West Indies bowling legend turned commentator Michael Holding has accused the England team of displaying ‘western arrogance’ following the decision to withdraw from the tour of Pakistan.
Last month, the England Cricket Board announced the decision to pull out of the tour of Pakistan, which was expected to include matches for both the men’s and women’s teams. The decision came sharply on the back of the New Zealand’s team's choice to pull out of a similarly planned tour after citing security concerns.
"The ECB statement doesn't wash with me," the always forthright Holding said. "No substance."
"Nobody wants to come forward and face up to anything because they know what they did was wrong,” he added.
THE criticisms of the West Indies cricket squad and its travelling reserves to represent the Caribbean peoples at the T20 Cricket World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman later this month have elicited a testy response from the president of Cricket West Indies Mr Ricky Skerritt.
Disapproval struck with force and vigour from all corners of the West Indian islands even to a few from the diaspora in North America.
However, Skerritt came bravely to the defence of his selectors.
He said: “A successful World Cup journey requires that all of us; who love and support the game, and who have seriously studied the fortunes of West Indies cricket; come together and send positive vibes to captain Pollard and the members of his squad, no matter what.”
This was in a CWI media release.
We are West Indians and we’ll be supporting WI cricket. The players did not select themselves to defend the WC, not at all. I’d be disappointed to hear that Caribbean folk would give their support elsewhere. One might not agree with the side chosen, hence, there may be doubts as to the outcome of the tournament. However, it doesn’t mean – because it’s a poor selection in the view of past players or present cricket fans – that the supporters want to see their team lose.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan insists the franchise is monitoring the fitness of West Indies star Andre Russell on a day-by-day basic but remains unsure of exactly when the player will return to action.
The bit-hitting all-rounder was forced to leave the field after making a good save on the mid-wicket boundary and jumped himself off the field as soon as he threw back the ball. The 33-year-old did not feature for the team against the Dehli Capitals, or Friday’s encounter against the Punjab Kings XI.
“Lockie and Russell are being monitored day by day. They have to rehab extremely well in order to be fit,” Morgan said.
West Indies captain Kieron Pollard believes the team’s overall experience will be a critical factor in the bid to successfully defend its World T20 title.
The final 15 selected to represent the West Indies, for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, has stirred up considerable debate in the Caribbean, with several questioning the age of the squad. At current, the team boasts four players over the age of 35, with an average age of 30.6.
“It’s great to have all these guys and myself playing together again,” Pollard told India.com.
“This hasn’t happened in a very long time. No matter which way you look at it you can’t beat experience because we have seen different scenarios time and time again,” he added.
The 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the 9th edition of “the biggest party in sports,” reached an exciting conclusion on Wednesday, September 15. After 32 matches had been played for the first time ever at a single venue, St Kitts’ Warner Park, it all came down to the Tournament final. The result of which was a thrilling, last ball three wickets win for the St Kitts Patriots over the St Lucia Kings.
As very keen observers of this year’s CPL having between us watched every single one of its 33 played matches, there were for us several discernible takeaways. The examination of which leaves plenty to ponder over.
First off was St Kitts’ highly laudable hosting of the entire tournament’s thirty-three matches at a single venue, the Warner Park stadium. Kudos of the very highest order are now deservedly due to the Curator and his ground staff, the Tournament Director and indeed everyone who was in any way involved in the hosting of such a very well organized and executed tournament as this year’s CPL was. Hats off also to all concerned for having managed the required Bio Bubble without incident and as well for getting the players and their attending family members in and out of St Kitts safely.
As successful as it was, St Kitts’ single venue CPL 2021 hosting should now fully open the door to the possibilities for other similarly equipped Caribbean territories to host future CPL tournaments. Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, and St Lucia can now be considered as CPL hosts following St Kitts’ conclusive demonstration, that the previously held conception that only countries with dual venues, a la Antigua, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago would be suitable, is now no longer valid!
