Sat, Jan 31, '15 by ANTOINETTE MULLER ,
Dwayne Bravo has retired from Test cricket at the tender age of 31 years. In a statement, he spoke of the “difficult time” cricket in the Caribbean is currently experiencing and reiterated his desire to represent the West Indies in the limited overs format.
As per ESPNCricinfo he said:
Today I am announcing my retirement from Test cricket. I have already informed the [West Indies Cricket Board] of this decision and also indicated my desire to continue to represent the West Indies in the shorter formats of the game.
Over the years, with the greatest enthusiasm, I have done my best with the deep awareness that I am ultimately representing the people of the game.
I recognise that this is a difficult time for all of us. Our people of the region have seen and enjoyed great cricketing days but we will not return to glory until we agree to go forward with our love for the game and the respect of the administrators, players and the public.
more at bleacherreport
Sat, Jan 31, '15
T&T’s cricket team has been dealt a severe blow heading into its Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day clash against the Windward Islands in St Lucia next week.
Chairman of the T&T selection panel, Alec Burns told the T&T Guardian that the five senior players are out for varying reasons.
read more at Trinidad Guardian
Sat, Jan 31, '15
Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, has announced his retirement from Test cricket, but wants to continue representing the side in limited-overs games. Bravo had not played Tests since December 2010, and his decision comes after he lost the ODI captaincy to Jason Holder and was then axed from the one-day side for the tour of South Africa and also the World Cup.
West Indies had pulled out from their tour of India last year under Bravo's leadership over a payment dispute with their board and players association. His subsequent removal from the squad had led to allegations of victimization from his lawyer, but chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd had said there was no axe to grind. Bravo was picked for the T20 internationals against South Africa and was also given a central contract by the board.
read more at ESPNcricinfo
Fri, Jan 30, '15
I’ve never been much of a one for sympathising with the opposition, particularly in cricket.
Brought to awareness of the great game around the time of Allan Border’s triumphantly vengeful sweep through England in 1989, I learnt that when your enemy is down, you rejoice, and when your enemy falls even lower, you laugh uproariously.
This, I have always been given to believe, is one of the joys of sport: the ability to take pleasure in the misfortune of others, just as they take pleasure in yours. After all, when Australia has gone through the darkest of dark times in the past, the rest of the world never seemed particularly sympathetic.
That time in the late ’80s, of course, was also the heyday of the West Indies, and nothing then seemed less likely than a day coming when I would not only feel depressed about the lamentable state of an opposing cricket nation, but that that cricket nation would be the Windies. And yet here we are. I feel almost as sad about the state of Caribbean cricket as I have when my own country’s been losing. What on earth has happened to me?
read more at the Roar
Fri, Jan 30, '15
The ICC Board held its first meeting of 2015 at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai on 28 January. Among the decisions made and reports received were:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 playing conditions
The ICC Board reinstated the use of a Super Over in the event of a tie in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 final. This now replicates the arrangements for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final and other recent ICC events where a winner will be determined on the day of the final (weather permitting), and a Super Over was the most credible way to separate the two sides.
The ICC Board also approved a change to the application of ICC Code of Conduct offences relating to slow over-rates in ICC events so that captains do not carry any prior minor over-rate offence ‘strikes’ or over-rate suspensions from other series into an ICC event.