Ambrose questions Andre Russell's commitment to West Indies cricket
Thu, Dec 3, '20
Andre Russell has been lighting up the Lankan Premier League with both bat and ball delighting his many fans around the world.
However, not everyone is happy that the Jamaican is playing in Sri Lanka after declining an invitation to represent the West Indies during the recent T20 series in New Zealand where the West Indies lost 2-0. The third match was washed out.
Among them is former West Indies fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose, who believes Cricket West Indies, needs to review its decision to allow players like Russell to represent the regional side only when it suits them to do so. CWI CEO Johnny Grave recently explained that Russell received a No-Objection Certificate to play in the Lankan Premier League because the player does not a centralized contract with CWI.
That situation has rankled the fast-bowling great.
“The guys who are in control, in authority, have to decide to make some serious decisions and stick with it for the cricket to move forward. I think that we are going about this thing too casual. Guys can do what they feel, come into the team when they feel like, go to ply their trade to the different franchises, leave West Indies cricket for dead and then come back into the team,” Ambrose said while speaking on Mason & Guest radio show in Barbados on Tuesday.
WINDIES in desperate need of Test Championship points ahead of Kiwi challenge
Wed, Dec 2, '20
by KRISSANIA YOUNG
When New Zealand hosts the West Indies at the Seddon Park Stadium on Wednesday evening Caribbean time, it will be an opportunity to move up the ICC World Test Championship points table for both teams. A total of 120 points will be up for grabs over the course of the two games, a maximum of which, for either team, could see the host leap-frog England into third or the West Indies move up one place, into sixth position. The challenge of squaring off against the Kiwis in their backyard sees the West Indies welcoming the return of trio Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul—who missed the England series after declining to travel due to the corona virus.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) named the following squad for the two-match encounter: Jason Holder (c), Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wk), John Campbell, Shimron Hetmyer, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Darren Bravo, Jermaine Blackwood, Keemo Paul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Chemar Holder, and Kemar Roach.
'WI Test team in a good place' - Windies coach Simmons
Wed, Dec 2, '20
West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes the Test team is in a ‘good place’ ahead of the start of the two-match series against New Zealand, which bowls off on Wednesday.
The team’s tour of New Zealand began with a T20 series last week but they did not experience a lot of joy after being easily swept aside 2-0 by the Kiwis in a three-match series. Simmons, however, does not expect any follow-on negative effect for the four-day team and admits he has been encouraged by their performance in the warm-up games. The performances with the bat in the warm-up matches will have been particularly encouraging for the team, which saw the batting line-up post scores of 366 and 571.
“The T20 and the Tests are different. The Test team has done well in Queenstown and enjoyed a tough four-day game. Now, they are coming into the Test series with some confidence, especially with the batsmen and we have not had that in a while,” Simmons told windiescricket.
Holder set to join Brathwaite at Sydney Sixers for BBL
Wed, Dec 2, '20
West Indies Test captain Jason Holder has signed a three-match deal with Sydney Sixers for the upcoming Australia Big Bash League (BBL).
The 29-year-old all-rounder has seen his stock rise in cricket’s shortest format over the last couple of months, following a strong performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Holder was signed as a replacement but played a crucial role in the team securing a third-place finish.
The all-rounder, who is currently with the West Indies for its ongoing tour of New Zealand, will not be available for the Sixers until their December 20 clash with the Adelaide Strikers in Hobart. He is expected to then take part in a December 26 fixture against the Melbourne Stars and the December 29 matchup with the Melbourne Renegades. For his part, Holder was excited about the move.
Windies T20 bowling a major concern, says Junior Bennett
Tue, Dec 1, '20
Junior Bennett, the former Jamaica head coach, believes the West Indies bowling is the team's weakest link ahead of next year's Twenty20 (T20) Cricket World Cup.
“I think our bowling is our biggest challenge going into the World Cup,” he told the Jamaica Observer recently.
“We are not batting as well as we can at the moment, but we definitely have the batters to get the job done. I cannot say the same thing about our bowlers,” Bennett added, suggesting that selectors should “look at a few of our young quick bowlers” to fill the breach.
His comments came in the wake of the regional side's second-straight loss to New Zealand in the three-match T20 International series Down Under.
The hosts' latest win clinched them the series against West Indies who have appeared undercooked. Their bowling and fielding have both been substandard.
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