RECENTLY, I read where it was suggested to prepare faster pitches in the Caribbean which would produce quicker bowlers, hence, more victories for the West Indies. Furthermore, it was said that fast-bowling talents can be unearthed by producing faster wickets and implementing more strategic scouting initiatives.
This advice was uttered mainly because of the Test match success of Shamar Joseph on the recent Australian tour re-kindling thoughts of that era of West Indian cricket that saw the Test team participate in 29 Test series in 15 years between 1980 and 1995, not losing a single series.
In early 1980, there was a contentious and forgettable tour of New Zealand that has been remembered by the bad behaviour of some West Indian cricketers. The umpiring was so poor, guided by bias, plus hometown decisions, that the skipper talked to his players during a tea break when he decided not to continue the Test match. That, of course, would have been wrong, however, it goes to show how frustrated the team was with the way they were being treated on the field of play.
Nonetheless, West Indies lost the three-Test series against NZ by a one-nil margin, an unlikely outcome for a series between the two opponents, especially after the visitors had completed a comprehensive two-nil defeat in a three-Test rubber against Australia just a week earlier. The Windies cricketers still believe they were treated unfairly by the NZ umpires. In those days the umpires were not from neutral countries.
Fast bowling sensation Shamar Joseph is set to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after signing a US$362,000 deal with Lucknow Super Giants.
The 24-year-old will replace England speedster Mark Wood who media reports say has been recalled by England and Wales Cricket Board to prepare for upcoming assignments.
At Super Giants, Joseph will join fellow West Indies player Kyle Mayers and will be part of a fast bowling contingent that includes Afghan Naveen-ul-Haq and Englishman David Willey.
Super Giants were good enough to make the play-offs of last season’s IPL before being knocked out by Mumbai Indians.
The Twenty20 franchise deal is the second to emerge for Joseph after he was signed by Daren Sammy’s Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League which bowls off later this month.
Joseph shot to prominence on the recent drawn two-Test tour of Australia when he produced a Man of the Series performance to earn West Indies their first Test win down under in nearly three decades.
The right-armer snatched a five-wicket haul on debut in Adelaide as West Indies went down by 10 wickets, and returned with figures of seven for 68 in the second innings in Brisbane to bowl West Indies to an eight-run victory on the fourth day.
Joseph finished the series with 13 wickets at 17 runs apiece.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has announced that fast bowler Ronsford Beaton was “called by officials for a suspect bowling action” during the first-round match against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the Regional Four-Day tournament.
Beaton took 2-39 from 12 overs on the opening day of the match, which ended with Red Force 215-4. The remaining three days of the game were washed out at the Conaree Sports Club.
The GCB added that West Indies Under-19 pacer Isai Thorne has been named as Beaton’s replacement in the 13-man squad for the second-round clash against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park, St. Kitts, from February 14.
Thorne, who recently returned from the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, has already played First-Class cricket, having represented West Indies Academy against Ireland late last year.
He produced figures of 4-33 and 4-8 on debut as West Indies Academy won by an innings and 134 runs.
WHILE WE bask in the afterglow of the West Indies’ shock result against Australia, let’s take advantage of the outpouring of affection it has elicited.
Shamar Joseph, the irresistible boy from Baracara, fought through the pain, inexperience, and Australian aura of invincibility to remind the world that our talent still flickers. What it is starved of are the resources to reignite, something the world game is not short on. But the West Indies does not get a share commensurate with our unique contribution to the staggering economics of today’s game.
Technological advances, plus the popularity of Limited Over formats are responsible for the commercial explosion of cricket, now the second biggest sport by fan base and top five in revenues. The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) US$6.2 billion in broadcast rights, on a per match basis, makes it the most valuable sports league in the world, eclipsing even America’s National Football League (NFL). Major League Cricket in the USA threatens to ‘nitro’ that fast-growing market, funded by titans like Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and Mukesh Ambani, the world’s 10th richest man. Our equity in this phenomenal commercial and geographic growth needs to be accounted for.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes needed only three days to complete a nine-wicket victory over the Jamaica Scorpions in their 2024 West Indies Championship opening round fixture at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Scorpions started Friday’s day three 76-4 off 18 overs, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner and Gordon Bryan at the crease on 36 and one, respectively.
Eleven overs into the day’s play, Bonner was trapped in front by Shamar Springer for 45 to leave the Scorpions 109-5 needing a further 73 runs to make the Windwards have to bat again.
New batsman Abhijai Mansingh joined Bryan at the crease and the pair looked to be safely guiding the Scorpions into the lunch break without any further damage.
However, this proved not to be the case as Mansingh was caught brilliantly at short mid-wicket by Sunil Ambris off the bowling of Shadrack Descarte for 11 to leave the hosts 131-6 off 47 overs at lunch.
