The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket
Birmingham, England – West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin said his emotions had boiled over, leading to the way he celebrated his second Test hundred in the third and final Test against England on Sunday.
Tino Best, whose career as a Test batsman was previously encapsulated by Andrew Flintoff's "mind the windows" jibe at Lord's eight years ago, struck back with a world record innings by a Test No. 11 on his return to the West Indies Test side, a fantastical affair that shattered England's faint chances of winning the Edgbaston Test in the process.
In the innings of his life, all that was lacking was the first century by a No. 11 batsman in Tests. He fell attempting a wind-up over long-on that he envisaged would clear the ropes and give him that historic hundred, only to be deceived by a slower ball by Graham Onions and edge to England's captain, Andrew Strauss, running backwards from slip. By then everybody outside the England dressing room must have been willing him to make it.
more at ESPNcricinfo
England had the audacity to rest their two leading strike bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, for a dead rubber in Birmingham and West Indies, their determination unquenched despite defeats in the first two Tests, ensured that a reshaped attack would receive no easy pickings. They may have lost the series, but their pride remains intact.
This was the first Test in England to lose its first two days to the weather since an Ashes Test against Australia at Lord's in 1964 and the disruption contributed to one of the more humdrum days of Test cricket fought out on a chilly day and under glowering skies that tested the commitment of a patchy Edgbaston crowd.
more at ESPNcricinfo
Former West Indies opener Adrian Griffith has taken over the role of umpires and referees administration manager at the ICC. He has joined the the ICC's operations department, currently headed by Dave Richardson, who is the governing body's general manager of cricket. The department also includes Vince van der Bilj, a former Natal and Middlesex fast bowler.
Griffth played 14 Tests and nine ODIs between 1996 and 2000. He's also an experienced administrator. He was cricket operations manager during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, and has also been on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) match referees' panel. As the ICC's regional referee, he was involved in several development events such as the World Cricket League Division One and the World Twenty20 Qualifier.
"It is indeed a great honour for me to be working with the International Cricket Council in the role of Umpires and Referees Administration Manager," Griffith said. "I am hoping that my experience, both as a player and match official, will come in handy during my stint."
reprinted from ESPNcricinfo
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) wish to advise all stakeholders of West Indies cricket that they will be meeting to discuss the terms and conditions which could result in a mutually agreeable, revised Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between the parties.
The negotiations will be in Barbados from June 11th to 13th, in a bid to chart a positive way forward for what has been a difficult issue to resolve.
Assisting the process during the three day talks, will be a neutral and impartial joint mediation team from the International Cricket Council (ICC) which will be represented by General Manager- Cricket, David Richardson and Acting Head of Legal, Iain Higgins, and the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA), whose CEO, Tim May will be in attendance.
The joint mediation team has established guidelines for the process, one of which is strict confidentiality, and both the WICB and WIPA have agreed to adhere to those guidelines.
Neither party will comment on this issue until further notice.
The WICB and WIPA express profound thanks to both the ICC and FICA for their assistance in an effort to bring this matter to a final resolution. Both parties restate their utmost commitment to achieving a revised Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding.