West Indies have dropped Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin from their ODI squad for next month's tri-series in Zimbabwe, which also features Sri Lanka. Courtney Browne, the head of West Indies' selection committee, informed Pollard and Ramdin about their axing via email.
The emails, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, were sent by Browne earlier this week. Browne's message to both players was straightforward, saying they had been dropped and telling them they were free to seek clarification from him or the selection panel if they wanted. Considering the squad has not been officially announced yet, ESPNcricinfo sought a comment from the WICB on Wednesday, but the board did not respond.
Both Pollard and Ramdin had poor returns in the recently concluded limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE. Pollard managed 43 runs in the three T20s, and bowled two overs, going wicketless. In the three-match ODI series, which West Indies lost 3-0, Pollard scored 42 runs at an average of 14.00. He took one wicket in the 12 overs he bowled across the three matches.
Ramdin, who was recalled to the ODI squad, compiled 79 runs at 26.33 in the three ODIs and did not feature in the T20s. Browne's selection panel had dropped Ramdin from the squad for the four-Test series at home against India earlier this year. Ramdin made the news public on Twitter before the squad was announced, and was subsequently sanctioned by the WICB.
FLORENCE HALL, Jamaica — Star players Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor combined well to hand West Indies Women a 38-run win over their England counterparts at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium yesterday to level the five-match One-Day International series at 1-1.
Taylor, the West Indies captain, struck a polished 56 for her 24th career ODI half-century to guide the West Indies to 148 all out in exactly 50 overs in what turned out to be another low-scoring encounter on a low and slow batting surface.
Dottin, known more for her aggressive batting, emphasised her all-round class with a four-wicket haul that helped to dismiss England Women for 110 inside 42 overs.
October is a special month for Dwayne Bravo to act up. Honestly.
And as he celebrates his 33rd birthday today, the experienced Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies all-rounder should contemplate a couple significant issues, which have occurred in the month I hold dearly.
Just two years ago, Friday, October 17th (my birthdate) to be precise, Bravo was the West Indies One-Day International (ODI) captain, who led a pull-out midway through the tour to India over player-payment issues with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in their revised contracts.
At that time, the WICB issued a release stating it regretted that in his initial communication to the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) President and Chief Executive Officer Wavell Hinds, Bravo “chose to use inflammatory language and issue a threat to cause injury to West Indies cricket”.
Specifically Bravo wrote: “Please note that we are giving you the opportunity to right this wrong before things deteriorate (sic) to such an extent that West Indies cricket to the wider cricket world looks to fall to its knees again.”
Now last Saturday, October 1, Bravo was at it again. Just back home from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he represented West Indies in the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan, which was swept by Pakistan, he claimed that the team environment was low-keyed and suggested the players and management were lost.
Edgbaston will host the first day-night Test ever staged in the United Kingdom when England face West Indies in Birmingham in August next year.
England are now in line to become the third nation to stage a five-day Test under floodlights, following Australia’s day-night match against New Zealand in Adelaide last year and with Pakistan due to play West Indies in a day-night Test in the United Arab Emirates next week.
Test matches in England, unlike many countries, are generally well supported and there are concerns the English climate may not be conducive to spectators sitting out to watch for several hours late in the day. Given that the English cricket season also coincides with the UK’s longest daylight hours, questions have also been raised about whether there’s much to be gained from having a floodlit Test in the country.
But Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued on Thursday (October 6), said: “We’re excited by the prospect of staging our first ever day-night Test match. It’s a great opportunity to attract more fans to the game and see how staging Test cricket in the afternoon and evening fits with working patterns and modern lifestyles, whilst maintaining the deep tradition of Test match cricket.
WEST INDIES Cricket Board (WICB) Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead said he is disappointed by the shellacking the West Indies is receiving on their tour of Pakistan but believes the sacking of coach Phil Simmons is not affecting the team. The West Indies crashed to a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates yesterday, going under by 136 runs in the third and final match. Prior to the series, the world champions were swept aside shockingly 0-3 in the Twenty20s. The WICB fired coach Simmons on the day the regional side were set to leave for Dubai but Muirhead believes the axing of the respected Trinidadian cannot be blamed for the poor showing by the regional team. Muirhead said, “I honestly don’t think Simmons’ sacking is affecting the team. Can any single person affect the performance of a team? I heard (former West Indies pacer) Andy Roberts say that in their time they didn’t even have a coach.” Muirhead stressed that the West Indies players are all professionals and should be technically sound at this level to put up a better showing.
