Cricket West Indies President Ricky Skerritt and Dr Kishore Shallow have officially launched their bid to lead for a second term with promises to build on their first term of their leadership of regional cricket.
Under a campaign slogan Forward ‘WI’ Go, the incumbents have promised to continue to lead the fight for organizational modernization, including greater transparency, accountability, and partnership with all stakeholders, designed to support and prepare for achieving the best possible on-field results.
Skerritt said he and Dr Shallow would also continue to battle against petty boardroom politics and territorial insularity, two of the biggest enemies of West Indies cricket progress.
The duo is being challenged by the ticket of Guyana Cricket Board Secretary Anand Sanasie and Barbados Cricket Board Vice President Calvin Hope.
The incumbents both candidates received nominations from the same two territorial boards that first advocated for their candidacies in 2019, the Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) and Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).
They also said they have received formal advice of support from the Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) and predicts similar support from the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) for the elections set to take place on Sunday, March 28, 2021.
“Some people seem to believe that the CWI boardroom is a type of Parliament where their only job is to oppose or resist any decision that doesn’t directly benefit them individually. Sadly, both of our election opponents are strong proponents of that same antiquated, self-centred, and confrontational mindset”, Skerritt said in a statement today.
“This CWI 2021 leadership election provides another opportunity for cricket lovers to think seriously about who is best suited to champion the bigger cause of West Indies Cricket, at this crucial time. Two years ago, the Skerritt-Shallow partnership introduced our Ten (10) Point ‘Cricket First’ Plan, which has become the improvement mantra of our stewardship.
“As we now approach the completion of a very challenging but productive first term, we are upgrading that plan. We are proud of the numerous transformational changes which are already taking place at CWI based on that very plan, some of the points are now self-sustaining in their implementation, but some points still need our direct attention. We are therefore pleased to let the Caribbean public know that we will be seeking re-election to a second term of the CWI offices of President and Vice President based on an updated Ten-Point plan.”
Half-way through the first term of Skerritt-Shallow, in March 2020, the region was confronted by the unexpected challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
CWI, Skerritt said, responded quickly and strategically and has been exemplary in how it pivoted to the forefront of the international risk management response. CWI under Skerritt-Shallow were already implementing the 28 recommendations of the CWI 2019 PKF Business Situation Assessment and Financial Review when the pandemic hit. "However, amid these debilitating challenges and unpredictable outlook, our 10 Point ‘Cricket First’ Plan has continued to be the foundation of the Skerritt-Shallow stewardship," the president said.
They say they have identified 10 priorities that will now constitute their upgraded ‘Cricket First Plus’ plan for their second term in office:
The Skerritt-Shallow leadership said they have set the stage for CWI to strengthen partnerships further with all stakeholders, especially the Territorial Boards, to build together and sustain a modern cricket-centric organization, featuring a cricket system that will produce more knowledgeable, confident and battle-ready cricketers. Skerritt-Shallow continues to be the leadership team that is best suited to continue the important work that we have started together, on behalf of the needs of West Indies cricket.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-Up matches confirmed
The official warm-up match fixtures for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been announced. Matches are scheduled to be played from Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June across the USA and at two venues in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies.
The venues to host the 16 warm up matches are the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas; Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida and Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
Warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not carry international T20 status as teams will be allowed to field all members of their 15-player squad. In a change from the previous rights cycle, teams will now have the option of playing up to two warm-up matches depending on arrival time at the event.
The West Indies against Australia fixture at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday 30 May will be open to fans, tickets will be available at tickets.t20worldcup.com or box offices located at the National Cricket Centre and Queen’s Park Oval from 16 May.
Warm-up match schedule:
Monday 27 May
Canada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Tuesday 28 May
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Wednesday 29 May
South Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00
Thursday 30 May
Nepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00
Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Friday 31 May
Ireland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Saturday 1 June
Bangladesh v India, Venue TBC USA
IPL: Washout confirms SRH play-off place
Sunrisers Hyderabad are into the Indian Premier League play-offs despite their game against Gujarat Titans being abandoned without even doing the toss due to rain.
SRH move onto 15 points, with one game remaining, but are now ensured a top-four finish for the first time since 2020.
Their top-two hopes have taken a hit though – they have to beat Punjab Kings in their final game and hope Rajasthan Royals lose to Kolkata Knights Riders to finish second.
The Titans were already out of play-off contention after their previous game against KKR was also called off due to a heavy storm without hitting a ball. They finish their season currently third from bottom, though that could change depending on results in the final few matches.
Bolt joined by multiple sports stars for first look at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt got a first look at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium from the best seats in the house, along with cricket legends and New York sports icons.
The Jamaican sprint legend was joined in this special preview by USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monak Patel along with cricket legend Sir Curtly Ambrose (West Indies), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), and Liam Plunkett (England). Also present during this landmark event was a star-studded line-up of New York sports stars, including John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), and Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA).
To commemorate the occasion, the stars all signed a giant cricket bat, which will be present at the venue for all eight ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches hosted there between June 3-12. The event marks the official final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, with Sri Lanka and South Africa set to clash in the venue's first match on June 3.
Bolt was confident the venue would provide an exciting and energetic cricket experience.
“Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028," he said.
“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month," Bolt noted.
Brett Jones, CEO of T20 USA Inc. called the event a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.
“Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA," Jones said.
“Having Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monak Patel here and seeing their response to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month," he added.
The 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first of its kind in international cricket, and is also believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.
Featured at the unveiling were extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue, which join the east and west general admission stands. Among the new additions are the Cabana seats in the North pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area.
The stadium is one of the three venues in the USA for the upcoming mega-event. Florida and Texas will also host matches from the event.
The USA are co-hosts for the event alongside the West Indies, where 39 matches will be played across six venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.
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