Athanaze, Imlach hit half-centuries as WI draw opening match

Mon, Jan 13, '25

Alick Athanaze and Tevin Imlach both got useful knocks as the West Indies’ three-day tour match against the Pakistan Shaheens predictably ended in a draw here yesterday.

Athanaze scored 58, his second half century of the match, and Imlach added 57, as the Windies declared their second innings on 177 for five, an overall lead of 311.

Mohammad Musa Khan was the pick of the Shaheens’ bowlers with 2-5 while Ali Raza took 2-32.

Mohammad Huraria then cracked a run-a-ball 80 and Umar Bin Yousaf chipped in with 25 and the Shaheens ended on 128 for two.

Former West Indies Fast Bowler Benjamin backs Two-Tier Test Cricket System

Mon, Jan 13, '25

ormer West Indies fast bowler Kenneth Benjamin has thrown his support behind the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) proposed two-tier system for Test cricket, describing the potential change as “long coming” and necessary for the sport’s development.

Benjamin, sharing his views on the ongoing discussions between the ICC and cricket stakeholders, emphasized that the proposed system would benefit numerous teams, particularly associate nations. “I think it is better for a lot of the teams if they have a two-tier [system]. And, honestly, I know West Indies may feel it a bit, if they’re pushed down in that, but I believe it is something that is overdue,” Benjamin stated.

The proposed structure could feature either the top seven teams in the premier tier, with five teams competing in the second tier. A key feature of the system would be a promotion-relegation mechanism operating on a two-year cycle, coinciding with the World Test Championship finals.

Benjamin strongly advocates for the promotion-relegation aspect, suggesting that the bottom-placed team from the top tier should face relegation while the leading team from the second tier earns promotion. “That’s how we’re going to know if they’re getting better,” he explained, highlighting the importance of providing teams with tangible goals and development pathways.

CRICKET WEST INDIES ANNOUNCES WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 SCHEDULE

Mon, Jan 13, '25

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is pleased to announce the schedule for the West Indies Championship 2025 which continues the eight-team format introduced in 2024.

There will be several innovations in the upcoming edition of the West Indies Championship including the return of first innings points in drawn matches, the use of Kookaburra balls for two rounds and at least one pink ball day/night fixture per team.

Teams will be battling for the prestigious Headley Weekes Trophy and an attractive prize purse of US$250,000 for the champions and US$100,000 for the runners-up.

Miles Bascombe, Cricket West Indies’ Director of Cricket said, “The return of the West Indies Championship is a crucial pillar in our cricket development pathway. Having eight (8) teams competing across the region reinforces our commitment to first-class cricket, which remains the foundation for developing Test cricketers.”

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Miller relishing coaching opportunity against Pakistan

Fri, Jan 10, '25

FORMER JAMAICA and West Indies left-arm spinner Nikita Miller is excited about imparting his knowledge of the game to the Caribbean side’s spin-bowling unit for the upcoming two-Test series against Pakistan.

The series is scheduled to run from January 17-29 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Miller was appointed assistant coach for the tour on the back of some impressive work with the West Indies in the recently concluded series against Bangladesh, which ended 1-1.

“I’m pretty excited. Having played at this level to now getting the opportunity to coach and sharing the knowledge that I’ve gained is really a great feeling,” he explained.

The West Indies, in their last visit to Pakistan in 2006-07, were defeated 2-0 in a three-match Test series. In what is expected to be favourable conditions for spinners, the Caribbean team have opted for the services of Jomel Warrican, Kevin Sinclair, and Gudakesh Motie to operate as specialist spinners. According to Miller, this is enough quality to cause problems for the Pakistani batters.

Regional T20 tournament likely from April 18 – May 11 in Trinidad

Thu, Jan 9, '25

Cricket West Indies (CWI) is targeting an April 18 to May 11 window for the upcoming Regional T20 tournament, according to Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe.

He made the statement Tuesday evening on the popular Barbadian radio programme Mason and Guest.

While the blueprint of the tournament is still to be finalised, Bascombe indicated the focus would be on emerging Caribbean talents and noted that there might be limitations on experienced T20 players in the tournament.

He added that CWI has had extensive discussions about “age restrictions but not as drastic as under-23” given the short turnaround of T20 World Cups.