A yard and a half! Arguably already influenced by a fine, World Cup 2019’s finest hour was finally settled by that fine a margin at Lord’s yesterday; in fact, the official margin of victory was calculated on the countback of England’s 26 boundaries to Kane Williamson’s New Zealand’s 17. On …
Read More »Unfashionable WI passion: Fabian tactics, big Pyrrhic defeats and Jason ah go go nuts!
Between the end of the World Cup in the Caribbean and Ricky Skerritt’s welcome ouster of Dave Cameron in March, I have rarely got excited about the outcome of a West Indies cricket match. I did get genuinely worked up about Darren Sammy’s side’s 2012 T20 World Cup victory and …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Amir, Smith, Warner and Roy; different strokes for different ICC folks?
Eight cricketers named Mohammad or Mohammed played in the round robin stage of the 2019 World Cup; none will be in the final. Two Jasons played in the group stage; one will play in Sunday’s Lord’s grand finale. The US$64,000 question is this: should he have been allowed to? At …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Whither Windies? When will we write off witless ODI captain Holder?
Call it arrogance if you like; I really could not care less. Whether or not Phil Simmons, Michael “Whispering Death” Holding or anyone else agrees with me, I re-affirm that Jason Holder is not the man to lead West Indies out of the ODI doldrums. I have long been very …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Whither Windies: On DJ Bravo, Brathwaite, Holder and the “Universe Boss”
In a letter to the Wired868 editor last week, AJ writes that “the problems go way beyond the on-the-field representatives.” Hard to disagree, no? “Surely,” he ends, “those responsible for developing the strategy and hand-picking the players that produced these excruciating displays must also take responsibility for the resulting pain …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: cutarse trophy for England? S/Lanka, Aussies upset Morgan’s 4-year plan
Lord’s, Tuesday 25 June. Knowing that his team simply cannot afford another slip-up, England captain Eoin Morgan called on his men to “front up for the next game.” The last game was on Friday 21 June at Trent Bridge against Dimuth Karunaratne’s unfancied Sri Lankans. Here is how it, no, …
Read More »None so blind; flawed World Cup strategy makes WI look like amateurs
“World Cup front-runners like England and New Zealand have counterbalanced their explosive hitters, Jos Buttler and Martin Guptill, for example, with conventional, steady-headed players like Joe Root and Kane Williamson. They know that batting out the full 50 overs is key to victory. “The West Indies team management does not. …
Read More »India force WI to leave with their tail between their legs
MS Dhoni had advanced so far down the wicket to attack Fabian Allen that Shai Hope had two chances to stump him. He missed both—as well as the stumps at the bowler’s end as the batsmen tried successfully to steal a single! From 154 for 4 at that point in …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: which craft is more powerful, English fight or Pakistani obeah?
I have never been a great believer in the occult. After Wednesday, however, that may change. And if Pakistan win the 2019 World Cup, that will change. Ah telling allyuh, it could only be obeah! Listen up. There are only a handful of things I know for certain about the …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Sparrow’s Slave, Brathwaite’s brilliance and fool’s gold
Images drawn from sport populate my sexagenarian head. Of most recent vintage is the one of Carlos Brathwaite in mid-pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday temporarily bent over in a sobbing, regret-filled heap. Trying for the six which would have given Jason Holder’s team a truly incredible, come-from-behind victory by …
Read More »Agent: Lara is okay; West Indies legend hospitalised for chest pain in India
West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara was admitted to the Global Hospital in Parel, Mumbai today after allegedly complaining of chest pains. However, Lara’s agent, Michael Anatol, assured fans of the iconic former Trinidad and Tobago sportsman that there is no need to worry. “He is okay,” Anatol told Wired868. …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Are Windies taking a page from Mark Nicholas’ playbook?
Three years ago, England’s Mark Nicholas dismissed the title aspirations of the Darren Sammy-led West Indies T20 World Cup team. They, he said, ‘have no brains’. I’m pretty sure Nicholas expects all us natives of shithole countries to agree with his scathing assessment. Good luck to him with that. However, …
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