DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) — Pakistan are not assuming the absence of batting superstar Chris Gayle to mean West Indies will be a weakened unit for their three-match Twenty20 International series starting in the UAE on Saturday.
“I don’t think that there is much of an advantage when it comes to T20 cricket when players have changed,” captain Sarfraz Ahmed said.
“True, they don’t have Chris Gayle but they do have some other good players. Our focus is to do well on the field. We finished on a good note in Manchester (against England earlier this month) and I hope we start on a good note here.”
Gayle, one of the most destructive batsmen in the game’s shortest formats, was not available for selection after also missing the two-match series against India in Fort Lauderdale, United States last month.
When Ramnaresh Sarwan scored an unbeaten 84 on Test debut against a Pakistan attack that included Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, many experts were moved to suggest that he would be the next big thing in West Indies batting; Ted Dexter predicted a Test average of more than 50. Over a career that lasted over a decade, Sarwan did extremely well for himself, scoring nearly 12,000 international runs with 20 hundreds, but it is impossible to escape the feeling that West Indies didn't get the full value of Sarwan's capabilities. Especially as a Test batsman, where he finished with a career average of 40.01, a good 20% short of where Dexter predicted he would end up.
As a Test batsman Sarwan clearly had his moments: his fourth-innings 105 in Antigua helped chase down a record target of 418; his 291 against England in 2009 remains the seventh-highest Test score by a West Indian, and equals Viv Richards' highest as well; in the same series he also made two other hundreds - 107 in a win in Kingston, and 106 in Antigua - becoming only the fourth West Indies batsman since 1980 to score three hundreds in a Test series.
St. John’s, ANTIGUA – Effective October 1, 2016, women’s cricketers on retainer from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will see an increase in their pay package. The number of women on retainer will also move from 11 to 15.
An agreement between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) will see increases in annual retainer fees, sponsorship payments, match fees and captains’ allowances. The estimated increase will cost the WICB just under US$600,000 for the upcoming year. The new compensation package will benefit an unlimited number of non-retained players.
Captain, Stafanie Taylor appreciates the increase. She notes that “I believe we are stepping in the right direction. England and Australia are the two top teams where Women’s cricket is concerned and I think we can mirror what they are doing and get on their level. It’s good that the retainers and match fees have been increased and the girls love it. We hope that, as time goes by, more things will be improved.”
Former captain, Merissa Aguilleira is also happy. “I am really pleased and thankful about the increase. We have been working hard as a team with huge success. I strongly believe that an increase like this will only encourage us to work harder and continue representing the people of the Caribbean to the best of our abilities.”
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) — Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell said he has resigned as Chairman of Caricom’s sub-committee on cricket governance because he was angered by the behaviour of “a couple of our leaders in the region”.
Prime Minister Mitchell did not call out the names of his regional counterparts, but accused them of undermining Caricom’s position by making “divisive” public statements after agreements would have been reached at the heads of government level.
In an interview with Grenada sports, Prime Minister Mitchell said he has suggested Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines take up the role.
DUBAI—West Indies defeated Emirates Cricket Board X1 by 22 runs in a warm-up match before their first T20 International of a three-match series against Pakistan here yesterday. New recruits to the West Indies T20 squad, Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell, inspired the innings with a half century partnership while Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine shared five wickets. Badree and Narine conspired to erase a threatening partnership and swung the match firmly in West Indies way for them to eventually coast to an effortless win at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Badree picked up three wickets for 20 runs while Narine grabbed two for 21 to restrict Emirates to 144 for six wickets from their 20 overs after West Indies posted 166 for seven.
