ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) thanked Sandals Resorts International for their contribution to West Indies cricket as a principal partner during the last four years. Sandals became CWI’s principal partner, enjoying branding rights across all West Indies Men’s, Women’s, and age-group teams in 2017, a partnership extended by a further year during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CWI Partnership with Sandals was part of the incredible legacy of the late Sandals’ Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who was a life-long supporter of West Indies cricket and who made sure that the Sandals brand stood proudly on the shirts of all West Indian cricketers, continuously over the past four years. CWI paid tribute earlier this year to the loss of the iconic Mr. Stewart, whose passing was closely followed by the loss of his senior management colleague David Roper, himself also a Sandals-based West Indies cricket stalwart. It was Mr. Roper who coordinated the varying commercial relationships with West Indies cricket for more than two decades at home and abroad.
There seems to be a consensus that the West Indies are the Greatest International T20 team. Yet, for whatever reasons, before WINDIES’ ‘World Cup preparation’ run of fifteen T20Is earlier this year, the likes of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo had not featured together in a single International game for over five years. Already with two World Cup titles to their name—the only team to do so, the Caribbean side has, however, gotten their superstars back together in time to challenge for a third.
With an injury to Fabian Allen, Cricket West Indies has amended the 15-man squad to compete in service of their title defense: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (wk), Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
Traveling Reserves: Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Gudakesh Motie.
Prior to the selection of the squad and the start of this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), there was the sense that the CPL had never held more importance. In accordance with that sentiment, Ravi Rampaul’s emergence as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, saw the 37-year-old—who has not played a T20I for the West Indies since 2015—being rewarded with a place in the West Indies squad, ahead of fellow pacers, Fidel Edwards and Sheldon Cottrell; who, along with Oshane Thomas, seemed to be competing for two spots.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) — Former champion leg-spinner Samuel Badree, one of the architects behind West Indies' capture of the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups, has named the reigning champions as one of the favourites for this year's tournament despite their recent dodgy form.
West Indies lost both their opening warm-up games this week, going down by seven wickets to Pakistan on Monday and by 56 runs to minnows Afghanistan on Wednesday.
However, Badree said the Caribbean side remained a massive threat due to the plethora of match-winners in the side.
“Five years later and I think West Indies have as good a chance as any team to win the title again,” Badree wrote in his tournament column for the International Cricket Council.
“Many people have pegged them as the favourites, and quite rightly so because of the match-winners in that line-up."
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) today confirmed that the West Indies Women are set to tour Pakistan for three (3) One-Day Internationals (ODIs) from November 8 to 14. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed all the tour logistics and has submitted detailed medical and security plans to CWI for final review.
The West Indies Women are due to arrive in Pakistan on November 1 for the ODI series that is scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.
This will be the West Indies Women’s third bilateral series in 2021, after hosting Pakistan and South Africa in the Caribbean this summer. The West Indies players are currently in Antigua for a High-Performance training camp as part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.
England will join the West Indies in kneeling ahead of the team’s opening fixture of the ICC World T20 on Saturday.
The England teams took part in the anti-racism gesture ahead of each of the three Tests that were played in England last summer and for a limited-overs series against Ireland soon after. The team was, however, later criticized for not continuing the gesture in subsequent series. The team’s captain Eion Morgan has confirmed that England would join the West Indies ahead of the opener and would continue further discussion with the ICC.
“We have heard from the West Indies that they will be taking a knee and we will be joining them for the first game,” Morgan said on Tuesday.
