West Indies interim batting coach Floyd Reifer has dismissed concerns about the team’s batting line-up, ahead of the Test series against England, insisting the unit is more than ready to adapt to difficult conditions.
Despite the team widely being acknowledged as having a potent bowling line-up heading into the series, many have raised concerns about how the Windies will fare at the crease against experienced English bowlers and potentially damp, cold conditions.
The absence of the talented duo of Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo, who opted out of the tour for health reasons, have done little to assuage those fears but Reifer, who was recently returned to the coaching unit, insists the team’s hard work so far gives them a good chance of success for the upcoming series.
Barbados Cricket Association president Conde Riley is batting for Dave Cameron to become the next chairman of the International Cricket Council.
Riley, one of many directors on the Cricket West Indies (CWI) board, said on the Mason and Guest talk show last evening that the governing body of cricket in the region needed to support their own.
Cameron was proposed by the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) to be chairman of ICC and is in need of a second and final nomination which he is banking on would come from CWI.
“Dave is being proposed by USACA (United States of America Cricket Association), that’s a major money earner or potentially I should say in terms of the United States of America. There are lots of Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, West Indians, in the United States, a large market.
MANCHESTER, England – Shannon Gabriel has been added to the West Indies Test squad for the ongoing Sandals Tour of England 2020. The experienced fast bowler was among the reserves and has now been drafted into the 15-member Test squad after proving his fitness following ankle surgery and impressive performances in the two inter-squad warm-up matches at the Emirates Old Trafford.
Roger Harper, Cricket West Indies Lead Selector said: “I am delighted that we are able to add Shannon to the Test squad. He has shown that he is fit and ready, he will add experience, firepower and potency to the bowling unit.”
Sir Everton Weekes was the last survivor of the famous 'Three Ws' - a trio of West Indies batting legends whose lives and careers became irrevocably entwined.
Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott were all born within 18 months, and within three miles of each other in Barbados - and were even delivered by the same midwife.
All three made their debuts in early 1948 against England, were the middle-order mainstays of the great West Indies side of the 1950s - and were all subsequently knighted for services to cricket.
Everton DeCourcy Weekes was born on 26 February 1925, named after the famous Merseyside football team of which his father was an avid supporter.
According to legend, England spinner Jim Laker once remarked to Weekes: "It's a good job that he wasn't a fan of West Bromwich Albion."
Born in poverty, Weekes left school at 14 and served in the Barbados Defence Force. He appeared in 10 first-class games for Barbados before being called up to face England at Kensington Oval in his home town, Bridgetown, a month before his 23rd birthday.
President of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Conde Riley, is wrong to ask for the immediate sacking of West Indies head coach, Phil Simmons.
I have great respect for Mr Riley, who has served Barbados and West Indies cricket admirably for more than 20 years, but his utterances this week were, in a word, irresponsible.
Mr Riley’s comments have created an issue where there should be none.
Here are the facts as I understand them.
Simmons had a death in his family and there was a funeral which would, if he were to go, place him at risk of contracting COVID-19 because he is now outside of the bio-secure controls at Old Trafford, Manchester where the West Indies cricket team is staying ahead of a three-Test series against England.
Once outside of the bubble, Simmons (and the coach must have been fully aware of this, put himself at the risk of adding to the 313, 483 cases of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom.
