As almost everyone connected with the sport in even the remotest manner would have heard by now, West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard has announced his immediate retirement from international cricket. Pollard’s 20 April announcement, which came as a major surprise to most, has now created some very interesting possibilities for …
Read More »McWatt: Hetmyer keeps WI flag flying in IPL 2022 but Pollard is struggling
The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) is now well under way with approximately one-third of its scheduled matches having been completed. Now in its 15th season and universally regarded as global cricket’s most prestigious T20 franchise tournament, the 2022 IPL with its roster of ten participating teams commenced on March …
Read More »Early Bird: Caribbean cricket’s reality check; today’s WI can’t afford to change a team that didn’t lose
Its impact on the Third Apex Test against England starting on Thursday in Grenada isn’t guaranteed to be significant. Nor is its impact guaranteed to be obvious when the West Indies next take the field in the Netherlands in May. But there appears to be a shift in selectoral policy …
Read More »Early Bird: Monty who? Blackwood brings WI batting coach into sharp focus
It’s not cricket that is my editor’s forte; it’s football. So it’s mainly the beautiful game we’d discuss if, instead of walking by himself on evenings, he decided to walk on mornings with Bobby and me. But today he called about the game of glorious uncertainties. “I just sent you …
Read More »Early Bird: Bonner sparks memory of Larry Gomes, as Haynes’ ‘Adaptables’ spread wings
With Roger Harper now history, adaptability is the new West Indies selection watchword. No more specialists, new lead selector Desmond Haynes has said. Show me your motion and I’ll find the right band for you. Already, Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Mayers have got a look-in in the white ball set-up. …
Read More »McWatt: WI Women shine again, WI men batted too slowly but credit to CWI for Academy plans
“[…] West Indies cricket fans all over the world should now be overjoyed with the most wonderful news of Cricket West Indies’ announced intentions to create an Antigua Coolidge Cricket Centre-based Emerging Players Annual Academy. “[…] Many will expect that legends such as Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir …
Read More »McWatt and ‘Reds’: Mayers and Simmons must justify WI retention; kudos to Walsh and WI Women
“[…] At stake during the series will be the continuation of several careers—those of the coaches as well as of a few of the players. “[…] In 18 innings since Kyle Mayers’ outstanding double-century (210*) in the second innings of his debut Test against Bangladesh a year ago, he has …
Read More »McWatt and ‘Reds’: Shake up WI white ball team, and Campbell over Solozano is a gamble
“[…] Taken altogether the overall series results as well as the unsatisfactory player performances [against India] must now surely raise further questions about the efficiency of the Phil Simmons-led West Indies coaching staff. “[…] As to the actual squad chosen for the first Test, we have absolutely no issues with …
Read More »Haynes names Phillip and Campbell in WI Test squad to face England, Solozano, Chase miss out
Twenty-five year old Trinidad and Tobago pacer Anderson Phillip is in line for his West Indies debut after being included in the 13-man squad to face England in the first game of the three-match Apex Test series beginning on 8 March. Phillip leads all bowlers in the 2022 West Indies …
Read More »Phillip shines, ‘Hetty’ struggles; McWatt and ‘Reds’ use form to name preferred WI Test squad
“[…] There would have been at least two major disappointments for West Indies selectors Desmond Haynes and Ramnaresh Sarwan. For starters, the prodigiously talented Shimron Hetmyer has now not played a Test match for the West Indies since November 2019. “[…] Hetmyer endured a most miserable time [in the four-day …
Read More »McWatt and ‘Reds’: What will West Indies selectors do about abysmal batting, Bravo and Roach?
“[…] Jason Holder’s miserly 65-run aggregate was, incredibly, the highest among all the West Indies batsmen [in India]. “The aggregates and associated averages of the West Indies top five batsmen were far more in sync with numbers that would be called at a Bingo game than with those that would …
Read More »Skerritt’s ‘introselection’ explained; why CWI presidents want no West Indies sole selector
Sick! Toxic! CWI president Ricky Skerritt has not actually uttered those words in public. Not yet. But two recent references to ‘mischief-makers’ tell us that this quiet, even-tempered Kittitian gentleman has had it up to here with what goes on behind closed doors in CWI. And in plain sight in …
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