Three sporting figures would like to see cricket added to history curricula across the region.
This is because they believe there is a disconnect between the younger generation and its understanding of who West Indians are as a people and the role cricket plays in the region’s racial identity.
Communications expert and author Carole Beckford says cricket remains one of the elements of life that defines Caribbean people.
“The history of the sport in the region is rich and every effort should be made to sustain any programme that promotes cricket on and off the field,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “While we are in a highly charged [monetised] environment, there is still space for the identity to be a vital part of the conversation.”
During the West Indies team’s tour of England in the summer of 2020, the world’s attention was placed on several global protests taking place because of the killing of George Floyd, a black American, by Derrick Chauvin, a white police officer. This led some athletes and teams to use sports as a platform to protest for racial equality. Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding, a commentator during the Test series, delivered an impassioned speech of his own about racial injustice and the need to educate society on the inequalities black people face around the world. This speech went viral, but many sharing the video on social media were not even aware that this was not the first time Holding has publicly spoken sternly on social issues.
A superb 149-run rearguard stand from Kavem Hodge and Joshua Da Silva pulled West Indies out of the mire after Mitchell Starc blew away their top order in a spell where he claimed his 350th Test match wicket on a day of momentum shifts at the Gabba.
West Indies threatened to waste a golden opportunity after winning the toss on a good batting pitch when they lost 5-64 in the opening session with Starc claiming three and Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins picking up one apiece.
Unlike in Adelaide, where prodigious sideways movement caused trouble, West Indies’ top order failed to adjust to the extra bounce with five of the top six nicking deliveries they possibly could have left.
But Hodge and Da Silva adjusted after the first dinner interval and were immovable for nearly 52 overs through the twilight and evening sessions. Hodge made his highest Test score of 71 off 194 balls in just his second Test match, while Da Silva made an excellent 79.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews capped off an excellent year by taking home the women's T20I cricketer of the year award, overcoming stiff competition from Australia's Ellyse Perry, England's Sophie Ecclestone, and Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu.
No other batter had more runs than Matthews' 700 in 14 innings at an average of 63.63. She also picked up 19 wickets at 16.21. Matthews had a particularly stunning tour of Australia in October 2023 where she finished the three-match T20I series with scores of 99*, 132 and 79. Her tally of 310 runs is the most by any player in a women's T20I bilateral series.
Matthews is the second West Indies player to bag the award after Stafanie Taylor in 2015.
Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Jermaine Blackwood says the team’s relative youth and inexperience is no excuse for another poor performance this season.
The Scorpions head into their West Indies Championship — the Caribbean’s top-tier, four-day cricket competition — next month looking to atone for last season’s outcome in which they finished last without winning a single game. They only drew one of their five matches.
Blackwood has put his faith in coach Andrew Richardson and his technical staff and says he is pleased with how training and trial games have gone so far. But he warns his lesser-experienced teammates that the team is now under pressure to perform, especially as it finished fifth in the season before last.
“It’s been good, it’s been hard,” Blackwood told the Jamaica Observer recently. We’ve been training very hard over the last few weeks. We and the coach took a few steps in terms of the way how we prepare right now. I haven’t seen that for a while.
“The coaches have been doing a good job so far and I’m just hoping that the players can hold their opportunities when they get them. We’re talking about the younger players. They’ve been looking very good in the trial games and the practice, so far. I have nothing bad to say, and I just implore them to do their best when they get their opportunities come February.”
BRISBANE, Australia (CMC) – Veteran seamer Kemar Roach has warned understudy Shamar Joseph to be wary of “distractions” after his huge impact on the opening Test against Australia last week.
The 24-year-old, with only five first-class matches under his belt, produced a stunning effort on debut to claim five wickets in the first innings at Adelaide Oval, emerging as the brightest spark for the tourists amid their 10-wicket thrashing inside three days.
With the Twenty20 franchise leagues now likely to come calling, Roach urged Joseph to be clear in what his objectives were.
“The best advice I can give him is to build his own legacy,” said the 35-year-old Roach, who has featured in 80 Tests since making his debut 15 years ago.
“Understand what you want from cricket. That’s up to him to determine if it’s monetary or if it’s just statistics.
“There’s going to be a lot of distractions, he’s a hot commodity right now.”
