Barbados wicketkeeper-batsman Jamal Smith has labeled out-of-favour West Indies batsman Shai Hope as ‘technically flawed,’ and insisting he was never convinced by the player’s Test cricket batting strength, despite heroics in England.
The 27-year-old was recently dropped from the West Indies squad for the tour of New Zealand, after a nightmare run of form had seen the player averaging 19.48 since December 2017 and just 14.45 since February 2019.
On the England tour, the scene of his triumph three years ago, Hope averaged below 18 in a 2-1 defeat against England. Overall, his Test cricket average has slipped to around 26.27.
“He never suggested to me, even with the games where he scored those two wonderful 100s, as far as the red ball is concerned that he is a force to be reckoned with,” the former Combined Campuses and College’s player turned analyst told the Mason and Guest radio program.
Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave said he is especially disappointed with the West Indies who breached New Zealand’s strict Covid-19 protocols earlier this week, is that they arguably are the most experienced dealing with being in isolation since the return of competitive cricket.
Grave also hinted at the possibility of individual sanctions facing as many as four or five players who are alleged to have been involved and said there were plans to interview all the players and personnel who would have information salient to an investigation into the matter.
In a statement Tuesday night, CWI said it had launched an investigation to the reports that several players had breached protocols and as a result had been banned from training for the final two days of isolation.
“I think my disappointment is mainly the fact that our players are probably the most experienced players in the world in dealing with these strict quarantine measures. I am not, for any second, saying that they’re easy and living in them day in and day out is obviously a massive challenge. It’s still not natural for people to always wear a mask and always do things we have been trained to do for so many years, living our lives in the way we have before Covid,’ he said.
Roston Chase has been appointed West Indies Test vice-captain for the tour of New Zealand, according to reports yesterday.
The Daily Nation reported that Chase had replaced compatriot and long-serving opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite in the position for the Test series against the Black Caps.
“When I got the call from head coach Phil Simmons, he told me that he had a chat with the selectors and the board, and they agreed that I was the player for the vice-captaincy role for the tour,” he told the newspaper.
“At first, I was a bit shocked because I was never in that vice-captaincy capacity. Not even in a Barbados team. I was never a vice-captain, and I thought there were players in the team that has held those positions.
“I captained West Indies ‘A’ in a One-day series previously, so I guess they took it from there to nominate me for the position.”
This morning, Cricket West Indies (CWI) was informed that some members of our New Zealand touring party had contravened the strict COVID-19 protocols within the team’s Managed Isolation Facility in Christchurch.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has advised us that all members of the West Indies touring party will now be unable to train for the remainder of the quarantine period and will have to complete their quarantine within the Managed Isolation Facility only. CWI is in full support of the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s position.
From the information we have received so far, we have been told that the incidents in question included some players compromising the bubble integrity by mixing between two separate West Indies bubbles into which the touring party had been split, by sharing food and socializing in hallways. There is no evidence, or suggestion, that any members of the touring party left the facility, or that any unauthorized persons accessed it.
Ahead of the tour to New Zealand, the West Indies touring party all returned two negative COVID-19 tests before leaving the Caribbean and underwent two further tests since they have been in New Zealand. All results were negative.
The players underwent their final scheduled tests this morning and, results permitting, are scheduled to leave the Managed Isolation Facility on Friday to travel to Queenstown ahead of two warm-up matches against New Zealand “A”.
CWI has already begun an internal investigation into the reported incidents.
Deandra Dottin always wished to play in the Women’s T20 Challenge. Today, she not only fulfilled that wish but is now a champion as well.
The Barbadian all-rounder today scored 20 of the Trailblazer’s 118 for 8 that was good enough to defeat Supernovas by 16 runs in Sharjah.
Dottin and Smriti Mandhana who top-scored with 68, shared in an opening stand of 17 before the Windies Women star was out in the 12th over, caught going for a big hit over deep midwicket off a Poonam Yadav delivery.
Their 50 partnership came up off just 38 deliveries with Mandhana doing the bulk of the scoring with 39.
