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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, June 24, 2018
No cut, says Cameron (CWI) Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron has given the assurance that in spite of the prevailing financial challenges, there will be no cutting back on its development programmes. He was speaking before an audience that included Cabinet Ministers John King and Marsha Caddle, at the CWI/West Indies Players Association (WIPA) awards ceremony Wednesday night at Hilton Barbados. “There are challenging times ahead. I must tell you this year we are financially challenged but we have ensured that there will be no cutting back on any of our development programmes, to ensure that we can deliver on our mandate which is to build our brand and to make Senior team batsman Rovman Powell strikes a half-century for Windies-A.
us very proud again of West Indies cricket,” he said. “Our request to you guys is to play to the best of your ability. We want you to go from strength to strength and I want you to believe that you are unstoppable. “The sky is the limit and Cricket West Indies will support you all the way.” Cameron said he was happy to welcome the touring Sri Lankans to Barbados, but said he would be more delighted if the West Indies go on to notch a rare series victory next week in the three-match series. “I am happy to be standing here on the threshold of our second series triumph in less than a year. Sri Lanka, we welcome you, but we also want to leave here next week with a series win. It is very
important to the West Indies team,” he said. Cameron said a study conducted by the Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA), the global players’ representative body, reflected the rise of the professional game in the Caribbean. The study showed that the West Indies now had 177 professional cricketers, Australia 183, England just over 500 and India, just under 700. “No longer can we use the excuse that we do not have a pool of talent in the region to compete in world cricket. Four years ago, we had just over 25 professional cricketers in the West Indies, and today, we have 177. “What we have to do is to continue to upscale our cricketers, our management,
Powell, Mohammed fail to prevent Windies defeat
DERBY, England (CMC) – Half-centuries from senior players Rovman Powell and Jason Mohammed were not enough to save West Indies from an 87-run defeat to England Lions in their opening match of the Tri-Nations Series here yesterday. Asked to chase 319 at County Ground, West Indies were dismissed for 231 in the 45th over, with Powell top-scoring with 55 and captain Mohammed getting 52. Test batsman Jermaine Blackwood stroked 40 while opening partner Chandrapaul Hemraj scored 35 and tail-ender Dominic Drakes, 28. The Caribbean side were well poised on 142 for three in the 29th over at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 89 wickets, as the innings fell away badly. Windies-A were undermined by left-arm spinner Liam Dawson who claimed four for 27 while Barbados-born England seamer Chris Jordan (3-25) and left-arm quick Reece Topley (3-54) picked up three wickets apiece. Lions had earlier chalked up 318 for five off their 50 overs, on the backs of a superb unbeaten 145 from Sam Hain and half-centuries Tom Kohler-Cadmore (67) and Steven Mullaney (58). Nick Gubbins, who struck a hundred on Friday against India A, fell to the fifth ball of the contest without scoring, edging seamer Chemar Holder to be caught at the wicket with a single run on the board. Hain then anchored the innings with two
crucial stands, putting on 148 for the second wicket with Kohler-Cadmore before adding a further 95 for the fifth wicket with Mullaney. All told, the 22-year-old Hain faced 134 balls and struck 16 boundaries. West Indies started positively with Blackwood and Hemraj posting 50 off 53 balls for the first wicket. Blackwood struck five fours in a 33-ball knock while the left-handed Hemraj faced 44 deliveries and counted four fours and a six. Jordan broke the stand in a double-wicket maiden in his opening over, claiming Blackwood to a catch at the wicket and then bowling Devon Thomas first ball. Hemraj added 49 with Mohammed but the promising partnership ended in the 19th over when he missed a sweep at Dawson and was lbw. Mohammed, who faced 74 balls and struck five fours and a six, put on 43 for the fourth wicket with Sunil Ambris (8) but four wickets tumbled for 23 runs to leave the Caribbean side rocking on 165 for seven in the 35th over. Powell, who belted a pair of fours and sixes in a 50-innings, provided the last real hope for the Windies when he partnered with Drakes in a 55-run, eighth-wicket stand before he was last out.
our coaching staff and the administrative staff in order
your way. “ We a r e g u a r a n t e e d
CWI president Dave Cameron
to produce world-class players. It continues to be a competitive environment for our players and there are times when decisions may not go
enough cricket over the next 18 months to ensure that we are in good shape, so we are providing the platform for all of our players across the
region,” he said. West Indies have not won the 50-overs World Cup since 1979, but Cameron thinks that 40-year drought could end next year at the 2019 event in England. “Our big aim is to win the World Cup in England next year. People say that I am crazy and asked how can we beat the best teams in the world in 12 months. Well, Scotland just beat England, the number one ranked team in the world, England is beating Australia, so anything is possible and here we are in the brink of a Test series victory over Sri Lanka. “I think we are on our way back. The signs are very clear,” Cameron said.
T20 icon Gayle backs Windies to repeat (CMC) – Chris Gayle has thrown his weight behind West Indies Women in their bid to recapture the Twenty20 World Cup set to be staged in the Caribbean in November, and he believes the excitement of the Caribbean culture will also make the tournament a success. Gayle recently attended the Women’s T20 Blaze here and said he had been very impressed with the level of skill and talent demonstrated by the region’s best players. On that account, Gayle believes the Windies can repeat their success. “(It is) great to be hosting the ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies. I know it’s going to be great in Antigua, St Lucia and Guyana,” said the iconic T20 opener. “This is great news for our girls and even better to be defending the trophy at home. Was great when we both won (men’s and women’s teams) back in India a few years ago, so you know me, I’m backing them to win it again.” The tournament, which runs from November 9 to 24, will be the first standalone ICC Women’s World T20 tournament. All matches will be broadcast to the global audience for the first time and the Decision Review System will also be implemented. The venues are Guyana National Stadium, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia, and the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua. West Indies Women are the defending champions, having won their first global title two years ago against Australia on the same day the men’s team beat England in spectacular fashion to make it a day of double celebrations for Caribbean cricket. “Having been a part of the double championship in India was fantastic,” Gayle said. “This is a very important tournament for us. I can see from the way they are playing
Twenty20 superstar Chris Gayle poses with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy at Sabina Park.
here in the domestic tournament that everyone is motivated to defend that championship for the West Indies. “They will have the fans backing them and I urge them to enjoy the moment.” West Indies Women boast a good track record in the event, winning it in 2016 and reaching the semi-finals 2010 in the Caribbean, 2012 in Sri Lanka, and 2014 in Bangladesh. Gayle said he expected the Caribbean culture of music and merriment would also be a hit for visiting players and television viewers. “We all know what the Caribbean culture is like and I want to urge the fans to come out and support women’s cricket and the West Indies team. We know how to win titles, and I urge Stafanie (Taylor) and the girls to give their best,” he stressed. “Stafanie has represented the West Indies really well in the past and she now has a chance to lift the trophy at home. I know she can handle the pressure. She’s had some great performances when it mattered and she has the backing of Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Merissa Aguilleria and some other really good players. “Most of all, I want the fans to give our team 100 per cent support in every match.”