With the wicked stepfather now out of the picture, the prodigal sons are back in the fold. And recent results suggest that the West Indies cricket family is once again not doing too badly, thank you. But Dwayne John Bravo seems not entirely sanguine about the status quo. Bravo’s younger …
Read More »Scalp by scalp, Walsh steadily stakes claim for T20 World Cup selection
Despite being a player on the regional scene since the 2011-12 season, Hayden Walsh jr had never really knocked on the selection door before the middle of the 2019 CPL season. In the third game of his debut regional season, he had impressed with returns of 4 for 47 against …
Read More »Best: Boo not bravo, as ‘DJ’ makes wrong selection in pushing Gayle recall
Let me say it loud and clear, un-e-qui-vo-cal-ly, with no water in my mouth: as far as representative West Indies senior team cricket is concerned, Chris Gayle is not yet quite ancient history. He is nonetheless history! Make no mistake about that. And Dwayne ‘DJ’ Bravo can recommend Gayle’s recall until his …
Read More »Best: Lil pin does chook hard; Walsh jr settles question of WI size
Hayden Walsh jr stands only 5’7” in his socks. But since last October, he has been steadily rising to the challenge of being a West Indian cricketer at last. But no matter how high he climbs, even if he were a 6’4” Alzarri Joseph or a 6’7” Jason Holder or …
Read More »Antigua’s little hero Alzarri: Few words, plenty pace and a growing bag of Irish scalps
Hayden Walsh Jr came to the wicket with the West Indies, in pursuit of 238 for a long-awaited series win, in trouble at 148 for 7. When Sheldon Cottrell smashed Mark Adair for six over extra-cover to give Kieron Pollard’s soldiers a narrow one-wicket win with one ball left in …
Read More »Sir Frank’s lessons for Pollard; time for WI to have a word with Hetmyer
Until Tuesday, my cricketing new year was going reasonably well. Early in the day, Virat Kohli’s India had whipped Sri Lanka in the 1st T20I. But Ben Stokes’ bowling boots had, not for the first time, trampled all over my dream of a hard-earned draw for Faf Du Plessis’ men. …
Read More »Too early to promote Hetmyer? Too late to rethink bringing back DJ Bravo et al?
Blank Bravo. Drop white ball Holder. Hand Hetmyer a promotion. If the West Indies are serious about moving towards the top of international cricket anytime soon, now is certainly the time to make bold moves. And, thankfully, it looks to me as if that is the direction in which we …
Read More »Best: WI cyar find a West Indian batting coach? Ting really so bad in cricket?
Since taking over the Cricket West Indies reins last March, new boss Ricky Skerritt has added real value to the West Indies brand. So far, he has talked good West Indies talk and walked the West Indies walk. However, the long-hoped-for turnaround remains elusive—and I am not merely talking about …
Read More »CPL 19: How Shoaib makes the Warriors click; young West Indians praise senior Pakistani statesman
Both as batsman and as captain, Shoaib Malik eschews extravagance and unapologetically espouses a policy of risk reduction. It is a choice which, so far in 2019, has paid rich dividends. Additionally, swimming steadfastly against the regional tide, he has often opted for finesse over force, for six singles rather …
Read More »Dear Editor: Rooting for Tridents, sincerely, an Amazon Warrior fan
“GAW is far and away the best team in CPL 2019. But sport isn’t linear, and the best doesn’t always win the prize. […] I’d feel better about the Amazon Warriors’ chances in an NBA-style best of 5 maybe, not in a single game, because TKR could win a one-off, …
Read More »CPL 2019: Starting from zero; might Shoaib Warriors’ perfect 20 give them an advantage over Pollard’s TKR?
Understandably, Shoaib Malik and the Guyana Amazon Warriors management and supporters are currently cock-a-hoop. So I think it may be appropriate today to remind them all of what the then West Indies coach said to Brian Lara in Sydney in 1992. The Prince of Port-of-Spain had just completed the superb …
Read More »CPL 19: Easy as 1! 2! 3! TKR see off St Lucia Zouks for third straight win
Half centuries by Lendl Simmons and Denesh ‘Shotta’ Ramdin led the Trinbago Knight Riders to their third win on the trot with a convincing victory over the St Lucia Zouks at the Queen’s Park Oval on a searing Sunday afternoon. The signs are ominous for the other teams in the …
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