“[…] I ask the question… where is the real Kieron Pollard? Where’s the ultra-aggressive and controversial leader who constantly gets under the skin of opposing players? “Where’s the tactically sound, charismatic Kieron Pollard who demands maximum effort on the field of play from his players? Where’s the captain who takes …
Read More »Best: Niggling doubts about Pollard’s future as captain; is he considering calling it a day?
It’s beginning to look a lot like, not Christmas, but ciao for West Indies white ball captain Kieron Pollard. I have a niggling suspicion that the 34-year-old globetrotting allrounder has had it with the sniping and the pot-shot-taking that never ends in the Caribbean. And with having to repeat, you …
Read More »Best: CWI cramping Haynes’ style; shouldn’t he be given full control of WI selection?
Unlike his departed predecessor, I’ll bet my hat that Desmond Leo Haynes won’t be announcing that he has to see Nicholas Pooran—or anyone else—play red ball cricket before he considers him for a place on the Test team. Already, he has announced he’ll be doing things his way; his panel …
Read More »CWI axes selectors Harper, Bascombe; head coach Simmons to lead pro-tem panel
Appointed as lead selector for two years in mid-October 2019, Roger Harper got a two-month extension until the end of the current year. But that’s it! Cricket West Indies today announced that neither the former off-spinner nor Miles Bascombe, the second member of the three-member panel, will have his contract …
Read More »Media Monitor: Two Tonys and a ‘Reds’; would Cozier have condoned that crazy WI analysis?
Asked to name a West Indies all-time best squad, Lloyd Best, a serious and respected commentator on all things West Indian, selected him first. The role played by the doyen of West Indian cricket writers in the promotion of regional cricket, Best was making the point, was more important than …
Read More »Fair ticket and souvenir prices and thoughtful scheduling; how to maximise Cricket W/Cups
“[…] It would verge on the immoral for the ICC and/or CWI to repeat the unfortunate 2007 World Cup experience of setting ticket prices that the local fans simply cannot afford. “Speaking of affordability, CWI also now needs to seriously reconsider the current online pricing of its West Indies team …
Read More »Chris Gayle ain’t leaving? As Pollard’s sorry side takes stock, will opener make WI a laughing stock?
There was a time when I would have laughed it off. But the moment the story of Chris Gayle’s latest ‘I ain’t leaving’ tweet came up in my feed, I went to YouTube to listen to Andre Tanker. Smokey Joe play a big-time mas./Purple velvet and shining brass./He went to …
Read More »T2021 W/C PM: Why Carlos Brathwaite puts the peerless Prince in 2nd place
We does win, dem does lorse. Mathematically, defending champions West Indies were knocked out of the 2021 T20 World Cup when they failed to beat Sri Lanka on Thursday 4 November. In fact, Kieron Pollard’s side were effectively out of the World Cup after they could only muster 55 in …
Read More »T2021 W/C PM: Six! The exhi-LARA-ting story of the peerless Prince of Port-of-Spain
Arithmetic and algebra are not two sides of the same coin. You can be great at one, a complete dud at the other. Take, for example, Roger Harper. In defending the selection of tearaway pacer Oshane Thomas, the West Indies lead selector identified him as ‘an X factor’. But in …
Read More »‘Reds’ and McWatt: WI must overhaul white-ball teams, starting with captain, coaches and selectors
“[…] The win-loss results of the Phil Simmons-led coaching staff also suggest they should be immediately replaced. Of the 36 T20 International matches played since Simmons’ October 2019 reinstatement as head coach, West Indies won 14 and lost 17 while five ended as no results! “[…] Our replacement suggestions would …
Read More »T2021 W/C Post-mortem: Solace for sad WI souls sunk by Pollard’s side’s six-seeking
When your World Cup ends prematurely, you’re in more hell than Brown. You looked at the West Indies line-up, boasting in excess of 1500 T20 matches, more than 20,000 thousand T20 runs and over a 1,000 T20 wickets. “If deh beat we,” you told yourself confidently, “deh eat we!” So …
Read More »T2021 W/C: ‘Reds’ and McWatt call for WI selectors, coaches and captain to pay for disastrous campaign
“[…] Prior to the World Cup’s commencement, West Indies selection panel chairman Roger Harper expressed his belief that the chosen 15-member squad was good enough to successfully defend their title as reigning champions. The actual results have now, however, clearly demonstrated the absolute lunacy of Harper’s thinking. “[…] The West …
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