. If I don’t perform then the media and everybody will say I’m too young, so I tend to just not focus on that stuff. I don’t really go to social media during series or during a game. I tend to stay off social media and stay away from comments. I just talk to my parents and to my family back home and keep my mind away from all the negatives and focus on the cricket. I just go out and enjoy my cricket and play to the best of my ability and if on the day I happen to perform well for the team then I’ll be very pleased,” Seales added.
Fresh off a successful stint in the recently concluded Lankan Premier League T20 where he took 15 wickets in seven matches to help his Jaffna Kings defend their title, Seales will be hoping to make his ODI debut for the West Indies when they take on the Irish on Saturday, January 8 at 9:30 am Jamaica time at Sabina Park.
Head coach of the Guyana Eagles, Esuan Crandon, has reported that the majority of the players re-taking the Yo-Yo fitness test earlier this week improved their scores but remains perplexed at the reason fitness has become such an issue for some players.
A group consisting of Shimron Hetmyer, Chandrapaul Hemraj, and Keemo Paul were reportedly among those present for the drills, which took place on Monday at the Leonora Stadium.
Hetmyer sent tongues around the region wagging earlier this week after it was revealed that the player was left out of the West Indies squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England, after failing another fitness test. The situation left head coach Phil Simmons notably frustrated.
According to Crandon, some members of the team have received higher scores this time around, but it seems clear that many of the players were still not at the required fitness levels.
“I think what we have seen today is some improvement from the guys, probably not what we were looking for but at the end of the day, most of them, about 97-98 percent would have improved on their previous scores (in the yo-yo test) so that is a good sign for us, and it also tells the entire group that once you put in the work, you will improve,” Crandon told the Guyana Times.
“It is simple as that. I do not understand why it is difficult for some of these players to understand. You are professionals and they have to put in the work to get to the level of fitness we are looking at.”
The coach revealed that there could be another test in a few days for players who were still not at the required level. The team is currently in preparation for the regional Regional 4-Day Tournament next month.
West Indies legend, Viv Richards, has called for there to be more accountability across the board when it comes to the affairs of the regional team, including the performances of coaches.
The West Indies men’s team, which is coached by former player Phil Simmons, has been plagued by poor performances in recent months. At the T20 World Cup the team, who entered the tournament as defending champions, were less than inspiring and crashed out after finishing 5th in Group 1 after winning just one match and losing four.
The performance was followed by lopsided defeats in Sri Lanka for the Test team and Pakistan. The Women’s team, who appointed former fast bowler Courtney Walsh two years ago after a string of poor results, have in the meantime won two of their last three series.
“We’ve got to start calling on the coaches a bit more in my opinion for performances, and to have a level at some point regarding performances, where you’d say that last year we were here at that level and where we want to be next year, so I am looking for stuff like that sort of improvement,” Richards recently told the Good Morning Jojo radio program.
“I think I am looking for that sort of improvement, which I am not seeing at the moment,” he said.
At the same time, the former player, known as the Master Blaster in his prime, also believes that there was also the need for more transparency and equality as it relates to players' selection based on fitness standards.
“There are times we play to people’s affairs and not overall in terms of the team in itself because no one or two or three individuals make up a team in itself. It’s about the solidness, and everyone being on board, and just how you dish out the treatment, I think it needs to be a little fairer in my opinion. It gives everyone an opportunity and where the fitness is concerned, that seems to be lacking for years now,” he said.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons is expecting more energy and enthusiasm from a new-look squad as the team bowls off the year with series against Ireland and England.
The Caribbean team has endured a disappointing few months on the back of a disastrous showing at the T20 World Cup, followed by defeats in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
A few of the team’s most experienced players have retired following a lackluster showing at the World Cup and the team did not select a few other regulars for the tour of Pakistan. Despite a 3-0 T20 series loss in Pakistan, Simmons was encouraged by the team’s fervor.
“The way we started in Pakistan is the way we want to play now, have a lot more energy, more enthusiasm,” Simmons told members of the media earlier this week.
“It's a young group of guys and we are trying to mould them and get them into a winning frame of mind. We want to win, and we want to do everything that it takes to win,” he added.
The team will see the likes of Brandon King and Odean Smith returning a potential debut for Justin Greaves and spinner Gudakesh Motie set to earn a second cap.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, insists the organisation will find some appropriate way to honour legendary batsman Chris Gayle after the player was left out of the team's T20 squad for Ireland and England.
Shortly after the team’s unceremonious exit from the World Cup, the hard-hitting left-hander had let on that the reason that he had not announced his retirement at the World Cup was that plans were already underway for a final farewell match.
Two weeks ago CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave stated on radio that the one-off match against Ireland would represent the perfect opportunity to honour the batsman. Gayle was, however, later left out of the squad by the newly appointed selectors. Skerritt insists the plan was never for the player to be picked for the match and that the CWI had not yet finalised plans for a farewell event.
"We're not defining what such a game (farewell) will look like. The planning has not yet commenced," Skerritt told Cricbuzz.
He insists, however, that the idea remained on the cards to honour the record T20 runs scorer.
"Gayle has been a phenomenal performer for Jamaica and the West Indies since he was a teenager. He deserves to be thanked and honored by fans. CWI will find the right way to make that happen in a manner that Chris can enjoy."
Former West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman, Denesh Ramdin, is now under new management after signing with Sophie Claire Management.
Ramdin was a member of the West Indies T20 World Cup sides in 2012 and 2016. Claire reacted to the signing on her Instagram page.
“Two-time World Cup T20 winning wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin. It is a privilege to work with people you admire for all their accomplishments,” she said.
The Trinidadian is a former West Indies captain at both the Under-19 and senior levels and holds the West Indies wicketkeeping record for most T20 dismissals.
The 36-year-old scored 2898 runs in 74 Test matches at an average of 25.87 for the West Indies with four centuries and 15 fifties with his highest score of 166 coming against England in 2009.
In 139 ODIs, Ramdin scored 2200 runs at an average of 25.00 with two centuries and eight fifties with a highest score of 169 against Bangladesh in 2014.
He also represented the West Indies in 71 T20 Internationals scoring 636 runs at an average of 18.70 with one half-century
West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer has failed yet another fitness test, a situation that has left West Indies head coach Phil Simmons exasperated.
Hetmyer was left out of the team for the upcoming visits of Ireland and England after failing to pass fitness drills administered in his home country of Guyana recently.
The occasion is the third in the last three years that the athlete is failing to get a passing grade for the West Indies basic fitness requirement. Hetmyer was first left out of the squad in 2020, ahead of the Sri Lanka tour, and then again later that year during the home visit of the same team.
Simmons expressed frustration that Hetmyer was not only letting down himself but failing to maintain the required standards but also the entire team.
“It’s the same old, same old. He did his fitness assessment in Guyana and he came way below the required mark,” Simmons told members of the media during a conference call on Friday.
“Again, it is something that is heart-wrenching because you know that you are part of this team, and you have to keep a certain fitness to be part of this team and you keep letting down your teammates.”
Simmons added the player was also “letting down himself.”
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