President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Azim Bassarath believes the West Indies have set up an excellent platform for a strong challenge at next June’s ICC World T20 in the Caribbean.
The Cricket West Indies vice-president commented in light of the Caribbean cricketers’ exciting 3-2 victory over defending World Cup champions England in the T20I series which ended on Thursday with a four-wicket win for the home team at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
The home team also triumphed 2-1 in the five-match ODI rubber which preceded the T20s.
“The win was not surprising, since March the West Indies have been performing well having beaten South Africa and India in white ball cricket,” said Bassarath.
He said the men in Maroon clearly showed they were hungry for success and obviously enjoyed playing as a unit under Darren Sammy.
Lead West Indies selector Desmond Haynes has admitted the Test squad for the Tour of Australia was short on experience, but he said it was an opportunity for the slew of untried and untested players to make a name for themselves against one of the sport’s toughest opponents.
The selection panel led by Haynes named seven uncapped players in the 15-member squad to be led again by opener Kraigg Brathwaite, with pace spearhead Alzarri Joseph elevated to be his deputy.
The uncapped seven are batsman Zachary McCaskie, wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach, all-rounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, and Kevin Sinclair, as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph.
A new Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket franchise will be based in Antigua and Barbuda for the 2024 edition of the International T20 tournament scheduled to run from August 17 to September 25.
This was revealed by Minister of Sports, Daryll Matthew, who made the announcement during his presentation on the 2024 budget on Tuesday, stating that the yet-to-be-named franchise will replace the Antigua Hawksbills based here between 2013 to 2015.
“Over the last year we’ve been having discussions with the CPL and we are now at a stage where I can announce that come 2024, a CPL franchise will be based right here in Antigua and Barbuda once again.
West Indies T20I Captain Rovman Powell praised his team’s ability to perform under pressure to secure a 3-2 series victory over England on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
The West Indies won the first two games of the series relatively comfortably before England produced a pair of magnificent batting performances to tie the series heading into the Thursday’s decider.
The West Indians first restricted the English to 132 all out in 19.3 overs, their lowest score of the series.
The hosts then held their nerve to reach 133-6 with four balls to spare, securing another series win under Powell’s leadership in international cricket’s shortest format.
“I think we played very well today. After England came back in the series and put us under pressure, I think the guys responded like champions,” Powell said in a post-match interview.
WEST INDIES will be hoping to get their bowling right and bring a rousing finish to a series that started with great promise when they face reigning world champions England in the decisive fifth Twenty20 International on Thursday in Trinidad.
The Caribbean side were full of confidence after beating the English 2-1 in the preceding One-day International series and taking a 2-0 lead in the T20I series, but things have gone awry for Rovman Powell and his side, and they have since slipped to chastening successive defeats. The series is now level at 2-2.
Still, Powell said it was not beyond his side to get the job done in the decider at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) if the bowling, which has been a let-down in the past two matches, hits the mark.
