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• Windies coach Sammy eyes clean, all-round performances in ODI series against Bangladesh

  West Indies Head coach Darren Sammy exudes optimism and focus as his troops take aim at a possible sweep of their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh at Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis.

  The series, which bowls off on Sunday, offers the Caribbean side—coming off a 2-1 series win over England—a chance to once again assert dominance on home soil while continuing to build a cohesive unit.

  With a largely consistent squad bolstered by a few new faces, Sammy emphasized the importance of disciplined, all-round performances to secure victory against a Bangladesh team he is not taking lightly.

  “For any home series, the outlook is always to win. We understand the opposition we’re up against—a team we cannot take for granted. But for me, the focus is always on what we can do to be successful. So I'm just looking for us to go out there and put in some really good performances that result in victories,” Sammy said in a pre-series interview.

  Sammy’s confidence stems from what he believes is the balance in his squad, which features both in-form players and fresh talents ready to make their mark.

  In fact, the nucleus of the team remains intact from previous campaigns, with an emphasis on maintaining the winning mentality they’ve exhibited at home in recent times.

  “What I've always stressed to the guys is that the way you prepare, the way you go out and play—what you put in is what you get out. So we shall respect the opposition. However, we are not here to compete; we are here to win cricket games, especially on our home soil. So that's the mentality we've shown at home over the last year, and we're looking to continue that,” he added.

  Though ranked as underdogs by some, Sammy believes Bangladesh’s position is one the West Indies know well themselves—a team playing with nothing to lose.

  He also alluded to the fact that the visitors, led by head coach Phil Simmons, a former West Indies coach familiar with Caribbean conditions, pose a tactical and competitive challenge.

  “Phil is experienced and has a knack for getting teams to be very competitive against us, and we respect that, but again, it's all about execution. If we focus on ourselves and perform well, we will give ourselves a chance to win the series,” Sammy noted.

  Injuries to customary fast bowlers Matthew Forde and Shamar Joseph have opened opportunities for Jamaican seamer Marquino Mindley and his Barbadian counterpart Jediah Blades, two players who impressed in the CG United Super50 tournament.

  Mindley, a consistent performer across all phases of the game, took most wickets in the recently concluded tournament and is seen as a valuable addition to the bowling attack.

  Meanwhile, Blades, a promising left-arm seamer, brings a variety that Sammy pointed out that he has long sought for the team, as he continues to build for the future with hopes to maintain a competitive edge.

  “Mindley has shown consistency and adaptability, qualities we value. Blades is an (West Indies) Academy product, and it’s great to see his growth. You've heard me crying out for a left-arm seam bowler in our line-up, and he brings that variety,” Sammy said.

  “So hopefully he'll come and do well. We have a fast bowling coach, James Franklin here, another left arm seamer, so hopefully, in that short space of time he could impart some knowledge, and if he [Blades] does get an opportunity, he could come in and have an impact for us because he has all the potentials of being an asset for us in the future,” he noted.

  West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (Captain), Brandon King (Vice-Captain), Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Marquino Mindley, Justin Greaves, Shimron Hetmyer, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Jediah Blades, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd.

• Atkinson and Bethell star as England dominate day two against New Zealand

  Gus Atkinson's hat-trick set England on their way to a dominant second day of the second Test with New Zealand in Wellington.

  Atkinson took the final three wickets of Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee as the hosts were bowled out for 125, before the tourists' knock of 378-5 put them 533 runs to the good.

  The 26-year-old scored the first away hat-trick by an England bowler in 16 years, while it was also the first ever to be recorded at the Basin Reserve.

  "The hat-trick ball I was running up thinking: 'I'm getting a wicket this ball, I'm getting a wicket this ball' - I did feel it," he told BBC Sport.

  "I haven't really thought about a hat-trick too much before. You want to play to get five-fors as a bowler, you don't think about hat-tricks as much, but getting a hat-trick is special, it's definitely more rare than a five-for.

  "It's been a very special year. I'm just looking forward to playing as much Test cricket as I can in the next few years and, hopefully, continuing with the form."

  Atkinson's surge left New Zealand 155 runs adrift of England, whose second innings was spearheaded by Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett (92).

  Between them, they added 187 for the second wicket, with Bethell (96) narrowly missing out on becoming the tourists' youngest Test centurion since 1939.

  Harry Brook chipped in with 55, while Joe Root and Ben Stokes notched unbeaten contributions of 73 and 35 respectively.

  That took England to 378-5 at stumps, as they closed in on their first Test series victory in New Zealand for 16 years.

  Data Debrief: Hat-trick hero Atkinson joins exclusive group

  Atkinson continued his incredible 2024, in which he took 12 wickets on his Test debut against West Indies in July, while notching up a century and five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka the following month.

  The first hat-trick in Test cricket since South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj's against West Indies in 2021, it is the 14th recorded by an Englishman.

  Atkinson also joined Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali and Johnny Briggs as the only England players to score a Test century and hat-trick.

  England became the first nation to score 500,000 Test runs during day two, while Root passed 50 for the 100th time at this level.

• GCB, BCA issue joint statement on absence from CWI governance vote: “CWI continues to ignore the voice of its shareholder representatives and full members”

  The Guyana Cricket Board and Barbados Cricket Association issued a joint statement on Friday explaining their absence from the critical Cricket West Indies governance vote scheduled for earlier in the day.

  The meeting, announced on November 13, 2024, was expected to focus on structural adjustments to CWI’s governance, including term limits for the President and Vice President, enhanced accountability measures, and other steps to modernize the organization’s framework.

  The meeting, convened to deliberate on reforms recommended in the Wehby Report, required the presence of all Full Member shareholders to proceed.

  Commissioned in 2019, the Wehby Report outlines a roadmap to reform CWI’s governance by promoting transparency, accountability, and alignment with global best practices. Key recommendations include restructuring the Board of Directors, modernizing operations, and enhancing stakeholder engagement.

  While the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), and Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) were present, Guyana formally indicated its non-attendance, and Barbados did not provide a response.

  This marks the second instance of both entities abstaining from such meetings, the first occurring in 2021.

  Both the GCB and BCA issued a joint statement on Friday clarifying their decision to not attend the meeting.

  “There are and were no convincing reasons for BCA and GCB to support the sought changes/amendments to the Articles of the existing Memorandum & Articles of Association. Also, the proposed changes/amendments lack clarity in the form as presented and, for that matter, how they will benefit the Company in consideration of its multiple stakeholder base,” the statement read.

  Additionally, the statement outlines that the BCA submitted proposed changes to the structure on two separate occasions, with no response on either.

  “Previously, at the twenty-fifth CWI Annual Meeting of Members, held on 23^rd March 2024, the BCA proposal was to stop the infighting through electioneering at CWI and said proposal was supported by GCB.”

  “The current system for electing a President and Vice President provides for horse-trading and nepotism. The CWI proposed amendments do not include the BCA/GCB proposal as an option for members to discuss or vote on. CWI continues to ignore the voices of its shareholder reps and Full Members.”

  The statement went on to outline that both territorial boards rejected the proposals of the Wehby Report on the basis that “it seeks to relinquish power from the territorial boards and is further seen given recent decisions at CWI.”

  Proposals in the Wehby Report include increasing the fixed term for the President and Vice-President from two to three years while limiting each to two terms and territorial boards having one director each instead of two.

  There would also be three additional directors coming from a nomination process out of the six territorial representatives. The report also suggests that two of those directors be women.

  “In recent years, the Secretariat of the Company has on occasions, either forgot or ignored or failed to acknowledge the historical status of and the contribution made by its Full Members. Without want of curtailing zeal beyond boundaries, such habitual culture must reverse in the interest of progress,” the statement concluded.