West Indies captain Shai Hope delivered a rather scathing assessment of his team’s performance following a 74-run defeat to Bangladesh in the first ODI on Saturday. “It’s just one of those days where their spinners, I would say, out-bowled our spinners, and their batters did the same with our batters,” he said.
The Caribbean side first dismissed Bangladesh for 207 in 49.4 overs, led by Jayden Seales (3/48), with support from Roston Chase (2/30), Justin Greaves (2/32), and Khary Pierre (1/19). Despite the low total, Hope noted Bangladesh appeared satisfied at the halfway stage. “They didn't try to chase the game; [it seems] they always felt as though they just needed something on the board,” he said. “And if the locals are playing a certain way on the surface, then something must be different about the surface.”
The Barbadian, however, insists that his team was confident heading into the chase. “We always had the belief as a batting group that we can get the job done,” Hope said. Openers Brandon King (44) and Alick Athanaze (27) kept the Bangladeshis at bay for 71 deliveries, putting on 51 for the first wicket. Before wrist spinner Rishad Hossain ripped through the Windies batters with career-best figures of 6/35.
The CG United Super50 Cup has been reduced to 16 matches for the 2025 season, down from its usual 31-match fixture list. Cricket West Indies has also confirmed that the upcoming edition of the region’s premier 50-over competition will not feature the West Indies Academy or Combined Campuses and Colleges.
The changes have been brought on by what CWI terms as a “challenging financial period for the organization.” The tournament is now set to be contested over eleven days, entirely in Trinidad & Tobago from November 19 to 29, with plans for the playoffs to be hosted in Guyana scrapped. The new format will see teams compete in a round-robin structure, with the top two teams qualifying directly for the final.
Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe says the shake-up gives CWI flexibility to allocate funds elsewhere. “This reformed format allows us to maintain a high standard of competition while also refocusing our resources on building a stronger, more sustainable development pathway,” he said.
The West Indies have maintained a perfectly chequered ODI record since their failure to advance from the 2023 World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. Nine bilateral series contested, four won, four lost, and one drawn.
With 17 months remaining in the qualification cycle for the 2027 edition of the World Cup, the Caribbean side occupies the last automatic spot to the 14-team showpiece, sitting in ninth position in the standings. Bangladesh, their next opponents, are a place below them in tenth.
Predictably enough, the focus ahead of Saturday’s start to the three-match series has been on how fast the visitors can adapt to conditions at the Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. According to coach Daren Sammy, his team has a head start in that department. Owing to their just-concluded Test series in India, which he describes as the “closest conditions you'll get” to those in Bangladesh.
The West Indies Men’s Under-19 Youth ODI series against England has been relocated from the Arnos Vale Playing Field in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the National Stadium in Grenada.
Cricket West Indies’ request to have the matches hosted at Arnos Vale from November 16 to December 1 was declined on the basis of the venue’s unavailability due to FIFA’s international scheduling. The reason for the USA’s absence from what was originally a tri-series was, however, not stated.
The Young Men in Maroon and Young Lions will instead face off in a seven-match series as both teams continue their build-up to the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup to be played in January 2026. The Caribbean side defeated Sri Lanka 4-3 in their most recent outing in September.
Antiguan batting sensation Jewel Andrew says he’s disappointed to have missed out on the latest West Indies white-ball squad. The team is currently in Bangladesh to contest 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. Andrew, in the meantime, has returned home to work on his game.
During a recent net session, the 18-year-old confessed to local news network ABS TV Radio that he was caught off guard by his omission. “[I was] definitely surprised,” he said. “I was hoping to get a longer run in the ODI format because I see it as something that I am good at.”
Andrew has made fewer appearances in his preferred format (3) than T20Is played (5) since making his international debut (although he did not bat) against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in October 2024. His 8 caps have, however, earned him a development contract from Cricket West Indies. A sign that he is part of the Caribbean side’s plans going forward.
To recapture the attention of coach Daren Sammy, Andrew is aware of where he needs to start. “[It’s about] finding my confidence. I think [I am] low on that at the moment,” he admitted. With an ODI average of 4 and a 97.50 strike rate in T20Is, Andrew is yet to find his groove at the highest level.
