AFTER yet another year of habitual turbulence, West Indies cricket starts 2012 with an issue that is potentially more damaging than any of the several others responsible for the current depressed state of the game in the region.
Without judicious handling, there have already been portents, as unimaginable as they are, that it could lead to the separation from West Indies cricket of Guyana, one of the pillars of its strength from its very beginnings.
read more at Trinidad Express
You do not have to be a cricket fan to be proud of the fact that T&T’s, more specifically Moruga’s Merissa Ria Aguilleira, is the captain of the our national and the West Indian cricket team. The charming 26-year-old has risen through the cricketing ranks from 2002, becoming a member of the T&T senior team in 2005 (its captain from 2007) and the West Indies team in 2008 (its captain from 2009). A right-handed middle order batter (or batswoman if you prefer) as well as a wicketkeeper, she has been rated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as one of the most inspirational captains in the world, having participated in the ODI World Cup in Australia in 2009 and leading the regional team to the semi-final at the World T20 in 2009 along with the series win against world champions England in the same year.
read more at Trinidad Guardian
West Indies legend Gary Sobers believes Bermuda’s cricketers will never reach their full potential being fed an exclusive diet of limited overs cricket.
The standard of local cricket has noticeably eroded in recent years with many attributing the gradual decline to Bermuda Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision to do away with open cricket.
Local cricket’s governing body scrapped the open format prior to the 2001 ICC Trophy in Canada and attempts since then to reintroduce it to the domestic programme have proven to be both unsuccessful and widely unpopular among players.
read more at The Royal Gazette
West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) president Dinanath Ramnarine warned the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) against imposing sanctions against the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) that will negatively affect players' ability to practise their trade or profession.
During a news conference at WIPA headquarters on Edward Street, Port of Spain, yesterday, the WIPA boss insisted: "We will not allow a West Indies tournament to proceed or West Indies team to be selected in which the Guyana players are not considered for representation or from which a Guyana team is debarred."
read more at Trinidad Express
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):Berbice officials have congratulated the government for their appointment of an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to supervise the affairs of cricket in the country.
This is part of the fallout from a legal challenge about the legitimacy of the current Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) executive after the last annual general meeting, when there was an election of officers.
read more at The Gleaner
West Indies cricket did not have a merry Christmas, with several outstanding issues in the air, most notably the love/hate relationship between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
And mediation looks like the best hope for bringing closure to most of these outstanding matters, according to WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire.
read more at TrinidadExpress
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Barbados defied conventional wisdom and chose Kirk Edwards to lead the national team in the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship next month.
Edwards gained the nod ahead of all-rounder Dwayne Smith for the tournament, which Barbados co-hosts with Antigua and opens on January 9.
The 27-year-old Edwards impressed for West Indies in Tests over the last year, but he has failed to make the same impact in the shorter versions of the game — and was not considered for the national side for last year's CT20.
Cricket365 looks back at the past year continues as we pick out the Quotes of the Year. Well, for the first half of 2011 anyway.
more at cric365
London: Noted West Indies cricket commentator Tony Cozier has been made an honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for his contribution to the game for over half a century.
"Knowing the illustrious company I now join, I am truly flattered by the honour cricket's foremost club has bestowed on me," Cozier was quoted as saying in an MCC media release.
more at cricketnext
CHRIS Gayle can, for at least a few more days, rest easy – he still has at least one high-profile fan in the Caribbean.
Former West Indies captain, Sir Vivian Richards, has come forward in defence of the embattled Jamaican opener and has criticised the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for its handling of the protracted and still ongoing saga involving the two parties.
read more at Barbados Advocate
Twelve men accused of digging up a cricket pitch at the first international match held in Indian-administered Kashmir are acquitted – 28 years on.
Sachin Tendulkar falls short in his bid to become the first player to score 100 international centuries, after earlier passing 15,000 runs in Tests in India’s five-wicket win against the West Indies.
India wrap up a 2-0 series win against West Indies after the third Test finishes in a thrilling draw.
England announce their summer schedule for 2012, which includes tours by West Indies, Australia and South Africa.
England’s summer ends on a low as they lose to the West Indies by 25 runs in the second T20 international at The Oval.
Oliver Brett reviews Fire in Babylon
Opening batsmen Miles Bascombe and Johnson Charles along with all rounder Nkrumah Bonner and wicketkeeper Derwin Christian have been called to the West Indies Twenty20 squad to play against England in September.
AS ONE who has written as many words to fill the public library on behalf of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), Dinanath Ramnarine's comment last week suggested that the penny had finally dropped.
"Cricket fans are not hearing much about cricket these days," WIPA's long-serving president and chief executive said prior to Monday's start of negotiations with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and memorandum of understanding (MOU).
read more at trinidadexpress
The WICB release of Tuesday August 9,2011 was one that really aimed to mislead the public rather than provide the real facts that characterize the nature of the relationship between the WICB and WIPA. The WICB ought to remember that the West Indian cricket fan is an intelligent being that is able to critically analyze the issues surrounding West Indies cricket. It is with this background that I see it necessary to analyze certain key points, including the blatant untruths and hypocrisy, of the WICB release from such a discerning fan viewpoint: </p
POINTS STANDINGS
Barbados 10.5
Trinidad and Tobago 10.3
Guyana 5.7
Windwards 5.7
Jamaica 0.3
Leewards 0.2
Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago stayed on course for their third straight WICB Regional Women's One-day title with a six-wicket victory over St. Lucia in the semi-finals.
T&T, under the leadership of West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira, will face Jamaica, under the captaincy of West Indies star all-rounder Stafanie Taylor, in the Final on Sunday at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
The West Indies Cricket Board is immensely pleased with the commencement of negotiations with WIPA for a revised MOU/CBA. In recent years there has been much distrust and acrimony between the Board and WIPA.
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Bridgetown, Barbados, CMC – Rain affected most of the games on the opening day of the WICB Regional Women’s 50-over Competition. In between the showers, reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago made a winning start to the competition, narrowly edging Jamaica by three runs, and former champions St. Lucia posted a solid 95-run victory over Dominica.
In the feature match at the Banks Brewery Ground, T&T defied a fine all-round performance from West Indies Women’s all-rounder Shanel Daley to win. Daley stroked 60, and fellow West Indies Women’s all-rounder Stafanie Taylor made 45, as the Jamaicans, chasing 160 for victory, were restricted to 159 for seven in their allocation of 50 overs. Gaitri Seetahal was the pick of the T&T bowlers with two for 16.
Georgetown, Guyana – Jamaican opener John Campbell and Trinidad and Tobago’s spinner Derone Davis were the leading performers with bat and ball in the just-concluded West Indies Cricket Board’s Regional Under-19 three-day tournament.
Campbell, the well-built left-hander, made the most runs (326) an average of 81.5 per innings. He had a topscore of 175 in the final round, which set-up Jamaica’s title-clinching win over Windward Islands.
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CaribbeanCricket.com has learnt that Chris Gayle has applied to the West Indies Cricket Board for an unconditional No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the next three years. What this confirms is what had been suspected but never announced by Gayle – that he has as his priority playing in international Twenty20 leagues across the globe and that he will only make himself available to play for the West Indies when these leagues are not on. </p
The Board of Directors of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has selected the team which will conduct crucial negotiations with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to revise the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). </p
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — West Indies fast bowling legend Joel Garner has been re-elected for a third successive term as Barbados Cricket Association president.
The 58-year-old easily dismissed a threat from attorney-at-law Calvin Hope, winning 148-49 in voting during a Special Meeting here Thursday night.
Georgetown, Guyana – Please see below results and points standings at the end of the fifth and final round of matches in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Under-19 three-day tournament which on Saturday. Under the tournament rules, 0.1 bonus points awarded for every wicket taken by a pace bowler:
</p
Georgetown, Guyana, CMC – Jamaica were crowned three-day champions of the WICB Regional Under-19 Championship when they trounced Windward Islands by an innings and 77 runs inside two days of their one-sided fifth round encounter on Friday.
Starting the day on 215 for two – already a lead of 216 – Jamaica declared at lunch on 320 for six – a lead of 221. They then routed Windwards for 144 to win half hour before the scheduled close of play to move to an unassailable 43.7 points. The win was Jamaica’s third outright to add to victories over Trinidad and Tobago in the first round and Barbados in the third round.
The recent dismantling of the Indian team in the first two Test matches against England should put into context performances by the West Indian team in the home series against India. The Indian team that arrived in the Caribbean was ranked number one in Test match cricket, had just won the 50 over World Cup, were former T20 world champions and had several members who were victorious in IPL 4.
The absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Verender Sehwag, Gautam Gambir and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth from the touring party would have presented the WI with an opportunity to win the T20 and ODI series and compete in the Test series. </p
THE "greatest cricketer on Earth or Mars" (as Sparrow extolled him in his 1965 calypso) passed another landmark last Thursday.
It was chronological, his 75th birthday, and it came as a timely reminder of the almost universal acceptance of the genius that made Sir Garry Sobers the finest all-rounder the game has ever known.
RESULTS
At Bourda: Windwards vs Leewards – Match drawn
Leewards 242 and 86-5, Windwards 340-8 declared
At Enmore: Jamaica beat Barbados by 9 wickets
Barbados 177 and 63, Jamaica 171 and 72-1
At Everest: T&T beat Guyana by 73 runs
T&T 191 and 64, Guyana 103 and 79
POINTS
1. Jamaica 28.0
2. Trinidad & Tobago 24.3
3. Barbados 20.3
4. Guyana 15.8
5. Windwards 7.3
6. Leewards 6.7
ROUND 4: Sunday, July 31 to Tuesday, August 2
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago at DCC
Guyana vs Windwards at Bourda
Jamaica vs Leewards at Everest
by CLAIRMONT CHUNG
I viewed the documentary film “Fire in Babylon”. The fire is so far in Babylon, the fire is Babylon. It’s usually easier for me to be critical than to dispense praise. I plan to stick to form here, but only because of Colin Croft’s appearance in the film and his words which if left unchallenged can leave a bitter lie for generations to taste. In the film, an unapologetic, former West Indies cricketer, fast bowler, Colin Everton Hunte Croft stated, in relation to his ‘rebel’ tour to South Africa during apartheid, “I guess money is everybody’s god’. </p
The 1980 West Indies cricket team crossed the Tasman after a triumphant Australian tour. But a young New Zealand side overcame the most feared bowling attack to win one of the most scandalous test series of all time.
New Zealand opening batsman Bruce Edgar remembers his preparations for facing the terrifying four-pronged West Indian bowling attack in February 1980.
Gros Islet, St Lucia – President of the West Indies Cricket Board Dr Julian Hunte sent condolences to the family of Umpire Clyde Duncan who passed away in Trinidad today while receiving medical treatment.
“It is with immense sadness that the Board has learnt of the passing of Clyde. We extend deepest condolences to his wife Fay and their four children,” Dr. Hunte said of the Guyanese umpire who was 57 years old at the time of his death.
<p class="MsoNormal"
This DRS debate continues to be on the front burner of cricket. It should remain on the front burner until the ICC makes up their minds one way or another. In the present limbo, justice cannot and will not be served. History is littered with the consequences of injustice so much so that the ICC is really threading in very volatile and dangerous waters.
Okay, enough with the metaphors. Why is this position being taken in this article? Well, after observing the use and non use of the DRS since its introduction in 2009, the conclusion is simple, you can't have the system in ad hock series. It is going to have to be all or nothing.
<br /
Points standings in WICB Regional Under-19 three-day tournament after the second round of matches on Sunday:
Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago:
Jamaica won by 10 wickets.
Jamaica 320 and 19 without loss. Trinidad and Tobago 136 and 202.
Leeward Islands vs Guyana:
Guyana won by an innings and 27 runs.
Leeward Islands 109 and 183, Guyana 317 for 9 dec.
Barbados vs Windward Islands:
Barbados won by 94 runs.
Barbados 161 and 312, Windward Islands 148 and 231.
Georgetown, Guyana, CMC – Summarised scores on the second day of their first round match in the WICB Regional Under-19 Championship on Tuesday:</p
Barbados vs Windward Islands;
Barbados 161, Windward Islands 137/9.
Leeward Islands vs Guyana
Leeward Islands 107, GUY 150/3; Guyana gains first innings points.
Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago
Jamaica 278/6 <br /
The Jamaica Gleaner reports this morning that Kieron Pollard said his priorities are shifting now that his financial future is more secure, and he intended to focus on finding a place in the West Indies Test team next year.
St John’s, Antigua – World rated players Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Anisa Mohammed will be back in action for the Windies Women as the Pakistan Women’s team will next month embark on an eight match tour of the Caribbean.
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Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says there is a role for regional governments in the management of West Indies cricket but that key questions about ownership of the regional game needed to be answered.
Republished from Jamaica Gleaner
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has a published code of conduct, and the players, in their contracts with the board, acknowledge and accept this code and are bound by it. By implication, the employees and board members are expected, too, to observe it at all times. It includes a procedure for dealing with breaches of the code, and this is the proper procedure to follow. Dr Ernest Hilaire has not followed this code in dealing with the Chris Gayle radio interview. </p
India will have to wait another four years to win two Tests in a series in the Caribbean – a feat they've never achieved and were denied this time by a typically defiant resistance led by their West Indian tormentor-in-chief Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
read more at ESPNcricinfo
India edged a day of fluctuating fortunes to take complete control of a rain-marred third Test in Dominica and closed in on a 2-0 series victory despite a century on debut from Kirk Edwards. His confidence and composure while approaching his landmark was a contrast to his edginess and uncertainty early in his innings, and he was guided along by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who fought his own battles and survived to take the game into the fifth day.
read more at ESPNcricinfo
by LAWRENCE ROMEO
In recent weeks there have been numerous public exchanges between the West Indies Cricket Board and the most high-profile player in West Indies cricket – Chris Gayle. These exchanges have ranged from bitter to dismissive and the end result is that there is an ongoing standoff and Gayle is not in the West Indies team. But what are the real issues at hand? No one seems to know for certain as neither side has given a clear picture of what the issues really are. What the discerning public has realized is that neither side is being forthright and have been asking on the radio talk shows and elsewhere for the full truth to be told.
Here is a view from the inside. </p
Understanding the Gayle v WICB issue – A view from the inside
West Indies batting ace Shivnarine Chanderpaul has expressed delight at reaching the milestone of 133 Test matches – making him the most capped Test player in the history of West Indies cricket.
The 36-year-old former Windies skipper achieved the feat at the start of the Third Digicel Test match against India – the first ever Test at Windsor Park.
“This is a milestone I never dreamt of achieving, certainly not when I started playing Test cricket so it is a great honour to achieve this milestone. Throughout my long career I have always enjoyed playing the game and I love batting with a passion. That love and passion are still there and hopefully they will keep me in the game for a bit longer. Even though I am in the last part of my career I still have that hunger for success,” Chanderpaul said on Wednesday.
The champion left-hander surpassed fast bowling great Courtney Walsh, who made 132 Test matches appearances. Third on the West Indies all-time list is another legend Brian Lara, who played 131 Test matches.
Chanderpaul made his Test debut as a 19-year-old against England in his native Guyana in 1994. Before Wednesday’s play he made 9 228 runs at an average of 48.56 with 22 centuries. He was named the International Cricket Council’s Cricketer of the Year in 2008 when he won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy. He was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2008.
“I would like to thank all those people who have helped me along the way to reach this point in my career. I have two major goals now. The first is to help the West Indies team start winning again and the second is to pass on some of my knowledge and experience to the young players to help them improve their game and take West Indies cricket forward.”
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government have decided to intervene in the West Indies Players Association's (WIPA) dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over the future of former captain Chris Gayle. The move comes on the heels of Gayle's latest public and emotional statement against the board that included a request for government intervention.
read more at ESNcricinfo
Nevisian opener Kieran Powell has been named in the West Indies squad for the Third Digicel Test at Windsor Park in Dominica.
The 21 year old left hander, a student of the Sagicor High Performance Centre replaces out-of-form right handed Guyanese middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan. </p