On the back of series wins over Sri Lanka and England, the West Indies, on Tuesday evening, jetted off for the 2026 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup full of confidence. Captain Joshua Dorne and his deputy, Jonathan van Lange, have already settled on their objectives for the competition, which will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
While Dorne, one of two returnees to the Windies side, is excited to once again experience “the exposure of playing in an ICC tournament and playing against different teams,” he has his sights set on penning a redemption arc.
Following four single-digit scores at 11.8 in the 2024 campaign, the Barbadian completed a stellar comeback in 2025, scoring 617 runs across 14 Youth Internationals at 47.46.
“Well, last time around it was pretty rough, so I learnt from that experience and came back,” he said, before determining, “[I’m] coming back stronger this time, for sure.”
Dwayne Bravo: ‘They had different plans and different ideas’
Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo says the decision to end his Test career at the age of 27 was not his. Bravo’s last appearance in the format came in a rained-out contest in Pallekele in 2010. Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket Podcast, the Trinbagonian said, contrary to assumptions, he had “made it very clear” he wanted to continue his Test journey.
“No, I didn't decide to give up Test cricket; [the board] decided to give me up,” he clarified. Bravo, who is the current Trinbago Knight Riders coach, says he attributes part of the blame to his current deputy at the Caribbean Premier League side, Ottis Gibson, who was Windies head coach at the time.
“My assistant coach, Ottis, is the guy who was the coach for the West Indies team back then when my Test career came to an abrupt end. Now I still give him the s--- about it.”
He, however, absolved then-skipper Darren Sammy of any guilt. “I didn't think it had anything to do with Sammy, because I think at that time, Sammy was a young captain, so he didn't have much influence or much say over what team was selected,” Bravo said, emphasizing that Gibson, as the head coach, did.
Dr. Kishore Shallow’s 2025 reflection and message for 2026
Fellow West Indians,
As we reflect on the journey behind us and look toward the path ahead, we do so with honesty, humility, and an abiding sense of purpose. The past year tested us in ways both seen and unseen. It was a year marked by loss, challenge, and sacrifice. Some who began the journey with us did not complete it, and many across our Caribbean family mourned loved ones of their own. These moments remind us that cricket, while deeply important, exists within the wider human experience that binds us all.
Yet through it all, the spirit of West Indies cricket endured. The love for this game, and for what it represents to our people, remained steadfast. It is this enduring passion that continues to rally us, even in times of difficulty, and it is the foundation upon which our future is being shaped.
On the field, we acknowledge that our performances have not consistently met the high standards our history demands or the expectations our people rightly have. Improvement is not optional; it is imperative. We are committed to strengthening our structures, supporting our players, and fostering a renewed culture of accountability, resilience, and winning intent. Progress may not always be linear, but the determination to improve remains unwavering.
Meanwhile, off the field, we navigated a challenging financial period. That reality has not disappeared overnight, and the year ahead will require continued prudence and responsible management. These are not easy choices, but they are necessary ones, taken in the long-term interest of West Indies cricket and its sustainability. We are committed to protecting the future of this sport, and doing the necessary work to ensure such.
An interim administration is among Deryck Murray’s suggestions
Former West Indies wicketkeeper Deryck Murray is the latest on a long list of past players to raise concerns regarding the current state of cricket in the region. The 82-year-old has questioned the “direction” of West Indies cricket, as well as Cricket West Indies’ ability to competently address the long-standing issues plaguing the sport, including poor on-field results.
While the West Indies batted valiantly in the second innings of the first Test against New Zealand to earn a draw, the crux of the matter for the Trinbagonian is something else. “We get a one-off performance like that every few months,” Murray soft-pedalled, “maybe every year, and we think we've turned the corner—we are not at the corner; we are on a roundabout.”
Speaking on Mason and Guest, Murray went on to question, “Who is steering the car? Which direction are we trying to go in? What is happening?” He predicts that without an overhaul of CWI, the West Indies will eventually lose its value in international cricket.
“I think we have reached a very significant point in West Indies cricket where the future can take [one of] two extreme courses,” he began to explain. “One is that we maintain the status quo, and we continue to drift into irrelevance.”
According to the former West Indies vice-captain, CWI’s open-mindedness and acceptance of individual territories competing at the Olympics foreshadow a changing tide. “I am very, very disappointed that the West Indies board has not approached the International Olympic Committee for special dispensation for there to be a West Indies cricket team—that has been in existence for 100 years—to be represented at the Olympics,” Murray passioned.
Super50 shortened to three rounds, while T20 Blaze retains hybrid format
The upcoming season of Cricket West Indies’ Women’s Super50 Cup has been trimmed to three rounds. A deviation from the previous league format, which had each of the six teams playing the others once, resulting in five bouts in addition to a championship game and ordinal playoffs. CWI has not confirmed the reason for the change or how the fixtures were determined.
The Super50 Cup becomes the second senior regional competition to be contracted in the last three months. Only six teams contested the Men’s edition of the tournament in November, down from the usual eight. For that, CWI cited financial hardship.
In December, CWI and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) also announced the suspension of the 2026 edition of the Breakout T20 League, owing to a congested international and domestic schedule.
Despite the restructuring of the Super50, the T20 Blaze is set to retain its hybrid model—featuring a five-round round-robin. Seedings will determine the ‘medal’ matches thereafter, with first, second, and third places up for grabs.
