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, …
Read More »Howzat? Do the T&T sports media think it’s abuse to hit your own wicket?
When we hear stories from victims of domestic abuse, sometimes we want to ask why did the victim stay in such an abusive relationship for as long as she did. Why endure such abuse, we wonder, when you could ‘easily’ just leave that toxic environment? Often the victim offers the …
Read More »Kohli’s mean machine rolls past Pakistan, India virtually into final four
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that! If you are still unsure which team is going to top the round robin stage and then go on to win the 2019 World Cup, you must have missed today’s game between India and Pakistan. Indians turned up in their numbers in the …
Read More »Aussies too good for Sri Lanka; Afghans too bad to beat South Africa
Australian captain Aaron Finch smashed his way to a tournament-best century against Sri Lanka at the Oval in London earlier today to power his side to the top of the ten-team table. And his opposite number, Dimuth Karunaratne, fell just three runs short of his own century but his side …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Captaincy under the microscope; see Jason Holder squirm
It’s Brutus’ dilemma: If Jason Holder is removed as West Indies short-format captain, there is a good chance that he will go nowhere in the One-day game. If Jason Holder continues as West Indies short-format captain, there is a good chance that WI will go nowhere in the One-day game. …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Rain reigns but ICC can’t rain on Holding’s parade
West Indies versus England in Southampton today. Carlos Brathwaite swings at Jofra Archer and England appeal for a catch at the wicket. Up goes the dreaded finger from Kumar Dharmasena. Michael Holding, on commentary with Nasser Hussain, remains silent. The replay seems to suggest that the nick was off the batsman’s …
Read More »Injury question marks as England down WI to go second; Caribbean Cavaliers in trouble
England duly got past an off-colour West Indies by eight wickets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton yesterday to move to second in the standings on six points from four games. Joe Root hit his second century of the tournament and England lost only Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes in …
Read More »Bad mind fails Pakistan as Australia get home easily to move to second
If Pakistan’s Asif Ali were the cousin of T&T’s Inshan Ali or Zaheer Ali, Australia would today be fifth in the 2019 World Cup standings instead of second. The two points Aaron Finch’s team earned for their 41-run victory over Safaraz Ahmed’s side in Taunton yesterday lifted them to a …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: How Holder’s howler compares with Kohli’s handling of his bowlers
Assistant coaches are the wretched of the earth; they may be called assistants but they offer little real help. Roddy Estwick is the assistant coach of the West Indies cricket team. According to Estwick, the West Indies’ 15-run defeat by Australia in last Friday’s crucial fixture, had “nothing to do …
Read More »W/Cup addict comments: Scoreboard pressure does buss pipe; South Africa’s chances down the drain?
Sunday 9 June. India and Australia, their places almost reserved in the final four of the 2019 World Cup, are trying to settle the pecking order. The Indian innings is almost at an end. And already, with six balls still left, Australia are going to have to put together the …
Read More »Dhawan drives India into early pole position for qualifying after win over Aussies
The setting was perfect: a fine summer’s day, a sell-out crowd, a sea of blue and a home game for India at the Oval in London. Capitalising, Virat Kohli’s side, who are pressing the home team hard as favourites to take the 2019 World Cup, produced a near-perfect exhibition of …
Read More »Media Monitor: Requiem for the daily departed; Express, Guardian, TV6 flounder in cricket coverage
We have been asked to announce the death of cricket reportage. In this post-Tony-Cozier age of e-literacy when T20 has shifted the focus squarely onto entertainment, its final passing, long in coming, will probably go largely unremarked and certainly unlamented. The only ones crying will be those media owners who …
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