When Bangladesh play West Indies in the third ODI in St Kitts on December 12, it will be Phil Simmons' 400th international in a 20-year coaching career. He looks back at the various teams he has coached and what he's learned during his time with them.
You are about to become the fourth coach, after Duncan Fletcher, Mickey Arthur and Dav Whatmore, to be in charge for 400 internationals. What does the milestone mean to you?
As far as cricket is concerned, I am not a numbers man. I can say that reaching 400 matches was a surprise. It wasn't something that was in my mind when I started coaching. It is great to have reached the milestone. It means I have done something right.
You are currently the Bangladesh coach on an interim basis. It is a team in transition, with its own set of complexities. How do you stay hungry after 20 years?
My hunger is determined by the ability of seeing improvement. It is a team in transition. They need some sort of stability and guidance, but also there's a chance of improvement and success. It is my motivation. A chance to get success and improve people.
You led West Indies to the 2016 T20 World Cup title. It was probably the highest point in your coaching career. Where do you rank the campaign?
It was an unbelievable campaign in the way we played the cricket. We had a bit of luck at times. Lendl Simmons being out and not out on a few occasions at the Wankhede [Lendl Simmons was twice caught off no-balls in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against India] was one of them. The campaign was exciting throughout. We played really good cricket. We deserved to be winners at the end of the day. It was definitely the highest point I have reached in my coaching career.
The attorneys-at-law representing embattled Barbados Pride captain Raymon Reifer have written to Cricket West Indies (CWI) urging them to withdraw the charges against him because he cannot get a “fair and impartial hearing.”
In a letter addressed to CWI’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Lynford Inverary dated December 6, 2024, attorney Philip Nicholls, who, in association with King’s Counsel Sir Patterson Cheltenham, is acting on behalf of Reifer and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), raised serious concerns regarding how CWI had treated Reifer.
Reifer and Jamaica Scorpions captain John Campbell were handed Level 3 charges for their roles in last month’s CG United Super50 final, which was forfeited after they failed to be present for the toss.
In a statement released by CWI on Friday, it was announced that Campbell had been given a reduced four-match suspension after accepting the charges.
At the time, CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said Reifer had not yet responded to the charges.
He said the disciplinary committee would deal with the matter if Reifer did not respond.
“In your release, you again not so much as imply but state outright that Mr. Reifer has not responded to the charge leveled against him, which was the same charge for which Campbell has been sanctioned. This is not correct,” Nicholls maintained.
West Indies bowler Alzarri Joseph has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first ODI match against Bangladesh in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Joseph was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “the use of an audible obscenity.”
In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Joseph’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.
The incident occurred before play when he used offensive and abusive language in an exchange with the fourth umpire, after the umpire had asked Joseph to refrain from stepping onto the pitch with his spikes on.
West Indies coasted to a seven-wicket win against Bangladesh in St Kitts to claim the three-match ODI series. It was West Indies' first ODI series win against Bangladesh in ten years. They had won the last four ODI series between the two sides too. West Indies had on Sunday broken Bangladesh's 11-match winning streak against them in the first ODI.
Jayden Seales' career-best figures of 4 for 22 led the home side's bowling efforts as they bowled out the visitors for 227 in 45.5 overs. Brandon King then struck a rapid 82 to accelerate West Indies' chase, as they completed the win in 36.5 overs. Captain Shai Hope and Sherfane Rutherford, who struck 113 in the first game, were the unbeaten batters who completed the game.
Bangladesh meanwhile have won just one out of their last six ODI series, while West Indies have turned around their fortunes in the format. They have now won consecutive ODI series wins after beating England last month. They had lost ODI series against Australia and Sri Lanka earlier in the year.
Seales gave West Indies the foundation for this win. He dealt three early blows before Gudakesh Motie's solid 2 for 36 kept Bangladesh on a leash for much of the middle overs. Bangladesh could only make a 200-plus total mainly due to a 92-run stand between Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan. It is a new record for the eighth wicket for Bangladesh. Mahmudullah's 62 was also his third consecutive fifty in ODIs.
Sherfane Rutherford's maiden ODI century helped West Indies break their 11-match losing streak against Bangladesh with a five-wicket win in St Kitts. The home side hunted down a target of 295 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with Rutherford's 80-ball 113 comprehensively overturning a slow start to the chase. West Indies, who had at one point needed 161 off 114 balls, reached their target with 14 balls remaining.
Rutherford, who was struck twice on his helmet during his innings, reached his century when Bangladesh conceded six runs via overthrows in the 47th over. He celebrated the milestone with consecutive sixes off Soumya Sarkar, over long-off and midwicket. Then he squeezed one to short third man where Nahid Rana completed a catch, but by then West Indies only needed seven more.
Rutherford struck seven fours and eight sixes as he went from 19 off 29 balls in the 32nd over to score a further 94 runs in 51 balls. He now has five consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs, becoming the fourth West Indian after Gordon Greenidge, Chris Gayle and Shai Hope, who have six in a row each, to achieve this feat.
Rutherford added 99 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Hope who contributed an 88-ball 86 after coming in at 27 for 2. Then Rutherford and Justin Greaves blasted 95 runs off just 57 balls for the fifth wicket. Greaves scored the winning runs and finished on an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls with five fours.
