Outgoing ICC chairman Greg Barclay has questioned whether structural change to the board's membership system is needed, advocating for the abolition of Full Member status and breaking up West Indies into island teams.
Barclay completed his term as ICC chair on December 1, handing over the position to Jay Shah for the next three years. In an interview with Telegraph Sport during the Christchurch Test match between England and New Zealand, Barclay touched on several subjects relevant to his tenure, among them the future of Test match cricket, and whether it was feasible for all countries that currently play it to continue to do so.
In particular, he highlighted the plight of Cricket West Indies, which has faced significant financial difficulty over the last few years, particularly heightened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the ICC's model from 2024-27, West Indies will receive a less than a five per cent share of ICC earnings.
“You look at the West Indies, I love what they’ve done for the game, but is the West Indies in its current form sustainable?” said Barclay. “Is it time for them to break into each of their islands?
Fast bowlers Marquino Mindley and Jediah Blades have been drafted into the West Indies Men’s ODI squad for the three match CG UNITED series against Bangladesh in St Kitts & Nevis.
The pair will replace Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph respectively.
The medical team on further assessment determined that Forde must continue rehabilitation from a a sustained injury.
Additionally, Joseph is suffering from shin splints following the completion of the recent test series and will be monitored by the medical staff ahead of future assignments.
West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite lamented their inability to execute their game plan as they succumbed to Bangladesh on the fourth day of the second Test match at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
Despite a fighting half-century from Kavem Hodge and a solid 43 from Captain Brathwaite, the West Indies were bowled out for 185 runs from 50 overs, handing Bangladesh a convincing 101-run victory and tying the series at 1-1.
Taijul Islam proved to be the nemesis for the West Indies, claiming five crucial wickets to leave the hosts reeling. His spin bowling caused problems for the West Indies batsmen, who struggled to cope with his variations.
Hodge’s knock of 55 runs from 75 balls, inclusive of six boundaries, was really the lone bright spot for the West Indies at point in the game, but his dismissal leg before wicket to Islam in the 39th over marked a significant turning point in the match. The West Indies’ batting line-up crumbled under pressure with wickets falling at regular intervals.
Reflecting on the loss, Brathwaite emphasised the importance of being impulsive and adapting to the situation.
“The game plan was to be impulsive, that was the first thing I let the guys know,” he said. “I thought we started well, but obviously, we didn’t carry it right through the day.”
West Indies players Jayden Seales and Kevin Sinclair have been found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct in the second Test match against Bangladesh, which the visitors won to level the series.
Seales was fined 25 per cent of his match fees for making aggressive gestures towards the Bangladesh dressing room after picking up a wicket. In addition to this, he also had one demerit point added to his disciplinary record. This was the first offence in a 24-month period.
Seales' fine relates to the breach of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.”
After a controversial end to the Regional Super50 recently, president of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Dr Kishore Shallow says Jamaica’s and Barbados’ role in the incident could put a major dent in the tournament’s brand.
No action took place in the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad on Saturday, November 23 as the Jamaica Scorpions and Barbados Pride forfeited the final.
The match was initially set for 1:00 pm but rain delayed the start of play. However, after inspection of the field, match officials ruled that play could begin after 6:17 pm and the match would be reduced to 20 overs a side.
Despite that, Jamaica’s captain John Campbell and Barbados’ captain Raymon Reifer failed to show for the 6:00 pm toss and neither team took to the field, which saw both teams forfeiting and no champion being crowned.
For their role in the final no-show, match referee Reon King reportedly charged both captains with a Level Three breach of the Cricket West Indies Code of Conduct. Campbell and Reifer are now facing eight-month bans from CWI’s Disciplinary Committee, which would see them being ruled out of the regional four-day tournament and ultimately ruled out of selection for the West Indies’ men’s team.
