Born 86 years ago today on 28 July 1936, Garfield St Aubrun Sobers became simply, as Sparrow sang, “the greatest cricketer on Earth or Mars”. Hyperbole? Calypsonians, we know, are so prone. Still, it isn’t easy to dismiss the claim made by the Calypso King of the World on behalf …
Read More »Early Bird: Insularity’s alive and well and coming soon from a place near you in T&T
“[Joe] Root won the toss…” It was a joke, not meant to be taken seriously. It was. Bobby had clearly prepared himself for the eventuality. “Check the record, bro,” he hit back. “[Brian] Lara recaptured his record in the Fourth Test, not the First. And when a class batsman is …
Read More »Early Bird: Root’s record plus weak West Indies bowling put Lara’s record under threat
Sonny Ramadhin’s recent death reminded us that more than once MCC tinkered with the rules. The changes may have helped England in 1957 but they certainly haven’t really helped them do all that well in the Caribbean at any time. Their last away series win in the 20th Century came …
Read More »‘He changed the landscape of contemporary cricket’; world cricket pays tribute to Shane Warne
Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt and head coach Phil Simmons have joined iconic cricketers like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and the rest of the world in paying tribute to legendary former Australia cricket leg-spinner Shane Warne, who passed away from a suspected heart attack in Thailand today. Thai Police …
Read More »Best: One short! Why Hosein joins Brathwaite and Lara on the long-lasting WI memories list
I think I ought to apologise to Hayden Walsh Jr. But I know I owe Akeal Hosein an apology. Romario Shepherd, the allrounder who shared the spotlight with Hosein in Game Two of the Betway five-match T20 series in Barbados on Sunday, had an essential message for the West Indians …
Read More »Ramnaresh Sarwan joins Desmond Haynes on West Indies Senior Selection Panel
Former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has been appointed as the third member of the Men’s Senior Selection Panel. In an announcement today, Cricket West Indies revealed that the 41-year-old former middle-order batsman will join lead selector Desmond Haynes and head coach Phil Simmons on the Senior Selection Panel and …
Read More »Media Monitor: Why CWI Media’s Covid-enforced changes would not have cramped Cozier’s style
Kraigg Brathwaite embarrassed us all in the second innings of the Second Test in Sri Lanka last month but few seemed to notice. The West Indies Test skipper finished with 1/11 in his five overs after ending a troublesome 51-run sixth wicket partnership by having Ramesh Mendis caught by Kemar …
Read More »Write Start: Allen-Agostini calls on young essay writers to develop writing muscle
The following is the full text of the brief address delivered by Lisa Allen-Agostini, chief judge for the 11-15 panel in the Write Start National Essay Writing Contest, at the prize-giving ceremony, held at the bMobile box at the Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday 16 December 2021. Also in attendance …
Read More »‘My story came to life!’ Wired868 Write Start winner, Shara Balkaran, blown away by Brian Lara
There was an unexpected touch of royalty at the inaugural Wired868 Write Start national essay writing prize-giving ceremony yesterday evening at the bmobile suite at the Queen’s Park Oval in St Clair. Parvati Girls’ Hindu College student Shara Balkan won the 11-15 category with a fictional story about how her …
Read More »Write Start (11-15): Shara Balkaran quit cricket that day, but Brian Lara had other ideas…
“[…] ‘Why are you here?’ asked one of the boys. ‘Girls cannot play cricket,’ said another jokingly. “Their comments were followed by an eruption of laughter from the other boys. Demotivated and embarrassed, I darted from there, as fast as a lightning bolt. I sat at the end of the …
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 …
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