CWI

CWI mourns the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers

Cricket West Indies President Dr. The Hon. Kishore Shallow’s statement on the death of Sir Garfield Sobers:

There are moments in the story of a people when the life of one individual becomes woven into the hopes, dreams, and identity of generations. Today, the Caribbean mourns the passing of such an individual, The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers NH, AO, OCC, a son of Barbados whose extraordinary journey became part of the story of our region and whose brilliance carried the name of the West Indies with distinction across the world.

In the story of cricket, there are great players. There are champions. Then, there are those rare individuals who redefine the very meaning of greatness. Sir Garfield Sobers was the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen. His mastery of batting, bowling and fielding was unparalleled, but his true significance reached far beyond the boundary ropes.

He emerged from the Caribbean at a time when our region was finding its voice and asserting its place on the world stage. Through his excellence, he gave millions across our islands and in the diaspora, a renewed belief in what was possible. He showed that greatness was not confined by the size of our nations, the geography of our islands or the circumstances of our beginnings.

Sir Garfield Sobers
                                                            Sir Garfield Sobers
International

ICC revamps Men’s ODI and T20 World Cups

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has confirmed changes for both the Men's Cricket World Cup and the qualification structure for the Men's T20 World Cup following its annual meetings.

The ICC insists the changes were made with “the objective of creating more meaningful contests, elevating competitive standards, strengthening the competitive structure of both events, and enhancing the tournament experience for athletes and fans.”

Among the approved recommendations is the qualification structure for associate member nations for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup.

I. ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

The Men's ODI World Cup will continue to feature 14 teams, but the revised format will entail a three-stage competition leading to the Finals. 

According to the governing body, the new format will ”strengthen the competitive narrative across every stage of the event.”

There will be two rounds of matches (Round 1 and Round 2) leading into a ‘Super 7 stage,' which will take the form of a round-robin, from which teams qualify for the semi-finals.

ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup New Format
                           ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup New Format
Windies Women

Taylor’s 105 helps Windies sweep Ireland, puts qualifying campaign back on track

Taylor becomes the fifth woman to score 10,000 runs in International cricket 

West Indies 257 all out (Taylor 105, Alleyne 33; Prendergast 2-37) beat Ireland 193 all out (Lewis 50, Paul 32; Fletcher 3-33) by 64 runs 

A brilliantly calculated century from the legendary Stafanie Taylor helped the West Indies defeat Ireland by 64 runs in the third Women’s One-Day International at the Bready Cricket Ground on Wednesday and complete a 3-0 series sweep. 

The three victories on Irish soil have handed Windies six (6) ICC Championship points, bringing their current tally to eight (8) in the 2025-2029 cycle. The series win is also the Caribbean side's first in the new cycle, having lost to Sri Lanka (2-1) and Australia (3-0) at home.

Taylor (105 from 113 balls) first needed to bat through the innings to give the West Indies a chance to win. She shared in half-century partnerships with Jahzara Claxton (30) and Aaliyah Alleyne (33) to lift the visitors from 82 for five to 257 all out. 

The defense wasn’t always comfortable for the visitors despite the earlier wicket of Sarah Forbes, who was trapped LBW by Jannillea Glasgow for 2. Ireland kept up with the pace of the chase courtesy of a 71-run (81 balls) second-wicket partnership between Gaby Lewis (50) and Amy Hunter (30).

The wrist-spin of Afy Fletcher (3-33), however, did the trick for the West Indies, dealing the hosts a double blow in her first over to account for both Lewis and Hunter, pegging Ireland back at 86 for three in the 18th. 

Stafanie Taylor
                                                             Stafanie Taylor
WI U-19

Champions Barbados perfect to start Rising Stars U19 Championship

Defending champions Barbados have made a commanding start to the 2026 Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 50-Over Championship, emerging as the early pacesetters after two rounds of competition.

Back-to-back victories over the Windward Islands and Leeward Islands have propelled Barbados to the top of the standings on 14.2 points, with their impressive performances earning not only the maximum four points for each victory but also valuable bonus points.

Close behind are Trinidad and Tobago on 11.6 points, having also maintained a perfect record through wins over Guyana and the Windward Islands.  

The Leeward Islands occupy third position, followed by Jamaica, with both teams claiming one victory from their opening two fixtures. The Windward Islands and Guyana complete the standings in fifth and sixth respectively, with both teams still searching for their first win of the tournament.

Barbados' impressive start has been inspired by captain and opening batsman Gadson Bowens, whose outstanding form with the bat has made him the competition's standout performer thus far. Following his first-round knock of 62, Bowens produced a breath-taking 209 from just 122 deliveries in the second-round clash against the Leeward Islands, powering his side to a formidable 439 for 8.

Second in run aggregate with 137 is Leeward Islands’ Tanez Francis, who recorded half-centuries in both rounds including 82 from 98 balls against Jamaica. The wicketkeeper and opening batsman was a member of the West Indies squad that took part in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia earlier this year.

Windies vs NZ

Pierre believes Windies should have ‘batted a little more responsibly’

New Zealand 141 for 5 (Latham 37, Young 28; Pierre 2-33) beat West Indies 138 all out (Campbell 43, Jangoo 24; Lennox 5-19) by 5 wickets 

The West Indies were bowled out for 138 in 36 overs, batting first in the second One-Day International against New Zealand in Providence, Guyana, on Monday. It was their lowest total against the Black Caps on home soil. 

After a cautious start, openers John Campbell and Ackeem Auguste picked up the tempo towards the end of the powerplay, sharing in a 63-run partnership for the first wicket. 

From there, however, the West Indies added just 75 runs for all 10 wickets as the Kiwi spinners took charge. According to Windies' own spinner Khary Pierre, it was incumbent on the Caribbean batsmen to weather the storm and bat through the allotted overs. 

“I think we left some runs out there,” Pierre began. “[We] got bowled out in 36 overs, with 14 overs to go. I think we could have batted a little more responsibly, rotated the strike a little more, and probably got to 230.”

Khary Pierre (AFP/Getty Images)
                                     Khary Pierre (AFP/Getty Images)

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