“[…] Assuming everyone is fully fit and in sufficiently good form, if the 2022 World Cup 15-member squad were to be picked today, there would be at least eight players who would be considered by most to be automatic selections. “Discounting Kieron Pollard’s participation in any possible manner, the referenced …
Read More »Hosein, Hope and Greaves test positive for virus, Pakistan tour in danger as WI cases add up
Cricket West Indies (CWI) will decide in a few hours if the regional outfit can complete its white-ball tour of Pakistan, after three more players and two officials tested positive for Covid-19. Key spinner Akeal Hosein, wicketkeeper/batsman Shai Hope and allrounder Justin Greaves all tested positive for the novel coronavirus …
Read More »Pooran’s makeshift WI XI flattened in Karachi, as Pakistan win opening T20I by 63 runs
West Indies started their tour of Pakistan this morning with a 63-run defeat this morning, captain Nicholas Pooran’s experimental team put to the sword by the hosts at the Karachi National Stadium. Spinner Akeal Hosein removed Pakistan captain and star batsman Babar Azam for a duck with just the fourth …
Read More »Battling Covid-19 and Azam in Karachi; things look brown for Pooran’s green Maroon Men
And then there were 12. The 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cup champions West Indies will start a 3-match T20I series against Pakistan with a team which sees several different names on the team sheet when compared to the team which represented the region in such eminently forgettable fashion at …
Read More »McWatt and ‘Reds’: Pooran can establish himself against Pakistan, but Gayle farewell against Ireland is absurd
“[…] Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) most recent indication of its intention to use next year’s scheduled 16 January T20I against Ireland as a circus-type grand farewell for Chris Gayle is further evidence of its lack of proper governance of our cricket. “In its haste to appease the self-appointed ‘Universe Boss’ …
Read More »McWatt and Reds: Brilliant Permaul, stubborn Blackwood and SOS for a leg-spin coach after Sri Lanka series
“[…] The very first order of business […] must be for us to immediately place our order for a very large double serving of curried crow, with some Guyanese plain rice on the side […] following the totally unanticipated, on our part at least, outstanding Second Test bowling performance of …
Read More »CPL 2021: Mayers’ parting shot stuns St Lucia Kings, with Tallawahs poised to pounce
An unexpected result in the morning encounter has spawned uncertainty about just who will be the four teams making it into the Tuesday’s semi-finals. Dwayne Bravo’s St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are safely in as most likely are Kieron Pollard’s Trinbago Knight Riders, who face off in the last of …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Lord sees value in Cottrell, Fletcher and Narine for WI dreams; but wary of dot balls
“[…] I want at least six bowlers in my XI; you never know when somebody will have an off-day and be offering lollipops to the opposition like if it’s Christmas or Easter or somebody’s birthday. “[…] If Sunil Narine is available—he is featuring in the CPL so…—there is no chance …
Read More »T2021 W/C: MPD selects Hope to open with Lewis in WI XI but Gayle goes only as mentor
“[…] Age catches up with the best of us. In [Chris] Gayle’s case, that has meant waning hand/eye co-ordination, considerably less energy in the field and greater proneness to injury—all factors that have led to inconsistency in scores and fewer innings of note. “The Australia half-century—his first since 2016!—was nothing …
Read More »CPL 2021: Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin power TKR to six-wkt win over Jason Holder’s Royals
Despite their modest 122 on the board, Jason Holder’s Barbados looked like they were in with a chance of avoiding a second successive defeat in the 2021 CPL. For all of eight overs into the second innings. But the combination of the small size of St Kitts Warner Park ground …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Hope, Hetmyer, Walsh are in Persaud’s WI dream team but Simmons out starting XI
“[…] My opening batsmen will be Evin Lewis and Shai Hope. I say with utmost confidence that no one will argue with my selection of Lewis to lead the charge. The left-handed opener has the proven capability to destroy any bowling attack that he may be faced with. “The right-handed …
Read More »T2021 W/C: ‘Jaiks’ puts Hope in dream WI XI, while Mayers, Akeal and Alzarri among subs
“[…] Shai Hope: batsman/wicketkeeper. My first surprise selection. Easily among the best batsmen in the West Indies at the moment; can accumulate without offering chances, stabilises the middle overs…” Ken Jaikaransingh, who rarely missed a day of Test cricket at the Oval when the WI were still the WINdies, selects …
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