“[…] Foremost among the policies now obviously in need of desperate reform would be that of the fitness standards. “As numerous former players have suggested, the duplicity of allowing some players to be granted fitness exemptions while others are deemed to have failed to meet the required standards has to …
Read More »B&B (Trailer): ‘Reds’ Perreira says West Indies players prematurely rewarded for Bangladesh Test win
Renowned West Indies commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira suggests that the Cricket West Indies (CWI) acted prematurely in offering two-year contracts to players in the wake of the Test series win away to Bangladesh, but still sees the makings of a competitive team there. Look out for Perreira’s full interview on …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Gayle’s last dance: in defence of the West Indies’ pick for the ‘Universe Boss’
“Yes, I want to play for West Indies—that’s where my heart is,” veteran West Indies cricket star Chris Gayle told ESPN, during an interview in March 2021. “I am never going to turn down anything pertaining to West Indies cricket at this particular time. “[…] Hopefully I can perform, help …
Read More »T2021 W/C: ‘The best of the available candidates’, you say?! Best on differing value of the Bravos
Darren Bravo is a gifted left-hander who, for years, was the best batsman in the region and a clone of his cousin, Brian Charles Lara, the best batsman the country has produced. But that was once upon a time. Darren Bravo vintage 2021 is not vintage at all. On merit. …
Read More »T2021 W/C: ‘Reds’ and McWatt slam ‘stupefying and bewildering’ WI picks, offer their alternatives
“[…] We are also in full agreement with Sir Andy Roberts’ expressed disgust at the appalling treatment the selectors have meted out to Jason Holder. Not only has he been omitted from the final 15 but, adding insult to injury, he was named by as one of the four reserves. …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Harper plays ‘rope-a-dope’ with media questions on Gayle, Darren Bravo and WI team
Roger Harper is tall, is built like a broad-shouldered boxer and was a great fieldsman and an off-spinner in his time on the cricket fields of the world. Relevance? At the media conference called to discuss—defend?—the 15-member squad selected by the West Indies lead selector and his panel for the …
Read More »CPL 2021: Best holds his hand on Bravo vs Pollard—but not on Holder
You don’t have to be a film buff with a preference for watching westerns to know the meaning of ‘to holster’. But if you’re not a cricket fan with a preference for watching West Indies matches, you probably do not know the meaning of ‘to holder’. Born about a decade …
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 »Best: ‘Predictable’ Pollard in the cross-hairs; Mason, Butcher and Harper discuss WI captain
“Hmmmmm, here comes the counter-offensive…” It was not the first two questions that clued me in; it is what came next. Early on in this week’s Mason and Guests programme, evincing not the slightest interest in the way the West Indies have used the mentors, host Andrew Mason had some …
Read More »Best: The endless experience experiment: on WI’s use of Gayle, Fidel, Russell and DJ Bravo
Old Chris Gayle a fine opener was A destructive run-scorer was he. He wielded a broad bat and if to him you bowled Every ball disappear you could see. Comparison to Old King Cole hardly does justice to long-standing West Indies stalwart, Christopher Henry Gayle. After all, he is a …
Read More »Ambrose: West Indies’ glory days will come not back; why iconic pacer bowled a googly
Former West Indies pacer Curtly Ambrose was in the news last week. Speaking on the Talk Sports Live show in Antigua, he poured scorn on the notion of a possible return of WI cricket to its former glory. “Yes, we can be competitive and climb up the ICC rankings and …
Read More »Hetmyer, Russell are back as CWI announces 18-man provisional squad with T20 World Cup in mind
Batsman Shimron Hetmyer, all-rounder Andre Russell and pacer Sheldon Cottrell were among five additions to the West Indies squad announced today for consecutive five-match T20 International outings against South Africa, Australia and Pakistan in the Caribbean, which will run from 26 June to 5 August. Pacer Oshane Thomas and spinner …
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