“[…] Prior to the World Cup’s commencement, West Indies selection panel chairman Roger Harper expressed his belief that the chosen 15-member squad was good enough to successfully defend their title as reigning champions. The actual results have now, however, clearly demonstrated the absolute lunacy of Harper’s thinking. “[…] The West …
Read More »T2021 W/C: If the ‘Boss’ could play, why not the Prince? Why Lara was, inadvertently, right about Gayle
It is an intriguing idea. But I reject it. Out of hand. There is, as the Americans, no there there, dear. Writing in April 2007, just before Brian Lara’s final white ball game for the West Indies in the World Cup of that year, under the headline ‘The last king …
Read More »T2021 W/C: ‘Mission Improbable’! ‘Reds’ and McWatt blame selectors for uninspiring WI showings
“[…] Thus far, the West Indies selectors’ most controversial picks, Messrs Chris Gayle and Ravi Rampaul in particular, have done absolutely nothing to justify the faith expressed in their respective abilities to perform with merit during the tournament. “[…] Some of the West Indies final XI choices were equally bizarre. …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Holder is in! Former WI captain can face Bangladesh, after replacing McCoy
Former captain Jason Holder has been added to the West Indies’ World Cup team and is eligible to play against Bangladesh at the Sharjah Stadium from 6am on Friday, after the Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel this evening named the talented all-rounder as a replacement for injured left-arm fast …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Are Pollard’s men finally ready to change the tune, after ‘collapso’ mess?
At 25 for 1 in the fourth over of England’s pursuit of 55 in the West Indies’ opening match of the 2021 T20 World Cup campaign, Win Predictor gave Kieron Pollard’s side a 1% chance of victory. On commentary on television at the time, former England captain Michael Atherton questioned …
Read More »T2021 W/C: WI lose final warm-up to Afghanistan by 55 runs, despite Chase half-century
West Indies lost their second and final warm-up match against Afghanistan today by 55 runs at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai and will start their ICC T20 World Cup defence on Saturday on the back of a three-game losing streak. The defending champions, WI are chasing an unprecedented third …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Fitness fears haunt WI fast men; should Gayle mirror India’s MS Dhoni?
I wish to leave veteran West Indies batsman Chris Gayle aside for the moment and turn my attention to a not unrelated issue. My interest in the fitness of West Indies players and the granting of medical exemptions has been further piqued with the recent injury struggles faced by the …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Polls apart? CWI and Wired868 panels agree on Gayle, differ on Bravo, Holder
Allyuh tink dis selection ting easy? Allyuh know who Joshua Bishop is? No? Well, the 21-year-old Barbados Royals’ rookie left-arm spinner’s name somehow ended up on a list of three dozen West Indies players named by the 12 panellists asked to select their WI dream team for the 2021 T20 …
Read More »Harper: WI can keep title with ‘rub of the green’; Rampaul, Roston, Gayle in 15-man squad—Holder in reserves
Thirty-six-year-old fast bowler Ravi Rampaul and 29-year-old all-rounder Roston Chase today both successfully forced their way into the 15-man West Indies squad for the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. West Indies are the defending champions and only two-time winners of the title—after triumphs …
Read More »T2021 W/C: Grant-Perez revisits dream WI team, as Simmons and Gayle make way for CPL stars
“[…] Another ‘king’ whose crown has slipped is Chris Gayle. I made the case for the former heavy-scoring, left-handed opener. Now, I see the light. “It was pure sentimentality that made me want this World Cup to be his swansong; he simply has not earned a place. It was almost …
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 …
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