Cricket Canada Wickets 109

Vol. 1 Issue 9

Cricket Canada's Monthly Online Magazine

    

Davy Jacobs Canada

Conquest Seeking Captains!

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Jason Holder West Indies

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A Tale Of Two Captains!

As a determination of the respective fortunes of the cricket captains of Canada and the West Indies, the April 20 – July 14 time period had promised to be extremely interesting for the followers of those teams.

MARCH 2019

By April 20 Canada’s relatively new captain Davy Jacobs would have led his Canadian “Red Army” National Men’s Cricket Team into battle against their ICC Division II rivals in Namibia. Roughly a month later, Jason Holder’s West Indies will be attempting to achieve that which all their predecessors for the last 40 years have failed to do, by winning this years’ 2019 ICC World Cup. As our Wickets Issue cover therefore indicates, Jacobs and Holder are indeed “Conquest Seeking Captains!”

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Of the two Jacobs appeared by far to have a much greater chance of succeeding.

Canada’s opponents in Namibia were Hong Kong, Oman, Papua New Guinea, USA and their hosts Namibia. None of which had as yet established any outstanding claims to cricketing prominence.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tony McWatt www.caribgraphic.com

Holder by contrast will find himself and his West Indian teammates up against the eight very best countries in all of cricket, including World Cup multiple occasion winners Australia and India. Not to mention their hungry and in form hosts England who have never before won the World Cup, a perceived injustice their captain Eon Morgan and his charges are now overly eager to correct.

CONTRIBUTORS Colin Benjamin Michael Findlay Frederick Halley Tony McWatt Richa Prabhakar

The Canadian Squad that had been selected for the Namibia ICC Division II Qualifiers appeared to be impressively strong, at least on paper. Navneet Dhaliwal, Nikhil Dutta, Nitish Kumar Saad Bin Zafar and Romesh Galkandage Don had all been commendably impressive in their recent international performances for Canada. The Squad also included the exciting young talent of Bhavindu Adihetty. Along with the other members: Rodrigo Thomas, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Hiral Patel, Ravinderpal Singh, Srimantha Wijeyeratne, Cecil Pervez and Dilon Heyliger, Jacobs should therefore have had more than sufficient cricket skills and experience at his disposal for Canada to easily overcome their opponents.

PHOTOGRAPHY Lynette Balram

GRAPHIC DESIGN

The Canadians also had the advantage of being coached by the recently appointed Monty Desai. As was indicated in last month’s Wickets’ Issue, Desai’s credentials and achievements as an international cricket coach are impressive.

Anything less than a 100% record of wins in the Tournament by the Jacobs’ led – Desai coached Team Canada would therefore have been a major, if not unacceptable, disappointment.

BlueFlower Media

Vol. 1 Issue 8

Cricket Canada's Monthly Online Magazine

Jason Holder West Indies

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Davy Jacobs Canada

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Conquest Seeking Captains!

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Cricket Canada Wickets is published monthly by TMac Enterprises for online distribution. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part should be with the Publisher’s permissions only.

Yet as faith would have it, the Canadians faltered badly in their Namibia glory quest. Losing their first three matches against Hong Kong, Oman and Namibia.

They then barely scraped home to victory against Papua New Guinea before finally seeing their ODI status qualification hopes vanquished despite their final round win against arch-rivals the already qualified US. The Canadians finished level with the eventual fourth placed Papua New Guinea on points but lost out on ODI qualification due to their marginally inferior overall net run rate for the tournament.

In contrast to Jacob’s relatively easy assignment, Holder’s task for the West Indies to retain the World Cup for the first time in the forty years that have passed since their 1979 triumph will be nothing short of Herculean. With the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and the ultra exciting Shimron Hetmeyer as part of their batting and with bowling that will revolve around Holder himself, the pacy Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, the West Indies will however have sufficient raw material talent to overcome any opponent on match days.

Whether they can consistently summon the discipline and will power that will be required to do so through their nine scheduled Preliminary Round matches, and beyond to the semi-finals and final, is however a monumental question only time will answer.

Interesting times indeed and a tale that has already captured the attention and interest of followers of both of the conquest-seeking captains, Messrs Jacobs and Holder and their respective teams.

CONTENTS 6

Davy Jacobs At The Helm For Canada’s Namibia ICC Glory Quest!

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Cricket Canada Announces Team Canada’s Red Army Namibia Squad

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Faisal Jamhkandi A Star On The Rise

Money Matters: Expecting a Tax Refund? Plan Well! Invest In Your Future.

Halifax Cricket Club Home Is Where The Heart Is

Niagra Cricket Club: Marrying Sports & Tourism

Canadian Women Win Three, Lose Three

20 22 24 26 28 30 31 34

Namibia Heartbreak Nail Biter!

Jason Holder’s World Cup Glory Quest

Ricky Skerritt Unplugged: Part I

Cricket West Indies Announces New Selection Policies And Personnel Barbados Women Double Delight

Michael Findlay’s Success Secrets

Jamaica Talawahs Staying Home

West Indies Announce 2019 World Cup Squad.

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Davy Jacobs At The Helm For Canada’s Namibia ICC Glory Quest!

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Having been appointed to the Canadian captaincy for last year’s Cricket West Indies hosted Caribbean Regional Super50 Competition, South African born Davy Jacobs will again be at the helm as Canada gets set to vie for supremacy in the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division 2 Tournament to be held in Namibia, April 20-27.

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Davy started playing his cricket at a really young age and had become a pro by the time he was in his late teens at age 17 or 18. He played his domestic professional cricket in South Africa for the Warriors and Eagles cricket teams until he officially announced his retirement in 2015. He then moved to Canada that same year and assumed a position as head coach at OCA (Ontario Cricket Academy).

In 2016 he coached the Canadian National Team.

He became qualified to play for Canada last year and after careful consideration decided to forsake his previously announce retirement by picking up his bat and donning his wicket-keeping gloves towards Canadian cricket’s worthy cause. Shortly after he was appointed captain of the Canadian national team to lead its participation in the recent West Indies Super50 Regional Competition.

Tall and taciturn, flinty and fastidious, Davy Jacobs is the kind of cricketer any captain would welcome into his team. For the first seven seasons of his career, his captains at Eagles and then Warriors knew they could depend on his forthright batting and solid wicketkeeping. Then the Warriors took the logical step of appointing Jacobs as captain.

It took him just two seasons to repay that faith,

when he guided his team to triumph in the Standard Bank Pro20 and the MTN40 in the summer of 2010-11, the first trophies ever won by the Eastern Cape franchise.

Before journeying to South Africa, the Jacobs led Canadians played a series of practice matches in Sri Lanka leading up to the ICC World Cricket League Division II tournament. Canada will start their campaign against Hong Kong on the opening day.

Other teams in contention are Namibia, Oman, New Guinea and USA. According to the world’s governing body, the tournament will have important ramifications for qualification for the ICC men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2023. The Namibia

the end of their CWC dream. They will enter the CWC Qualifier Challenge League A and B, from which the winner of each will progress to the CWC Qualifier play-off. The top two sides in the CWCQ play-off, which will also contain the bottom four sides from CWC League 2, will enter CWC Qualifier 2022.

As he leads his Canadian charges onto the field for their April 20 Division II Qualifier opener against Hong Kong, Davy Jacobs will therefore be fully cognizant of just how much is at stake for Canada to be at its best during the tournament. Go Team Canada!

Division II Qualifiers top four teams will join Scotland, Nepal, and the United Arab Emirates in the ICC CWC League Two 2019-21. Each country will play 36 One-Day Internationals over a two-anda-half year period in 21 tri-series. The top three in this table will qualify for the CWC Qualifier, from which the top two sides will qualify for the CWC 2023.

The ICC has also indicated that for the bottom two Division II sides this won’t be

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Tall and taciturn, flinty and fastidious, Davy Jacobs is the kind of cricketer any captain would welcome into his team.

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Cricket Canada Announces Team Canada’s Red Army Namibia Squad The fourteen member Squad to represent Canada, at the Namibia hosted April 20 – 28 ICC World Cricket League Division 2 Championships, was announced by Cricket Canada in early April. The Squad is as follows: Davy Jacob (Captain), Navneet Dhaliwal, Rodrigo Thomas, Nitish Kumar, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Bhavindu Adihetty, Hiral Patel, Nikhil Dutta, Ravinderpal Singh, Srimantha Wijeyeratne, Saad Bin Zafar, Cecil Pervez, Romesh Galkandage Don and Dilon Heyliger Recently appointed Monty Desai accompanied the Squad as its Head Coach. He was accompanied and assisted by Kantharatnam Shanthikumar – Manager, Henry Osinde - Bowling Coach and Daulat Khan - Asst Coach/Asst Analyst.

Team Canada departed Toronto for South Africa (Potchefstroom) on Friday April 5 for a two week practice tour before heading to Namibia for WCL 2! One of the warmup games for Canada was against the strong Afghanistan side that is currently touring South Africa.

Full name: David Johan Jacobs

Full name: Navneet Singh Dhaliwal

Born: November 4, 1982, Klerksdorp, Transvaal

Born: October 10, 1988, Chandigarh, Punjab

Current age: 36 years 152 days Playing role: Wicketkeeper/Batsman

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Batting style: Right-hand bat

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Bowling style: Right-arm medium Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Current age: 30 years 177 days Playing role: Middleorder batsman Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast

Full name: Rodrigo Augustine Thomas

Full name: Dillon Heyliger

Born: January 24, 1991

Born: October 21, 1989

Current age: 28 years

Current age: 30 years

Playing role: Batsman

Playing role: Bowler

Batting style: Lefthand bat

Batting style: Righthand bat Bowling style: Right-arm medium

Full name: Nitish Roenick Kumar

Full name: Ruvindu Gunasekera

Born: May 21, 1994, Scarborough, Ontario

Born: 20 July, 1991

Playing role: Batsman Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak

Full name: Ravinder Pal Singh Born: Born: 14 October, 1988

Current age: 28 years Playing role: Top order batsman Batting style: Lefthand bat Bowling style: Leg break, googly

Full name: Hiral Patel Born: August 10, 1991, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Current age: 31 years

Current age: 27 years 238 days

Playing role: Batsman

Playing role: Batsman

Batting style: Right Handed Batsman

Batting style: Righthand bat

Bowling style: Right Arm Medium

Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox Major teams: Canada, Canada Under-19s, Winnipeg Hawks

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Current age: 24 years 319 days

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Full name: Bhavindu Shakya Adhihetty Born: February 29, 2000, Colombo

Born: November 10, 1986, Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan

Current age: 19 years 35 days

Current age: 32 years 146 days

Playing role: Opening batsman

Playing role: Allrounder

Batting style: Left-hand bat

Batting style: Left-hand bat

Bowling style: Left-arm medium

Major teams: Canada, ICC Americas, Ontario, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Vancouver Knights

Full name: Nikhil Dutta

Full name: Cecil Pervez Khan

Current age: 24 years 174 days Playing role: Bowler Batting style: Right-hand bat

Born: July 22, 1984, Pakistan Current age: 34 years 257 days Playing role: Bowler Batting style: Righthand bat Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast

Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak

Major teams: Canada, Montreal Tigers

Full name: Srimantha Adrian Wijeyeratne

Full name: Galkandage Don Romesh Eranga

Born: June 3, 1989, Colombo Current age: 29 years 306 days Playing role: Wicketkeeper Batting style: Right-hand bat

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Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox

Major teams: Canada Under-19s

Born: October 13, 1994, Kuwait City, Kuwait

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Full name: Saad Bin Zafar

Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Born: June 16, 1985, Ragama Current age: 33 years 293 days Playing role: Bowler Batting style: Left-hand bat Bowling style: Left-arm medium-fast Major teams: Burgher Recreation Club

Team Canada’s Management Team Kantharatnam Shanthikumar- Manager

Monty Desai- Head Coach:

• Head Coach, Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), Jul 2018 – February 2019

• Batting Coach, Afghanistan Cricket Board, (Jan 2018 – Apr 2018)

• Represented Tamil Union Club, Bahrain,

• Cricket Nepal Under 19 National Team (Jul 2017 – Dec 2017) • Cricket Nepal National Senior Team, (Jun 2015 – Dec 2015) • Performance Coach and Scout, Intex Technologies (India)

• Member of the 1979 ICC Trophy Sri Lankan Squad at the

• Assistant Coach and Head Scout,Rajasthan Royals (Indian

• Qualified Umpire

• Specialist Coach, Cricket Canada, 2011 – 2012 • Cricket Academy Director, World Cricket Academy, Oct

• Former right arm opening bowler, and hard hitting right hand bat

National Team, Grace Church & Centurions 1979 ICC Trophy

Ltd. - Gujarat Lions (IPL), Feb 2016 – Mar 2017 Premier League), Dec 2008 – Dec 2015

2003 – Dec 2008

Henry Osinde: Bowling Coach the Toronto & District Cricket Association (TDCA) League

• Represented Canada in 42 One-day Inter-

nationals and two World Cups in a six-year span up until 2013, as a lanky medium-fast bowler.

• Coached Brampton Masters TDCA Elite Team, 2016 – 2017 • Named Canadian National Coach May 2017.Coached the Canadian national team at the May 2017 Uganda hosted ICC World Cricket League Division III Series.

Daulat Khan- Asst Coach/Asst Analyst:

• Afghanistan Senior Team Captain 2003.

• Head Coach of Afghanistan Senior Team 2004

• Head Coach of Afghanistan U19 - World Cup 2009 Qualifier Round

• Canadian Men’s U19 Head Coach • Canadian National Men’s Senior Team Assistant Coach

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• Made history as the first African to play in

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Faisal Jamkhandi: A Star On The Rise!

October 7, 1999 was the birth date of a Canadian born future cricketer who could yet develop into one of Canadian cricket’s brightest ever stars.

By the time he’d turned 18 Faisal Jamkhandi was

in the entire Tournament.

Mississauga, Ontario the Canadian City within which Faisal lives is a difficult place to be a cricketer. The sport is almost entirely restricted to the summer months here, thanks to the winter snowstorms, so players are invariably forced to train indoors or left to find ways to play abroad. Some travel to the nearby Caribbean, others move to the United States in search of match time with club teams.

For his pre World Cup training Faisal Jamkhandi traveled a slightly longer distance to India, where his parents came from. It was as a result of his father’s direct influence that Faisal had initially become interested in cricket. He’d seen his father stay up and watch matches from back home at very odd times thanks to the time zone.

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already attracting global attention by becoming Canada’s leading wicket-taker at the 2018-2019, New Zealand hosted ICC U19 World Cup. Faisal’s 5-48 against Bangladesh was the very first five-for

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As a youngster Faisal was a natural athlete he had won a number of junior track and field events in Canada. As such it was perhaps only natural that he would choose fast bowling when he began playing

cricket as an 11-year-old.

“Training indoors was kind of frustrating, so I needed solid practice and matches, which isn’t always possible in Canada because of the weather,” Faisal told ESPNcricinfo following his Bangladesh heroics.

“It was partly because of this that I decided to move out of my comfort zone to play cricket. Cricket in Canada is largely restricted to the summers, it can get a little stifling for aspiring players because you don’t get too much match practice. That’s why I chose to train abroad.”

During the four years prior to the New Zealand hosted 2018 U19 World Cup, Faisal had actually spent the six Canadian winter months in India, availing himself of all the resources that hotbed cricketing country had on offer. Three years ago, he trained with Ian Pont, the former English firstclass cricketer who is now a respected fast-bowling coach, in Bangalore, where he worked on his strength training. Later he moved to Pune to train under Surendra Bhave, the former Maharashtra batsman who has coached in the Ranji Trophy since his first-class retirement after a 15-year career.

India and England to pursue his cricket. He hopes to enroll for the next academic year, and wishes to some day make Canada’s senior team. “I know it’s tough, but my goal is to play for the national team,” he says. “That could take time, it could happen immediately, but I’ll try to keep training hard and let the rest take care of itself.”

Source: Cricinfo

By the time he was 17, Faisal was consistently clocking speeds above 130kph in Academy matches. He’d even earned praise from the former England fast bowler Alex Tudor, now a Level 3 coach in England.

“We have a number of cricketers who bring teams,” Faisal notes of his Canadian cricket experiences. “Desmond Haynes has brought his Under-19 sides.

We’ve traveled to Barbados to play in the Gary Sobers Under-19 tournaments.

There are also some excellent coaches like former South Africa first-class cricket Davy Jacobs, who now lives in Canada.”

Having completed his High School studies Faisal has applied to Universities in

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The experiences he’d garnered and the lessons learnt during each of his winter season his India excursions were readily put into practice when Faisal returned to his Canadian home base to play for the Mississauga Ramblers Cricket Club. As a right arm, fast medium bowler and right hand lower order batsman, he has become a regular member of the Ramblers team.

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Expecting a Tax Refund? Plan Well! Invest In Your Future

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Spring is in the air and with the warmer weather comes tax filling season, and all the promise of a healthy tax return. Over 53 per cent of Canadians are expecting to receive some sort of refund this year, but a recent survey found that over 60 per cent of those people didn’t realize that these refunds were in fact their own money that they are getting back. According to Canada Revenue the average tax return in 2018 was $1,580. While some might receive a higher or lower amount the prevailing idea is that most consider this refund as a ‘windfall of unexpected money’ or ‘extra’ money that wasn’t calculated in their monetary budget, and that’s the trap you want to avoid.

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The notion of spending funds that are not part of your budget and therefore a bonus is understandable and common practice. Having

the government give you back a lump sum of money is a feel-good moment that could open the door to numerous spending possibilities.

However, take a moment to think about what the best financial course of action for you and your family is. Consider your financial plan and understand your needs and goals to achieve financial independence and security in both the short-and-long-term.

This year instead of taking a beach vacation or upgrading your entertainment system, why not use that money to improve your financial situation? It’s always easier to spend than it is to save, but consider the benefits of saving your tax refund and putting it to better use that will payoff in the long-term.

Don’t think of it as free money, think of it as

Here are three things you can do with your tax refund that can have a lasting positive effect.

Pay down credit card debt The idea of buy now, pay later sounds great in theory! Most credit cards carry a 20 per cent interest rate charge on the bill balance. Out of all the debt people have credit card debt tends to be the hardest to pay down and carries the highest interest rate along with harsh penalties for late or missed payments. By lowering the outstanding balance on your credit card, it will save you money every month as well as improve your credit score.

Pay down other debt While high-interest debt can occur with credit cards, it’s important to pay attention to other debt you are carrying that can weigh you down.

If possible, pay down car loans, existing lines of credit or personal loans. Any amount that is paid towards these will lower your monthly costs and give you the option to invest any extra funds that would otherwise have gone towards interest charges.

Invest for the future This is where you can turn your tax refund into

smart money that will continue to work for you and provide security for the future - contribute to a registered plan whether it be to a RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) or TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account).

The sooner you start contributing to your RRSP the greater the payoff will be in the future and in the short-term it can provide a tax deduction for the contribution you make which may help in getting you a bigger tax refund next year.

A TFSA is not a bank account and there are no earned income requirements to qualify. You can grow your savings without ever paying tax on it and access your money whenever you need it. This makes them ideal for use as an emergency fund. Both are solid investment options, so if possible, contribute to both.

Doing the right thing is not always easy, but in the long run investing your refund into something that will pay-off in time is the smart thing to do for yourself and your loved ones.

Talk to a Keybase Advisor near you. They can discuss and advise you how to best utilize the options most suitable to you. It is wise to take action to do what is right with your tax refund.

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your own money and make the most out of it.

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Come summer in Halifax, they’re a familiar sight on the commons. Often wearing their team jerseys, with those distinct overhand “bowls” towards the wicket and rectangle-shaped bats. These are Halifax’s cricket players, representing various clubs, all are members of the Nova Scotia Cricket Association.

Amit Joshi is not only a die-hard fan and talented player, he’s also President of the Association. It’s a role that was waiting for him.

An accomplished player in India, when he moved to Canada 15-odd years ago for school Amit figured his cricket playing days were behind him. “I thought cricket was done,” he says “like, who would ever play cricket in a place like Halifax?”

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Even when one of his classmates told him “they play cricket here!” he assumed it wouldn’t be at the level he was accustomed to. Then, one bright summer day out on the commons, he was overjoyed to find a group of people immersed in a serious game, and he joined in.

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Halifax Cricket League: Ho

“It was a pick-up league, more so” he explains, but he says he right away noticed the players’ passion and skill. He realized there was room for a more organized way for people to play his beloved sport in Halifax. And so, the Halifax Cricket League was born.

more than 200 players, organized into 4 clubs (including the Halifax Cricket League.)

Each club with their own board, teams and fundraising initiatives, Amit says the structure is “kind of like hockey.”

“From there we haven’t looked back,” says Amit “it has grown leaps and bounds.” Today, the Nova Scotia Cricket Association has

What’s interesting, though not surprising with cricket’s worldly origins, is that the majority of the players are immigrants, “we

also students. Amit describes how they would spend a few years playing on a team, and then would move elsewhere in Canada for work. However, the past several years Amit has noticed a wonderful development: What he calls “a core group of players,” have found jobs in Halifax, put down roots, and continue playing cricket every weekend. It was, in part, their love for the game, their team, and the built-in network of support, which influenced their decision to stay.

“Cricket can be a very social game,” explains Amit, “it’s a long game, which means you are with those players for a long time together.” When you spend enough time with a group of people, a natural bond begins to happen. Beyond the games and practices, they players spend time together socially.

“They become friends, they’re part of the same community,” says Amit, “it’s a very, very tight group.”

You might say, it’s become a family.

have Australians, players from England, players from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan… players from the Caribbean Islands as well,” says Amit. He thinks there might be representation from almost every cricket-playing country in the association, and says “we embrace the diversity.”

For many years, most of the players were

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ome Is Where The Heart Is!

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Niagara Cricket Club Marrying Sports And Tourism The Niagara Cricket Club, previously known and operated as The St. Catharines Cricket Club, has the honour of carrying on a tradition of cricket in the Niagara Peninsula that traces its origin to the early 1800’s, with games on wickets mown by sheep between the local military garrison and the towns people.

With the establishment of Ridley College in 1889, a schoolboy cricket tradition sprung up to the advantage of all, as the Ridley Cricket grounds provided one of the most beautiful settings in all of Canada.

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The changing face of the population in Canada has been mirrored in the variety of backgrounds in cricket that have been reflected in the teams field by the Niagara Cricket Club. Ex-Patriot Brits, Canadian schoolboys, West Indians, East Indians – all have contributed to the success of the teams in the Hamilton and District League – including the League Championship in 2001 – and tournament play and the continuing strength of the Club at the beginning of play on our third Century.

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In 2009, when Ridley College folded its College Cricket Team, City club had to seek a new home ground. Due to unavailability of suitable location within Niagara Region, throughout 2009 and 2010, the home games were played at Hamilton Mohawk Park. By the end of 2010, few members of the club managed to get a ground in Burlington and the name of Niagara Cricket Club was due to change as Burlington United in order to use that facility.

However, the club secretary

and most senior active members of the club Tan Qureshi and Javed Mian along with ex- President Mr. Patrick Little approached the City of St. Catharines Honourable Mayor Brian McMillan, to have the joint effort of 4 to save the local club from its permanent folding. The efforts of Tan Qureshi, Javed Mian and legal guidance from its long term president Mr. Patrick Little became fruitful.

The Niagara Cricket Club now boasts a new home ground within Niagara Region. The Niagara Cricket Centre (NCC) is located on 18 acres of land within short distance from Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls.

It’s 5 minutes drive from all major highways i.e.

QEW, 406 and Thorold Stone Road and less then 10 minuutes from Brock University and Pen Center.

The NCC is a privately owned, state-of-the art cricket ground and practice facility located in the heart of the scenic Niagara Region. The Club’s mission is to build and design Canada’s premier cricket center within driving distance from Canada’s largest tourist destination; Niagara Falls. This combination of sport and tourism allows for cricket at all levels to be enjoyed while marveling at of one of the wonders of the world a short drive away. The NCC, composed of Astroturf pitches and international-size boundaries, is also easily accessible by visiting teams from international airports in Toronto and Buffalo, NY, USA.

Canada’s Women Win Three, Lose Three In Cricket West Indies’ Girls U19 T20 Championships Playing as a Guest Team with no age restrictions, Canada’s Women cricketers had a comparatively decent showing during the recently concluded Cricket West Indies Trinidad & Tobago hosted Girls U19 T20 Championships. The Canadians won three of their six matches played, recording victories over Barbados and tawice against Jamaica. They however lost to Trinidad, the Windward and Guyana to finish fifth in the six team Tournament.

victory, scoring 59 not out, with her was Anjali Goordeen on 25 not out. As TT reached their target in 13.2 overs.

For the Canadians Sonali Vig, Kamna Michandani and Miryam Khokar were the outstanding players.

Vig in particular was impressive with both bat and ball, scoring vital runs and taking wickets in all three of the Canadians’ victories.

Tournament Director, Ann Browne-John who acted as a selector along with West Indies Women’s Assistant Coach, Gus Logie and CWI’s Development Officer, Steve Liburd, commented that the level of cricket played in this year’s tournament showed that girls cricket is improving throughout the Caribbean and this augurs well for the future crop of West Indies Women’s players.

TT won the toss and elected to bat first.

Qiana Joseph continued her fine form with the bat as she smashed an unbeaten 65 to lead her team to a respectable total of 117/8 from their 20 overs. Djenaba Joseph once again led TT with the ball, taking 3/18 followed by Alysha Gomez with 3/25.

Shania Abdool showed that she was not to be left out of the run fest, as she took TT to

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Trinidad and Tobago who had displayed and maintained a very high level of cricket displayed throughout the competition, emerged Champions by defeating the Windward Islands by 7 wickets in the Final to lift the title.

Trinidad and the Windwards had earlier qualified for the Final by virtue of their semi-final wins aganst Guyana and Barbados respectively. TT defeated the two-time defending champions Guyana by 9 runs, while the Windward Islands had an easier time dispatching Barbados by 26 in the second semifinal.

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Namibia Heartbreak Nail Biter! to number five in the order, joined Dhaliwal in adding 98 valuable runs for the fourth wicket before falling to Ali Khan for 57 in the 48th over, his third half century of the competition. At the other end, Dhaliwal had batted his way to become the Canadians first centurion of the Tournament.

Dhaliwal remained unbeaten on 121, made off 125 balls with three sixes and six fours, as Canada closed its 50 overs on 255/4. For the USA, Ali Khan was yet again the pick of the bowlers capturing 3-65 off his 10 allocated overs.

Eventually needing to win their final match by a margin of at least 44 runs to attain ICC ODI qualification status, Canada fell heartbreakingly short of its target by just four runs. The Canadians defeated their US archrivals by 40 runs but in doing so failed to restrict their opponents to the required target score of 211 or less.

That equation had materialized after Papua New Guinea’s surprising win against Tournament leaders Oman had elevated them to four points and a net run rate of –0.40 which was eventually comparatively superior to Canada’s –0.41. The result meant a fourth place finish and ODI qualification for Papua New Guinea while Canada were fifth in the six-team tournament.

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The final scores in the Canada-USA fifth round encounter were Canada 255-4 (50 0vers), USA 2159-(50 Overs)

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Having been sent in to bat the Canadians got off to a disastrous start, losing wickets in the first, Thomas (0) and third over (Wijeyeratne 2) to be at 6-2 after the first four overs. Navneet Dhaliwal and Nitish Kumar restored order for the Canadians, adding 125 off 28 overs for the third wicket.

Kumar fell, caught by Gore off the bowling of Taylor for a well-played 58.

Canada’s captain Davy Jacobs promoting himself

Set to make 256 for victory, USA suffered an early loss of the important wicket of their previous round centurion Xavier Marshall. He was adjudged lbw to Eranga for 7 off the very last ball of the first over. The USA was then 8-1.

The USA lost its second wicket via the run out route when Patel having scored 25, failed to make his ground. Taylor and Malhotra then added 60 for the fourth wicket before a terrible mix up resulted in both batsmen being in the same crease and Taylor having to go run out for 44. After 30 overs the USA were 125-3, still needing another 130 from its remaining 20 overs.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals as the Canadians tried desperately to dismiss their USA opponents for under 211. Romesh Eranga 4-44 (10) and Saad Bin Safar 2-45 were the best of the Canadian bowlers. For the USA Jaskaran Malhotra 50 and Stephen Taylor 44 were the top scorers.

The Canadians had put themselves in with a qualification chance from their final match after having scraped home in their fourth round encounter against Papua New Guinea (PNG). Having restricted their opponents to a very modest 154 all out off 44 overs, thanks largely to Dillion Heliger’s 4-41 (9.2 overs), the Canadians were at one point struggling at 77-6 and in danger of losing the match.

Skipper Davy Jacobs however then came to the

Canada’s had also gotten off to the worst possible start in the Namibia hosted 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League Division II. The Canadians lost each and every one of their matches in the first three rounds of the Competition, which Cricket Canada President, Ranjit Saini, had earlier described as “the most significant Tournament of our lives!”

In their April 20 Tournament opener, the Canadians despite a belligerent 53 ball 52 not out from their captain Davy Jacobs and supportive forties from Navneet Dhaliwal (44) and Srimantha Wijeyeratne (44), only managed to post a relatively modest total of 222-8 off their allocated 50 Overs.

That proved to be an easily overcome challenge for Hong Kong. A superb 114 not out by their captain Ansuman Roth, led Hong Kong to 223/3 off 47,2. Victory comfortably secured with 16 balls to spare. Bowling for the Canadians Nikhil Dutta claimed 2-30 off his 10 allocated overs.

In their second encounter against Oman, the Canadians were again badly let down by their apparently inconsistent batting. Having been sent in to bat by Canada, Oman thanks to a Zeeshan Maqsood century, 109 made off just 102 balls, and Aqib Illyas’ 100 ball 86, posted a challenging 285/7 off its 50 overs. For Canada Galkandage Eranga 3-57 off 10 was the pick of the bowlers, while Nitish Kumar chipped in with 2-45 off 7.

Chasing a victory target of 286 at a required run rate of 5.72 the Canadians were always behind, losing key wickets regularly and eventually being bowled out for 186 in the 44th over. Oman won by 99 runs. Nitish Kumar’s 57 was the Canadian’s top score.

In their 3rd round encounter against hosts Namibia, the Canadians batting failed to click yet again.

Batting first after being sent in, Namibia scored 258-6 off its 50 overs. Stefaan Bard scored 90 while opening the batting and Craig Williams hit a belligerent 65 off only 59 balls. For the Canadians, Saad Bin Zafar (2-32) and Nikhail Dutta each claimed two wickets from their 10 overs. Chasing a relatively modest victory target of 259 off 5o overs the Canadians were never really in the hunt.

Again losing key wickets at regular intervals and eventually being dismissed for 160 off 42.1 overs.

Dillon Heyliger’s 32 ball 29 was the Canadians top score.

The Tournament’s top four successful teams, Oman, Namibia, the USA and Papua New Guinea have earned ODI status. They will now join Scotland, Nepal and United Arab Emirates in the ICC’s League 1, which is just two steps away from qualification to the 2023 World Cup. The Canadians are being led by former South Africa wicketkeeper/batsman Davy Jacobs. His wealth of experience and former representation for South Africa was expected to bring a new dimension to Canada’s cricket and to inspire them to dominate proceedings on the African soil. Canada last featured in the ICC World Cup in 2011, 2007 and 2003, but missed out in 2015 having relegated to Division 5 owing to some poor performances at the Qualifying stage.

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rescue, stroking an unbeaten 62 off just 69 balls to see his team home to a three-wicket victory with 14.4 overs to spare.

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Jason Holder has fast become one of cricket’s hottest properties, but on a numbingly cold day in Northampton — home for the next few weeks — it doesn’t immediately feel that way.

Holder recently touched down from Barbados ahead of an eight-match county stint which he hopes will prepare him for this summer’s World Cup. It’s 40 years since a West Indian, Clive Lloyd, lifted the trophy. And Holder, in between trying to sound nonchalant about the spring chill, knows Lloyd’s illustrious history. And — more than anything — is relishing the chance to make his own.

‘I’m very optimistic,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘I think we’ve got what it takes to win the World Cup. It’s just a matter of the cricket we play. We’ve potentially got match winners on any given day and we can beat any side in the world.

We’re confident that once we formulate our plans and execute them we’ll be up there lifting that trophy at the very end.’

Holder speaks from a position of strength. In January, he scored a brilliant double-century on his home island to help West Indies crush England in the first Test, before leading them to a series-clinching win in Antigua.

He doesn’t agree England were complacent: that would be an insult to his own team. He just thinks they were outplayed. West Indies then shared the one-dayers 2-2, becoming the first side to deny Eoin Morgan’s team victory in a bilateral series for three years.

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To cap it all, Holder is the No 1 all-rounder in the ICC Test rankings, leaving the likes of Ben Stokes in his wake. For West Indies, the conversation has changed — and their captain is at the heart of that.

‘I don’t think it’s all sunk in yet,’ he said. ‘It was a surreal feeling scoring a double century in front of my home crowd. And competing against the No 1 one-day side in the world and pushing them right until the end says a lot about our potential.

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Being the No 1 all-rounder is something I’ve worked towards. But I’ve always said that being No 1 while the team is eight or nine doesn’t quite fit the bill for me.’

Two four-day and six limited-overs matches for Northamptonshire — whose previous West Indi-

Holder Confident Of West Indies 2019 World Cup Conquest!

an overseas players include Winston Davis, Curtly Ambrose and Eldine Baptiste — will be followed by a one-day tri-series in Ireland, and the World Cup. West Indies’ path to the tournament is a story in itself. A year ago, forced by their lowly ranking to take part in the qualifying competition in Zimbabwe, they needed a fortuitous lbw decision against Scotland, quickly followed by some perfectly timed rain, to see them through. Winners of the first two World Cups, in 1975 and 1979, they almost missed out. As Holder puts it, with a touch of relief: ‘It was highly pressurised, I can tell you that.’

Now, with Chris Gayle more destructive than ever at the age of 39, and the 22-year-old Guyanese batsman Shimron Hetmyer among the most talented hitters around, West Indies are being talked about as a decent outside bet. Throw in Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Holder himself and an exciting seam attack, and the talk is not unreasonable.

Asked whether he thinks England or India — the pre-tournament favourites — stand the better chance, he says: ‘It doesn’t matter to me. I just think we’ve got the players to beat them. I quite like the underdog tag. It feels good to prove people wrong.’

Images of the bespectacled Lloyd holding aloft the World Cup on the Lord’s balcony are part of cricket folklore. In 1979, Holder was still 12 years away from being born, but these days counts Lloyd as a friend and mentor.

‘Growing up, you track history,’ he said. ‘Clive Lloyd lifted the two World Cups, and it’s up to us to try to achieve something similar. He and I are very close. He’s given me a lot of advice about how to go about my international experience. He always said to me that it took three years for him to understand how to play Test cricket. Having played Test cricket for a while, I realise what he meant.

‘And, being in England, this was the last place we lifted the World Cup. Who knows, maybe there’s a script to be written there.’

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‘Our boys are probably not the finished product but we’re definitely on the right path to becoming pretty good West Indian players. If we stick together for the next two or three years, the sky’s the limit.

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Ricky Skerritt Unplugged. Cricket West Indies Newly Elected President Covers A Wide Range Of Issues In Cricbuzz Interview, (PART 1)

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Cricket West Indies newly elected President Ricky Skerritt has revealed to Cricbuzz that a new selection policy in the Caribbean will see the Caribbean side going into the World Cup with their strongest-possible team, which will be armed with a potential return of some big names and a new regional head coach. Skerritt, who won the election two weeks ago to end the contentious reign of Dave Cameron, has also insisted that “administrative issues, politics or petty emotional situations” will no longer prohibit or prevent players from being considered for selection, and also that the team will go back to being referred to as the West Indies, and not the Windies, from the World Cup onwards.

In a freewheeling and exclusive interview to Cricbuzz,the former team manager also talks about mending fences with the likes of Darren Sammy, appreciating the rights of players to earn incomes in T20 leagues, winning the trust of former greats like Viv Richards, the CPL’s need to contribute more to West Indies cricket and winning back the regional fans.

EXCERPTS: Considering the kind of reactions around the Caribbean post you winning the election, was your decision to run for presidency almost based on the Edmund Burke quote about, “the only thing neces-

To give you a short answer, yes. But I certainly didn’t see myself as some Messiah of goodness coming to the table. I was just frustrated that the resources weren’t going into cricket and the talk from the president (Dave Cameron) at the time was all about money and raising money. At the same time, there were these massive battles taking place off the field and I had this feeling that Cricket West Indies, with all the name changes and all the branding, just wasn’t focused in the right places. It got to a point where I said look it’s now or never. If I don’t fight this battle, who will? And I couldn’t just see anybody else around who wanted or was maybe equipped to.

Was there one point in the last few years where you said, enough is enough?

Enough is enough summarises how I felt at the time late last year when I began to seriously look at getting involved more aggressively. I finally made my decision just after New Year’s Eve, almost as my resolution. I thought now is the time to move on it. I had been one of the four independent directors in the board, but I felt like I was being seen only as an opponent or obstruction to the president. I felt like I was a waste on this board and have had no influence of significance.

You were manager of the team during a difficult period of a different kind at the turn of the millennium. Is it a different Ricky Skerritt that’s returned now or does it feel the same?

When I was a manager out on the road, there was a smaller access to resources than what the teams and management have today. There was just one or if you were lucky two coaches and a strength and conditioning coach. You had to be buying medical services and look for a doctor wherever you went and keep improvising with little support. CWI has grown tremendously since, but the results have declined. The difference today is that you have professionals who are paid by CWI to lead and take decisions but who for various reasons have been stifled. They haven’t been allowed to be empowered. There’s greater potential today in my opinion.

Twenty years ago, we were behind the rest of the world in various areas by a long way. Today, we aren’t behind the world in awareness but are behind in implementation.

The results have of course declined but what’s graver has been how the relationship between the players and the board soured during Cameron’s reign as can be seen by the sighs of relief now from so many

recently retired players.

I have to admit that I am shocked to find that the relationships were that poor with that many cricketers. As an independent director, I was only aware of the more litigious matters. Then when Phil Simmons was fired, I fought against it. I felt it was a mistake and that it was for the wrong reasons. I felt it could be solved internally without it becoming so acrimonious. You see where that has gone. I didn’t realize that for each one who actually took legal action, there were 20 others who were extremely discontented with the board. Most of our alumni were leaving cricket angry unless they’d been hired by the board like Jimmy Adams, who’s our director of cricket, the selectors and some younger technical coaches.

Those guys are employees so therefore have to play the role. There as well, there was a lot of discontent. Though well paid, they weren’t being allowed to do their jobs in a fearless and fair manner. Our biggest challenge is how do you mend all these fences and get these people to trust that there is a new dispensation that welcomes their input and encourages their leadership.

For Sammy to have hit out against the board at the post-match presentation after winning the World T20 final said how bad things had become.

I prefer not to speak too much about the past and a president who was totally confused about his role. But I want to talk about how critical Darren Sammy has been to West Indian cricket, and how he’s carried the trust and hope of Caribbean people everywhere in his heart and on his sleeve and has been a successful captain.

For Darren Sammy to end up in a virtual war with the administration, is a piece of our history which we could never feel proud about and we should always make sure never happens in West Indies cricket. We have to engage Darren Sammy and several others who have either ended their careers or are getting to the end of their careers. They must know that West Indies cricket needs them in one form or the other.

So is there a possibility that some high-profile names, who aren’t part of the team for non-cricketing reasons could be back?

In the last two weeks, one of the most critical points that have been embedded as a selection policy is that “If a player can still get selected for the team, they must be considered”. There must be no reason for non-consideration other than cricket or medical or physical health.

No administrative issues, politics or petty emotional situations must prohibit or prevent players from being considered for selection.

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sary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”?

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Cricket West Indies Announces New Selection Policies and Personnel

The entire West Indies selection panel has been fired by the new administration and a three-man committee will select the regional team for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in England.

Newly elected president of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Ricky Skerritt made the announcement at an April 11 Press Conference staged at Antigua’s Coolidge Cricket Center that there is a new coach taking the team to the World Cup. He also announced the appointment of a new Chairman of Selections and indicated that a new selection panel will be picking the said squad.

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Barbadian Floyd Reifer will replace Richard Pybus as coach of the regional team. Reifer comes in to replace Pybus before the Englishman’s contract ends.

He was contracted by the previous administration until the end of the Indian series in the Caribbean in August.

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President Skerritt in announcing the appointment of Reifer, the former West Indies Captain and award winning coach, as the Interim Head Coach noted that it was “because he has lived the same principles

west Indian excellence that we now insist prevail in our cricket.”

must

Up to the end of 2018 Floyd Reifer had been identified as the outstanding emerging local coach. He displayed this by leading the West Indies A team successfully, including victories against the England Lions, and ended the past year by coaching the Senior men’s team to a T20 series win in Bangladesh.

Reifer’s also played a key coaching role in helping to set up the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) Marooners impressive win in the 2018 Regional Super 50 tournament.

Reifer now takes over until the end of the World Cup. He will also be one of the men in the threeman panel to select the team for the event. The others are Jamaican Robert Haynes who will chair the selection committee, replacing Barbadian Courtney Browne. The other selector will be cricket development director Jimmy Adams. The former West Indies batsman has been in the role for a year now and will now serve as a selector as well. The other selectors out the door are Lockhart Sebastien, Travis Dowlin and Eldine Baptiste.

President Skerritt indicated that as a means of ensuring that Cricket West Indies new all-inclusive policy could be implemented immediately and effectively, his Board had found it necessary to also make personnel adjustments. As such it was his pleasure to officially announce that the new Interim Chairman of selectors is Coach Robert Haynes, who is the most experienced and best suited for this responsibility at this time.

Skerritt has called on the selectors to ensure that everyone is given a fair look in and they must be judged on their performance on the field of play and not off the field.

Addressing a room full of local media, during the April 11 Press Conference, President Skerritt indicated that the strategic decisions that were being confirmed publicly are designed to bring back that sense of pride and aspiration to the West Indian senior men’s team that has been too often absent in recent times. “In order to achieve a renewed sense of purpose and excellence, difficult choices and challenging decisions have been made.”

President Skerritt further noted that the changes that have been triggered are therefore more than a simple change in personnel, or a shake up amongst the ranks. “This is a calculated strategic move designed to reignite the passion for our culture – a West Indian culture where our cricket is being put back where it belongs, at the very center!”

“All of our decisions are guided by a ‘Cricket First’ mantra that was so readily welcomed by stakeholders everywhere, who told us to ensure that we could put the best available players on the field. In order to do so, we have found it necessary to immediately adjust our selection policy to become more open, inclusive, and player-centric. I am therefore pleased to confirm that we have terminated the old embedded selection policy which secretly, but actively, victimized some players and banished them from selection consideration.”

In keeping with the CWI Election platform promise he and his Vice President running mate Dr Shallow had made to re-evaluate the system of team selections, President Skerritt also indicated that the Board of Directors have agreed to set up a task force to undertake a comprehensive review of the system of selection with the intention to identify the best possible practices that can lead to the best outcomes.

The expectation is that this review will be carried out over the next three months.

President Skerritt has suggested that the CWI Board’s landmark decision to immediately introduce a well suited young West Indian professional as our men’s team coach is a clear indicator of the seriousness of its West Indian first policy and represents the commitment to celebrate the best of what it means to be West Indian. “This decision also underscores the need for fresh thinking, and an even more urgent need to embrace the new inclusive selection policy.

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Skerritt has promised to ensure that the strongest possible West Indies team goes to England to compete at the game’s showpiece. The West Indies won the inaugural tournament in 1975 and followed up with the crown at the second edition in 1979. Set a meager 183 from 60 overs to win the third event in 1983 against India, the regional side surprisingly lost by 43 runs.

“We are confident that in Mr. Haynes we have found an interim Chairman who shares the philosophy of inclusiveness and therefore believes in our new selection policy. Because of his impressive track record of good relations with players and past players, we have no doubt that My Haynes will engage with players everywhere, strictly in the interest of what is best for West Indian cricket.”

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Barbados Sweeps All To Emerge As West Indies Women’s Cricket Double Victors!

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Barbados swept aside Guyana to add the Cricket West Indies Women’s T20 Blaze title to the Colonial Medical Insurance Women’s Super50

title they’d won earlier in March.

In a match that was because of the points

standings virtually the Tournament Final, Barbados showed no mercy to the home team Guyana and their supporters at the National Stadium in Providence, restricting their hosts to 85/7 from their 20 overs. It took the Barbadians 16.1 overs to achieve victory by 8 wickets as Deandra Dottin once again led the team’s batting. Dottin scored 43 not out as Barbados easily achieved its victory target.

Earlier in the month, Barbados superbly let by their All-Rounder Captain Hayley Matthews had also emerged as Champions of the Colonial Medical Insurance Women’s Super50 Cup, Barbados finished the tournament 5 points clear of Trinidad and Tobago, by virtue of winning their Round 5 clash, which the two teams had entered just 1 point apart. Deandra Dottin with a blistering 73 runs and 6/43, ensured her team lifted the title for a second consecutive year.

Barbados’ Deandra Dottin of Barbados copped the award for most runs, finishing with 299 runs. She also claimed 8 wickets from her bowling efforts.

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Barbados’ Captain Hayley Matthews won two of the top prizes awarded at the Tournament end prize-giving ceremony.

Matthews finished the Tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets.

She also earned the top all-rounder award with 233 runs and 17 wickets.

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grease. We would then wrap the ball in banana leaves to preserve it. We used coconut branches as bats. We would use a cutlass to shape it into a bat. We just used what we could.”

When he moved to Kingstown to attend Secondary School, the St Vincent Grammar School, he became of goalkeeper in football (soccer) and eventually also played for the school, his club Saints and St Vincent.

As was the case with many young boys of that era, very few of benefited from formal cricket coaching. At nine years old and attending the Troumaca Primary School, Findlay initially fancied himself a fast bowler, but he did not like the idea of fielding at long leg after bowling his spell. He wanted to be involved in the game throughout the match. He quickly realized that wicket-keeping was the only position that would allow him that privilege. So started Mike Findlay’s wicket-keeping career.

Mike Findlay’s Success Secrets: Fanatical About Practice And Fitness!

Thaddeus Michael “Mike” Findlay (born 19 October 1943 at Troumaca, Saint Vincent) represented the West Indies in ten Tests from 1969 to 1973, as a batsman and wicketkeeper.

Widely regarded as one of the very best wicket keepers the Caribbean has ever produced, Mike Findlay was the first player from the Leeward and Windward Islands to represent the West Indies. (Roberts came from St Vincent but was playing in Trinidad when he was selected for the West Indies team.)

Findlay toured Australia and New Zealand in 1968-69, and England in 1969 and 1976.

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Findlay found the experience and support of his teammates helpful when he entered the West Indies team, and later remarked, “I never forgot when I first went on tour with the West Indies team. An experienced player was given a younger player as his mentor. Wes Hall was a mentor to me. Jackie Hendriks was the No. 1 keeper, and Jackie would sit with me and pass on his experience. “

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Mike Findlay grew up in the rural Village of Troumaca on the north-western side of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Windward Islands. Like most young boys at the time, he was attracted to cricket because it was the main sport played in most Villages then. Findlay once said of his boyhood days ““Where I came from we played cricket all the time, using everything that was around us. There was a lime tree and an orange tree. The lime tree would never flourish. We used the lime to bowl. We used grapefruit, we couldn’t afford balls.

When we did get a real cricket ball, we covered it in soft, white

There was an MCC Cricket Coaching Chart on the wall of the Troumaca Primary School. The students could not help seeing it as they entered school each morning and as they and their teachers assembled for prayers. It was also the last thing they saw as they assembled for afternoon prayers at the end of the school day.

Mike Findlay memorized the batting, bowling and fielding positions so much so that he could close his eyes and visualize every detail on the chart. He then applied the basics at the school’s cricket practice sessions.

Mike Findlay practiced his cricket fanatically.

“It was the kind of commitment that borders on insanity,” he said. “I was a fitness fanatic because that was what I wanted to do. We have a kind of commitment and a kind of discipline that is difficult now.

“Cricket was a passion, all the people in our village, even the ones who didn’t play, would encourage us. I practiced a lot, I watched a lot.”

As he grew up, Findlay also read every book on cricket, especially batting and wicket-keeping that he could lay his hands on as. While still in Primary School he also played for the Troumaca Village team in friendly and competitive matches against other school and village teams. He was selected to the National Primary School team and recall playing a match against the St Vincent Grammar School Team the year before he became a student at the school.

By the time he’d entered the Boys Grammar School at 11 years, Mike Findlay had become quite adept at batting and wicket-keeping, and by his second year in school was playing for his House team and shortly after that for the school. His first tour was in the 1960 Inter-Schools Sports in Grenada.

It was held every two years and brought together the top athletes, cricketers and footballers from the main secondary schools in the Windward Islands then – the Boys Grammar School of St Vincent, the St Mary’s School in St Lucia, the Dominica Grammar School and the Grenada Boys Secondary School.

Mike Findlay’s wicket-keeping skills were acquired by dint of very hard work. He practiced long hours, every day of the week and played friendly or competitive matches at weekends. Back then St Vincent did not have any turf wickets. Findlay and his colleagues played on “jute matting” or clay pitches that were rolled hard. They also used concrete half pitches and the street in front of the Richmond Hill Primary School not far from the Grammar School.

Those practices especially sharpened Findlay’s acquired wicket-keeping skills. Old oil drums or cut sheets of galvanize were used as wickets. A combination of about five bowlers (fast bowlers, medium pacers, and spinners) would bowl at a time. That meant that there was no time for the wicket-keeper to stand back to fast bowlers and come up to the wicket for the spinners. He had to stand up to the wicket for every type of bowler with only a pair of wicket-keeping gloves.

The wicket-keeper for the National team then was Garnet Niles. He was an excellent keeper, who Findlay watched quite closely and learnt a great deal from.

That was the basis of Mike Findlay’s development as the world class, West Indies Test wicket-keeper he eventually

He also listened to radio commentary of matches involving the West Indies team and paid particular attention to how the commentators described the performances of the wicket keepers. He also practiced keeping wicket for long hours with bowlers bowling at one stump and varying their deliveries – straight, outside off stump and down the leg side, at the same time mastering his footwork, eye and hand coordination, and quickness of hands to bring off stumpings. became.

As a boy, Mike Findlay’s ambition was to become not just the best wicket keeper in the West Indies but in the entire world.

The ten test matches he played may not have given him the time required to achieve his ambition, but at least it exposed

him to international cricket, and opened the door for other cricketers from the so called “small islands” to play for the West Indies.

To achieve that, he first had to win recognition from national selectors who held an inbuilt bias against the smaller islands.

“We couldn’t get as much attention in the lesser developed countries,” he said. “We had a lot to prove to people.”

Findlay won over the knowledgeable Barbados crowds when he stood up to the stumps to fast bowler Grayson Shillingford, while playing for the newly combined Windward and Leeward Islands’ side. “People then said I was the best.”

He was selected as understudy to Jackie Hendricks for the 1968-9 tours of Australia and New Zealand where he saw his captain Garfield Sobers bat for the first time against Western Australia.

“Tony Lock was bowling. Sobers hit him for four. Lock put in another cover fielder. He bisected them for another four. I sat fascinated by the great man.”

Findlay played two tests in England in 1969. His remaining eight were at home and he concluded his international career as second keeper on the triumphant 1976 tour of England where he saw at first hand how much cricket mattered to the Caribbean Diaspora.

“We were tired and slumped in the seats on our bus before traveling to a match. Then a West Indian woman came up to us and said: ‘If you people knew how you make us feel.

You make us feel 10 feet tall. We can walk down the street in London and face anybody’.”

After his career as a cricketer, Findlay became a journalist and commentated on matches. In 2002 he stepped down as Chairman of Selectors for the West Indies team. On 3 May 2007 Findlay was appointed West Indian team manager for the tour of England. Later that year he also served as the chief executive officer of the St Vincent World Cup Local Organizing Committee.

Findlay was appointed as a National Sports Ambassador by the Ralph Gonsalves led St Vincent Government on October 29, 2017. Now aged 76 and still fit as a fiddle Mike Findlay has retained an active interest in West Indies cricket.

Source: uk.reuters.com/john-mehaffey

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St Vincent won the Cricket Championship with Mike Findlay having played a significant role in the victory. He was then only 16 years old and his performances (batting and wicket-keeping) had earned him a place on the St Vincent Senior Team for the Senior Windward Islands Goodwill Championship in Dominica that year. Another outstanding performer in the Inter-Schools Tournament was the batsman, Irving Shillingford of Dominica who like Findlay, would also eventually go on to represent Dominica, the Windward Islands, the Combined Islands and the West Indies.

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which begins in late August.

Jamaica Talawahs Staying Home

“We have decided that the franchise will stay in Jamaica. We are still talking to the Government and we are still talking to corporate Jamaica. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we are still having discussions,” Miller told local media.

“I am hoping these discussions will bear some fruits. We are still openturning and we still continue talking to each other, which is good, because instead of talking against each other, we are talking to each together and that’s a positive sign. I hope to be in Jamaica shortly, by next week, as time is of the essence. So hopefully by next week there is something more definite and something more positive on what’s going on,” Miller said.

The future of the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise was cast in doubt following last season’s CPL campaign, amidst threats of moving the franchise to another territory due to insufficient support from local interests.

The Caribbean Premier League’s Jamaican Tallawahs will continue to be island based and will not be moving its headquarters to Florida as proposed. Tallawahs CEO confirmed the decision during an April 9 breifing with local media.

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While underlining the owners’ decision to keep the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise in the island, Jamaica Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller noted that the organisation is not seeking any handouts and is calling for a stronger relationship between the organisation, the government and local private sector interests.

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Miller will sson be back in Jamaica to finalise discussions concerning support for the franchise, ahead of the next CPL season,

Jamaica’s Sports Minister, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who had earlier noted that the government was not in a position to assist the privately-owned team, arguing that its limited resources must be focussed on the over 40 national associations, announced in January this year, that the government, in collaboration with corporate Jamaica, would in fact be looking at ways to assist the franchise.

It was reported that the Tallawahs were in need of more than US$1.5 million ($193.3 million) each year for the next three years.

“At this time, I have no numbers to give, but discussions are happening and next week I will be here and I am hoping to finalise some numbers,” Miller pointed out.

“Yes, Jamaica is a global brand, it is the most recognised franchise in the CPL, but the folks in Jamaica have to understand that the Tallawahs also bring value to Jamaica that has been missing. Folks have to understand the economic impact that the Tallawahs bring. It is shown in over a 101 countries, over 200 million people watch the games, and that’s real coverage,” Miller commented.

He added that it was tough for the franchise to continue under the current financial difficulties.

The Tallawahs are one of the most successful teams in the CPL, having won the title in the opening season in 2013 and again in 2016.

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Meanwhile, while admitting that representing the Jamaican brand has been a significant part of the Tallawahs’ popularity, Miller argued that it was a two-way street, as the Tallawahs also give the Jamaica brand huge mileage internationally.

“Folks talk about commitment, but they got to understand that we got bills to pay. If we can’t pay the players’ salaries, they are not going to play. If we cannot pay airfares or their accommodations, what’s gonna happen? So it’s a business, that’s what we are running, not a charity. We are not asking for handouts, we are asking for a private-public partnership with government and corporate Jamaica. I am not looking for sponsors, we are looking to create a partnership that at the end of the day Jamaica benefits from what we done,” Miller said.

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Allen, Brathwaite, Gabriel, Nurse Included In West Indies World Cup Squad!

Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Shannon Gabriel and Ashley Nurse have been included in the West Indies Squad of 15 for the 2019 ICC World Cup. There was no place for West Indies Indian Professional League (IPL) stalwarts Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.

The full 15 member Squad announced by the West Indies is as follows: Jason Holder (Captain) Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmeyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell and Oshane Thomas.

Talismanic opener Chris Gayle heads a powerful batting line-up that sees the return of fellow left-hander Evin Lewis. Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel lead an exciting bowling attack in the preliminary squad of two-time champions West Indies.

Interim chairman of the Cricket West Indies selection panel Robert Haynes announced the squad during a media conference on April 24 at the Sandals Royal Resort.

The 15-member squad includes nine players that will be making their first appearance in the global showpiece, including emerging batting star Shimron Hetmyer, the captain of the West Indies Under-19 side that won its first ever ICC Youth World Cup three years ago in Bangladesh, and the side is boosted with the inclusion of big-hitting all-rounder Andre Russell.

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Gayle will be making a record fifth World Cup appearance for West Indies and needs just 253 runs to overtake fellow lefthander Brian Lara and become the leading batsman for the Caribbean side in One-day Internationals. The self-proclaimed, “Universe Boss� is the headline act of a batting line-up capable of changing the complexion of any game with enterprising stroke-play.

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Roach will be making his third World Cup appearance and Gabriel his first, and they will be hoping to transfer recent success in the longest version of the game into the ODI format to spearhead the attack.

England, New Zealand World Cup Squads Selected England have deferred the question of whether Jofra Archer will make their World Cup squad after naming an unchanged 15 for the ICC’s preliminary deadline. Archer is set to make his England debut, however, after being included for next month’s ODI in Ireland and a T20I and five ODIs against Pakistan, potentially giving him seven outings to make his case.

The rest of the squad, the first for the ten competing nations to be confirmed, is very much as expected with the shape of the World Cup party having largely taken shape since Gary Stead took over from Mike Hesson as coach.

Colin Munro keeps his place although is likely to find himself as the reserve batsman with Henry Nicholls slated to open alongside Martin Guptill. Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme have taken the seam-bowling allrounder spots with Mitchell Santner, who has recovered from knee surgery, set to be the main spinner.

The squad will have a series of two-day training camps in Christchurch later in April before heading to Australia for a trip that includes three

Chris Jordan, Archer’s Sussex team-mate, is the other extra member in the expanded 17-man squad ODI to play Pakistan, having maintained a late push for World Cup consideration with his T20I performances in the Caribbean last month, despite last playing a 50-over international in 2016.

Joe Denly, whose last ODI appearance came in 2009, keeps his place as back-up spinning all rounder ahead of Liam Dawson, although he could be among a small number of players, including Liam Plunkett and Tom Curran, who will feel the pressure if Archer performs well over the next few weeks..

unofficial one-day matches. A large number of the World Cup squad won’t be present for that tour as they are at the IPL so a collection of reserve players will be included.

Squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Tom Blundell, Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

The potential inclusion of Archer, the Barbados-born all rounder who qualified to represent England last month, has been the subject of much debate among the squad’s incumbent fast bowlers, but the decision by national selector Ed Smith will ensure peace for now, as well as setting up what is effectively a World Cup play-off for the last bowling spot.

Those players selected by England who are currently at the IPL will be required to return by April 26. The final date for the World Cup squad to be confirmed is May 23.

England preliminary World Cup squad: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood Sodhi and Blundell Named In New Zealand World Cup Squad!

The roles of second spinner and reserve keeper had the most debate attached to them with Sodhi being preferred to fellow leg spinner Todd Astle and Blundell, who is uncapped in ODIs, earning a late call-up following an injury to Tim Seifert.

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Ish Sodhi and Tom Blundell have claimed the two uncertain spots in New Zealand’s World Cup squad with the 15 names having been confirmed in Christchurch on April 3.

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Australia, Bangladesh And India Announce World Cup Squads!

As expected Steven Smith and David Warner will make their international returns at the World Cup after both were named in Australia’s 15-man squad.Their comeback has come at a price with Peter Handscomb a surprise omission from the squad. Josh Hazlewood has also been left out.

It means that Warner and Smith, who also return to the CA central contract list for 2019-2020, could play their first international since the Cape Town Test on June 1 against Afghanistan in Bristol when Australia start the defence of their World Cup campaign. Before that, there is a training camp in Brisbane with three one-day games against New Zealand - not full internationals - followed by warm-up matches in England.

The pair has been using the IPL to help prepare for the World Cup fol-

Mitchell Starc has been included among a group of five fast bowlers

lowing elbow surgeries. Warner has been in sparkling form for Sunris-

despite not having played in Australia’s last 13 ODIs, but there was no

ers Hyderabad but Smith, whose injury was more severe, has found life

room for Hazlewood, who has been sidelined with a back injury since

a bit tougher for Rajasthan Royals.

January. The selection panel picked Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, who is also returning from a shoulder dislocation, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff as the other pacers.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said Starc and Richardson had been selected subject to fitness. Squads can be changed until May 23 without ICC permission.

Alex Carey is the sole wicketkeeper in the squad, leaving Australia exposed if he gets injured during the warm-ups or any World Cup game. They will rely on the cover available in the Australia A squad, which includes Handscomb, Tim Paine and Matthew Wade although they wouldn’t be available for an injury shortly before the toss.

As expected, both Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon have been included as the two spinners in the squad.

Squad: Aaron Finch (capt), David Warner, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa, Nathan Lyon Bangladesh have named pace bowler Abu Jayed as part of their 15 for the World Cup. Jayed, who is yet to debut in ODIs, had impressed with his swing bowling during the Tests in New Zealand last month. Middle-order batsman Mosaddek Hossain, who last played for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in September 2018, also made a comeback for the

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showpiece event.

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The two made it into a mostly settled Bangladesh side, which, however, had no place for pacer Taskin Ahmed and batsman Imrul Kayes.

Ambati Rayudu and Pant were among the contenders for the spot, but the selectors seem to have placed their faith in Karthik, with Vijay Shankar marked as an alternative if required.

When it comes to the No. 4 debate, Kohli had backed Rayudu for the job back in October last year. In 20 innings since his comeback to the India ODI side in September last year, Rayudu had batted at No. 4 on 14 occasions, scoring 464 runs at an average of 42.18 and a strike rate of 85.60. He played only two ODIs on the tour of Australia, but was the highest run-getter for India in the ODIs on the tour of New Zealand, with 190 runs in five innings at an average of 63.33 and a strike rate of 82.25.

On the bowling front, India have two frontline spinners - wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal - along with three outand-out fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and The five senior players - Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim - form the core of the squad, with the likes of Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman among the other experienced members.

Mohammed Shami, plus three allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya and Vijay Shankar.

The squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh

Soumya Sarkar and Liton Das have form issues, but they have been

Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,

picked as potential match-winners. Mohammad Mithun, who was

Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami.

one of the better batsmen during Bangladesh’s recent ODI exchanges against New Zealand, will form part of the middle order.

Teams can make changes to their World Cup squads till May 23, without seeking permission from the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands that the April 23 deadline to name the 15 was set by the ICC with a view to get logistics in order, such as booking rooms and travel for teams.

The selectors have also included the uncapped duo of Yasir Ali and Nayeem Hasan in the squad that will face Ireland and West Indies ahead of the World Cup. Squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Liton Das, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Saifuddin, Abu Jayed, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Vijay Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja all found places. in India’s squad of 15 for the 2019 World Cup. The selection panel, led by MSK Prasad, and Virat Kohli met at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on April 15 and named the men who will be heading to the UK in late May to try slots had been firmed up well in time, there were question marks around the No. 4 position in the batting order, which many players have auditioned for with varying degrees of success in recent months.

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and win the trophy for the third time. While most of the

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Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka Squads Named!

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa have all announced their Preliminary Squads for the 2019 ICC World Cup. Afghanistan was the latest to announce its Squad, having done so on April 22, one day before the deadline.

the World Cup in England and Wales. Amla’s inclusion, along with Aiden Markram, means that top-order batsman Reeza Hendricks missed out on selection for the tournament.

With South Africa opting for Amla’s experience, and Markram’s imposing domestic form, there were no major surprises when the squad was announced on Thursday afternoon.

Afghanistan Hamid Hassan, the 31-year-old fast bowler who last played an ODI in June 2016, has been selected among Afghanistan’s 15 players who will go to England for the 2019 World Cup. The squad will be led by Gulbadin Naib, despite criticism from senior players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi following Asghar Afghan’s removal as ODI captain less than two months before the World Cup. Afghan, however, remains a part of the squad.

Afghanistan’s first game is against Australia on June 1.

Afghanistan squad: Gulbadin Naib (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman Pakistan Pacer Mohammad Amir will not play the World Cup in England as things stand. He was not part of the 15 named by the PCB on April 18

As expected, Faf du Plessis will captain the side that includes only one specialist wicketkeeper in Quinton de Kock, with David Miller available for back-up should de Kock be injured during a game. Miller was trialled in the role during Sri Lanka’s visit earlier this year. There was no place in the squad for allrounder Chris Morris, who is currently playing for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, and who is one of several South Africa players taking part in the league, with Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir currently topping the wicket charts there.

Squad: Faf du Plessis (capt), JP Duminy, David Miller, Dale Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius, Quinton de Kock (wk), Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Hashim Amla, Tabraiz Shamsi Sri Lanka Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, spin-bowling allrounders Milinda Siriwardanaand Jeevan Mendis, and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay have all been picked in Sri Lanka’s World Cup squad, despite not having played an ODI since at least 2017.

for the showpiece event. Left-arm pacer Usman Shinwari also missed out. He will, however, travel to England for the preceding ODI series against England.

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Squad: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez (subject to fitness), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Sohail

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Not selected, meanwhile, are wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, offspinner Akila Dananjaya, openers Danushka Gunathilaka and Upul Tharanga, as well as Dinesh Chandimal, who was captain of the ODI team as recently as October.

The squad also features 21-year-old opening batsman Avishka Fernando, despite his modest tour of South Africa last month. Nuwan Pradeep, who has been an infrequent presence in the ODI squad owing partly to injury, has been chosen as well.

South Africa

Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews,

After months of speculation around his form and place in the ODI side, Hashim Amla has been included in South Africa’s 15-person squad for

Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru

Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal

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@cocopalmstlucia

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