Paul Downton ended a torrid 14-month tenure as managing director of England cricket when he was sacked on this day in 2015.
The former Test wicketkeeper was judged to have the right mix of on-field experience and business savvy from his time in the city, but was overwhelmed by events during his turbulent reign.
Taking over from Hugh Morris, he picked up the aftermath of the brutal 2013/14 Ashes whitewash and immediately took ownership of the decision to ex-communicate star batter Kevin Pietersen, whose own relationship with the squad had fallen into disrepair.
The ECB was later forced to apologise for breaching a settlement agreement with Pietersen following comments made by Downton to BBC’s Test Match Special.
Downton’s judgement was questioned when he reappointed Peter Moores for a second stint in charge of the team despite his previous failure in the role, hailing him as the “best coach of his generation” and “the future of English cricket”.
Although Moores narrowly outlasted him, a dire performance at the 2015 World Cup reflected badly on both men.
New ECB chief executive Tom Harrison made the call to oust Downton while the Test team were on tour in the West Indies, declaring: “Paul is a man of great integrity. Today has been a very tough day for the ECB and we’ve made a tough decision on a highly respected member of staff.
“Today is about the future of cricket. Today is about where this organisation is set to go over the next four to five years.”
The brief for Downton’s job was tightened and rebranded, attracting a more current figure in the shape of recent Test captain Andrew Strauss. With a renewed emphasis on elite performance, he replaced Moores with Trevor Bayliss and set the groundwork for England’s World Cup triumph in 2019.
Downton’s career in administration would get a second chapter, though, returning as director of cricket at his former county, Kent.
His time at Canterbury proved more productive, overseeing promotion to Division One of the County Championship in his first year and subsequent titles in the T20 and 50-over formats. He retired at the end of the 2023 campaign amid plentiful praise for his work.
"we are where we want to be": Spooner pleased with response at box offices despite early glitches
Despite some early glitches at Kensington Oval’s box, in Barbados, Philip Spooner says things remain on the up where ticket sales for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is concerned.
Spooner, the tournament’s global media operations Manager, acknowledged the early problems, but said efforts were made to rectify the issues, as Barbadian cricket fans flocked the venue to secure tickets for the highly-anticipated June 1-29 tournament, to be hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
To celebrate 30 days to go to the start of the tournament, box offices were opened on Thursday until the end of the event across the six host locations -Antigua and Barbuda: Antigua Recreation Ground; Barbados: Kensington Oval; Guyana: Guyana Cricket Board Office; Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Commercial Centre, and Trinidad and Tobago: Queen’s Park Oval and National Cricket Centre -in the West Indies.
“We apologise to the members of the public for the challenges that they faced, but we are very happy to see people coming out because it shows the level of interest, and this is a tremendous first day of operations.
“People want to be part of this event and they are participating meaningfully. We are very happy about that. We will put everything in place that needs to be put in place for our customers, our fans, who are the biggest supporters of the games,” Spooner said in an interview with Barbados Today.
“So far, the atmosphere has been amazing; there has been a lot of attention to the tournament globally, it is literally out of this world. We had the launch of the amazing anthem and the music video with Sean Paul and Kes, two of the best and most visible global artists in the region. We are very happy with that aspect of how things are going. The preparations of the fields and pitches have also been good, obviously, there is still work to be done as we are a month away, but we are where we want to be,” he added.
Wilson, Richardson named among 26 match officials for upcoming T20 World Cup
Umpire Joel Wilson and match referee Sir Richie Richardson will be the only West Indies officials involved in the upcoming ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be staged jointly in the Caribbean and United States.
Wilson, 57, boasts a wealth of experience, having stood in matches across all three formats of international cricket, and was also a member of the 2015, 2019 and 2023 Cricket World Cup match officials, while Richardson, 62, a West Indies legend, has been a prominent match referee since his appointment to the Elite Panel in 2015.
The two are among 20 umpires and six match referees, selected by ICC, to officiate in June 1-29 tournament, which will for the first time see 20 teams in action across 55 matches over 28 days at nine venues, making it the largest ICC T20 World Cup to date.
Also included on the elite list of umpires is last year’s winner of the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year, Richard Illingworth, along with Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel, who all featured in the 2022 T20 World Cup final between England and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The match referees' team includes Ranjan Madugalle, who officiated the 2022 final, along with the format's most experienced referee, Jeff Crowe of New Zealand.
Crowe holds the record for officiating in most number of T20Is, having made 175 appearances, while Andrew Pycroft, also part of the elite list, is just one match away from reaching the milestone of 150 T20Is.
ICC’s General Manager Wasim Khan, reflected on the selection of the Match Officials for the historic event.
“We are pleased to announce our team of match referees and umpires for the historic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Within the selected cohort, we have a compliment of experienced match officials and other high performing members who have been recognized for their strong and consistent performances. The throughput from the pathway programme will continue to see the development and emergence of high-quality match officials across the game,” Khan said.
“With 20 teams and 55 matches played over 28 days, this will be the biggest T20 World Cup ever and we are proud of the team we have assembled. We are confident that our officials will perform strongly. We wish them all the best of luck for what promises to be a very exciting tournament,” he added.
The Match Officials for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024:
Umpires: Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Allahudien Paleker, Richard Kettleborough, Jayaraman Madanagopal, Nitin Menon, Sam Nogajski, Ahsan Raza, Rashid Riaz, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Shahid Saikat, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson and Asif Yaqoob.
Match referees: David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.
Andre Russell ventures into Bollywood music scene with SRK's support
West Indies and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell is set to make waves in Bollywood, following in the footsteps of Trinidadian cricketer Dwayne Bravo, who achieved success with his hit song 'Champion' in India.
Known for adding energy and entertainment to the dressing room, West Indian cricketers have a history of making their mark beyond the cricket field, with stars like Chris Gayle, DJ Bravo, Kieron Pollard, and Darren Sammy shining in the IPL. The latest to join this list is Andre Russell, the dynamic KKR sensation.
Russell is stepping into the music world by lending his vocals to a song composed by Palaash Muchhal. He will also be featured alongside actress Avika Gor in the accompanying music video.
What makes Russell's foray into music even more exciting is the backing of Bollywood titan Shahrukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his larger-than-life persona, SRK is not just a team owner but also a key figure in the entertainment industry. Russell and SRK share a strong camaraderie, often seen enjoying each other's company and having fun moments together.
Recently, a video of Russell singing SRK's iconic song "Lut Put Gaya" from the movie 'Dunki' went viral, showcasing his passion for music. With SRK's support and Russell's infectious energy, fans can anticipate an exciting collaboration between the cricket star and the Bollywood icon.
Andre Russell's venture into Bollywood music adds a new dimension to his versatile talents and promises to be a delightful treat for his fans in India and across the globe.
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