Wed, Sep 2, '15
West Indies coach Phil Simmons has confirmed he is in a much clearer position over the status of high profile players Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Andre Russell, regarding their availability to play Test cricket and other formats for the Caribbean side going forward.
Simmons was giving an update on his talks with the aforementioned players after revealing exclusively to Newsday his plans to do so in May.
Since Simmons made that revelation, players such as Bravo and Simmons’ nephew Lendl have confirmed in the media that they don’t want to play Tests because of the pay structure in the new MOU/ CBA that was signed by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players Association (WIPA). Russell also stated he can’t play the longer format because of a persistent knee problem.
“I have had good discussions speaking with all the players. Yes, Bravo and Lendl said they don’t want to play Tests for reasons you mentioned, but I’m happy that they were honest about that,” said Simmons.
Wed, Sep 2, '15
National youth cricketer, Kirstan Kallicharan is confident that the trials and tribulations he faced representing the West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago at various youth levels will help him grow as a cricketer.
“It’s been a tough year for me and I am hoping that I can make up for my shortcomings next year. I am hoping this makes me a stronger cricketer and helps improve my cricketing and mental skills,” said Kallicharan.
He continued, “I hope this experience helps my cricket and does not break me down. I am trying to acquire as much experience as I can to incorporate into my cricket so it can make me a more complete player.”
read more at TTCB
Tue, Sep 1, '15
THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has congratulated Dwayne Bravo on being awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for his outstanding contribution to the game of cricket.
The 31-year-old, who is from Santa Cruz, is a world class all-round cricketer whose talent is sought after by cricket franchises in the T20 format all around the world where his exuberant style of play has characterised Trinidad and Tobago cricket.
Earlier this year Bravo led T&T’s Red Steel cricket team to victory in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) regional T20 tournament from last place, to lift the championship crown in the semi-final play-offs and final in front of his home crowd at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.
On Monday, president of the TTCB Azim Bassarath said that the national honour given to Bravo is well-deserved and will help to motivate other young cricketers to work hard and establish themselves much like he has done over the years.
Sun, Aug 30, '15 by TONY COZIER
CRICKET was the sport that created and, for decades, maintained the West Indies’ reputation for athletic excellence.
For so long the passion of its fanatical public, its strength has rapidly withered, for a variety of mostly self-inflicted reasons. It now ranks ninth among ten Test and ODI teams and, for the first time, is excluded from the eight-team Champions Trophy in 2017 in England.
Fortunately, the consequent despair of all West Indians has been lifted by performances in another sport, by the region’s magnificent athletes, mostly Jamaican with rising numbers from its smaller constituents.
As the individual now unreservedly recognised as the all-time king of the sprints, his sport’s showpiece events, Usain Bolt has been the ideal energiser to put a smile back on the faces of cricket’s sad devotees.
Bolt is a towering Jamaican with a spirited Caribbean sense of fun whose long strides cover the track with the power and speed of lightning. Barring a false start disqualification in the 2011 World Championships, he is unbeaten for seven years in either of his favoured events, the 100 and 200 metres at major championships.
raed the full article at Nation News
Sun, Aug 30, '15
Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee is considering beginning the upcoming Test series against West Indies in Colombo instead of Galle, which has been the customary venue for a tour opener, because of the cost factor. West Indies, who last played a series in Sri Lanka in 2011, are set to tour again around mid-October.
With the West Indies tour not generating big revenue for the SLC, chances are the interim committee would prefer playing the two Tests at the P Sara Oval and the SSC or R Premadasa Stadium to cut costs.
read more at ESPNcricinfo