West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes Tagenarine Chanderpaul can make an immediate impact on his Test debut against Australia in Perth.

The 26-year-old son of Windies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul will make his bow in the five-day game on Wednesday, and Brathwaite suggests he could soon be setting the standards.

Chanderpaul made a century and a fifty against a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra as West Indies prepared for this series, leaving no doubt he will open the innings as the two-Test series begins.

"I think it was great to see. He'll do extremely well at this higher level," Brathwaite said. "He has a lot of patience, he has good defence, and in Test cricket that's the basics you want, and from there you can always branch off and play a few shots.

"He was an example for us in the first game, and if we take a leaf out of his book for this series I think we'll be in good stead as batsmen.

"I didn't open with [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul, but I played with him. Obviously he was a great, so it's not shocking he had a son that's playing. I think 'Tage' will do a fantastic job and let's hope he could even do greater things, like his father would have done."

Australia's men have not lost any of their last 11 Test series against West Indies (W10, D1) and have won their last eight in succession, last suffering a defeat in the format in 1993 against the Caribbean opposition.

Brathwaite appreciates the scale of the challenge this time, saying: "We know Australia is a superior team. We've got to play 10 days of hard cricket, that is the main focus."

Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has taken a standout 14 wickets at an average of 15.5 at Perth Stadium in Tests against India and New Zealand, and now he gets a third outing at the venue.

Lyon told cricket.com.au: "I'm pretty excited to be honest. There's something about the ground. I used to enjoy bowling at the WACA as well, where you're able to use the breeze to your advantage and get some drift. Drift and bounce are the big things over here, and they are my biggest weapons."

Recent form provides hope for Windies

While Australia have dominated this rivalry of late, the current year has been a strong one for West Indies in Tests, with the team winning series against England and Bangladesh without losing a match.

The successive series wins followed a run that saw them win only one of their eight series prior (D2, L5), and West Indies have not won three in succession since a run of success from August 2012 to March 2013.

Cummins closing in

Home captain Pat Cummins (199) is one away from becoming the 19th player to take 200 wickets for Australia in men's Tests. This will be his 44th Test, and if he takes that wicket in Perth it will mean Cummins becomes the fifth-fastest player to reach 200 for Australia (Clarrie Grimmett – 36 matches, Dennis Lillee – 38, Stuart MacGill – 41, Shane Warne – 42).

Cricket West Indies today paid tribute to David Murray, the former Barbados and West Indies wicket-keeper who passed away on Friday night. He was 72. Murray was the son of West Indies batting great Sir Everton Weekes. Murray’s son Ricky Hoyte, represented Barbados and West Indies ‘A’ Team as a wicket-keeper/batsman. 

Murray’s first tour with the West Indies was in 1973 to England. He made his international debut in the second One-Day International by a West Indies men’s team, which featured Lance Gibbs, Roy Fredericks Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd. His Test debut came in 1978 against Australia in Guyana. Overall, he played 19 Tests, 10 One-Day Internationals and 114 first-class matches.

Ricky Skerritt, President of CWI paid tribute to Murray.

“On behalf of CWI I want to offer my sincere condolences to Ricky, and other members of David’s family and friends. David was a gifted wicket-keeper and a stylish middle-order batsman. He loved the game of cricket, and played with a smile on his face. He will be remembered as a member of the great West Indies squad which dominated world cricket for over a decade. Devoted West Indies Cricket fans still remember David’s fantastic glove work and footwork behind the stumps to Michael Holding and other members of the fearsome West Indies fast bowling attack of his time.”

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons admits to some disappointment with a draw in the final four-day tour game against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval but believes it has been adequate preparation ahead of the two-Test series against Australia, which begins next week.

Chasing a total of 309 runs for victory, on the final day, a win seemed possible when the team entered the final break at 221 for 5, needing another 88 runs to claim victory.

 The West Indies had a less-than-ideal start to the final session, however, and found themselves reduced to 273 for 8, following the dismissals of Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, and then Kemar Roach, in fairly quick succession.

 Raymon Reifer and Joshua Da Silva then combined to help West Indies fight for the draw, playing out the final eight overs to finish on 277 for 8.

“I’m not happy with the results, we should have won it,” Simmons said following the final ball.

“We have a few misplaced wickets in the middle, while we were controlling the game, so that was a disappointment, but at the end of the day the way how the guys fought is always greatly encouraging,” he added.

With the players getting plenty of opportunities to bat and bowl in pressure situations, Simmons was though satisfied with what the tour match provided, ahead of a difficult series.

“The two games have been very good for us, mind you, flattish wickets, but the bowlers got the overs in their legs and the batsmen got their time at the crease so that was good for us.”

The four-day tour match between the West Indies and the Australia Prime Minister’s XI ended in a draw after Saturday’s exciting final day at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The tourists, who began the final day on 35-0 chasing a further 274 runs for victory, ended up 277-8 when the game was called to an end.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul completed an excellent match by top-scoring with 56, to go with his first innings 119, and was well supported by half centuries from Joshua Da Silva (54 not out) and Devon Thomas (55).

Pacer Mark Steketee took three wickets for the President’s XI while Ashton Agar and Michael Neser, who have both represented Australia in Tests, took two wickets each.

Scores: PM’s XI 322 and 221-4 declared, West Indies 235 and 277-8.

The West Indies will now turn their attention to the first test against the Aussies starting Wednesday in Perth at 9:20pm Jamaica Time (10:20pm ECT).

With just a week left to go vor the Australia vs West Indies Test series concerns have been raised regarding excessively poor tickets sales ahead of the match.

The world number one-ranked Australia will host the Windies in two-matches.  The first of the games will be held at Optus Stadium in Perth, beginning on Wednesday 30^th.

The public’s interest in the series, however, remains lacklustre to date.  According to reports, just hundreds of tickets have been sold to members of the public, so var, well below the stadium’s capacity of the 60,000.  There now are concerns the series could set a record low vor Test mathes between the teams.

Australia batsman Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne does not believe the low turnout is an overall lack of interest but believes there may be some fatigue in the fanbase.

 The country is fresh off a huge T20 World Cup on home soil and went straight into a three-game ODI series against England.

Matt Renshaw’s unbeaten day three hundred means the West Indies have been set a target of 309 runs for victory in the four-day pink-ball tour game against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval.  

The tourists ended day three 35 without loss at stumps after 16 overs, with Kraigg Brathwaite on 19 and first innings centurion Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 15 needing a further 274 runs on Saturday.

Earlier, day three started with the West Indians resuming their first innings at 234 for 7. They added just one run from a no ball before their innings ended in the second over of the day.

Paceman Mark Steketee (3-33) trapped Alzarri Joseph lbw and two balls later had Jayden Seales well caught at second slip by Peter Handscomb. With Raymon Reifer unable to bat, West Indies ended on 235 for 9.

The PM's XI then reached 221-4 off 70 overs before captain Josh Inglis’ declaration set the Windies 309 to win.

The innings was declared four balls after Renshaw reached his 17^th first-class ton, scoring 101 not out off 218 balls.

The 26-year-old, who played the most recent of his 11 Tests in 2018, added 145 for the third wicket with Peter Handscomb, after the Windies had reduced the home team to 13 for 2.

Renshaw, who also top-scored with 81 in the first innings, hit nine fours in the unbeaten knock.

Handscomb, who scored 55 in the first innings, was bowled five minutes before the dinner break by spinner Kraigg Brathwaite for 75.

West Indies call-up Tagenarine Chanderpaul insists he is focused on being himself ahead of a possible debut for the Caribbean team in the upcoming series against Australia next week.

On Thursday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul made 119 off 293 balls during the team’s warm-up game against a Prime Minister’s XI, in the ongoing four-day tour match in Canberra.  The knock featured a risp 11 fours and a six on his way to reaching triple figures.

Chanderpaul, who was called up to the team last month, is widely expected to partner Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite at the top of the innings for the match-up with the world number-one ranked Aussies, following the suspension of John Campbell.

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Ahead of the player’s potential debut, comparisons to his famous father, West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, are inescapable.  In an outstanding 164 Test match career for the West Indies, Chanderpaul scored 11867 runs, which puts him second all-time behind the great Brian Lara.  It’s a towering legacy to live up to.

“They’re big boots but I try and be myself.  I can only be myself, so I just try and be me,” the young Chanderpaul said after Thursday's match.

Like his father, Tagenarine has shown the propensity to be watchful and patient at the crease, which could bode well for the regional team.  The batsman, however, is hoping to eventually be recognized for his own style.

"I try and be myself. I can't replicate him, so I can only be myself. Fingers crossed… I'll try to get some runs if I'm selected."

Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored a hard-fought 119 off 293 balls on Thursday to lift his side to 234 for 7 at stumps on day two of the pink-ball match against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.

The tourists made a bright start to their innings, moving to 94 without loss following strong efforts from Chanderpaul and Kraigg Brathwaite. But, when Brathwaite chopped on a Steketee delivery for 47, it sparked a collapse of 44 for 4 as West Indies began to fold.

Western Australia paceman Joel Paris found the edge of Nkrumah Bonner's bat to send him packing for a duck before spinner Todd Murphy bowled Devon Thomas and then trapped Kyle Mayers in front eight overs later. Chanderpaul held the innings together, striking 13 fours and one six on the way to posting his sixth first class century.

Victoria’s Murphy claimed 3 for 27 in an impressive display, while Western Australia’s Joel Paris also claimed three scalps.

Earlier, The PM's XI made 322 in their first innings, leaving the four-day clash delicately balanced.

The PM's XI added a further 25 runs to their overnight score of 297 for 9 before Mark Steketee was last man out for 15. Paceman Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the touring bowlers with 4 for 65, while spinner Roston Chase finished with 2 for 72.

West Indies wicketkeeping great Jeffrey Dujon believes the decision taken by captain Nicholas Pooran to step down is the best one for the player at this point in time.

The 27-year-old, who took charge of the region’s white-ball teams earlier this year, made the surprise decision to step down as captain, after just 7 months on the job.

As captain of the team, Pooran had faced severe pressure following the team’s poor showing at the T20 World Cup.  The West Indies failed to advance from the first round of the competition, following losses to Scotland and Ireland.  The results led to the resignation of the team’s head coach Phil Simmons but having only just been appointed to the post, Pooran was widely expected to keep the position.

Dujon admitted to being surprised but believes the player has done the right thing given the circumstances.

“I think it’s a good thing for him.  As a young player, you have been given responsibility but things haven’t worked out for him,” Dujon told the Mason and Guest radio program.

“He still has a career ahead of him and shedding this responsibility might just help his cricket as time goes on,” he added.

Pooran captained the T20 team for 23 matches, winning 8 and losing 14 for a win ratio of 35 percent.

West Indies bowlers toiled early but struck back late to restrict Australia’s Prime Minister’s XI to 297-9 from 89.3 overs at the end of the first day of their four-day match at Canberra on Wednesday.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the Prime Minister’s XI got a solid start as openers Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris shared in an opening stand of 134 inside 42 overs.

Jayden Seales broke the partnership when he had Harris caught by Kyle Mayers for 73.

Renshaw made 81 for the Prime Minister’s XI, who also benefitted from 55 from the bat of Peter Handscomb as the home side looked set for a score above 400 at 250-4.

However, Roston Chase led the West Indies fightback when he dismissed Aaron Hardie for 23 and then removed Handscomb as the Prime Minister’s XI slipped to 253-6.

Alzarri Joseph then bowled Ashton Agar for 33, Michael Neser for 10 and Joel Paris for two with the last ball of the day to finish with figures of 3-52 from 17.3 overs.

Chase’s two wickets in 21 overs cost 72 runs while Kemar Roach, Mayers and Raymon Reifer had one wicket each.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed today that Nicholas Pooran has decided to relinquish the white ball captaincy of the West Indies Men’s team following the team’s exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 tournament just completed in Australia.

 “I have given the captaincy a great deal of thought since the enormous disappointment of the T20 World Cup," said Pooran. "I took on the role with great pride and dedication and have given it absolutely everything over the past year.

“The T20 World Cup is something that must not define us and I will readily get involved in the upcoming reviews. And whilst it will be several months until we reconvene as a squad, I want to give CWI plenty of time to prepare for the matches against South Africa in March and beyond.”

The Trinidadian middle-order batsman said relinquishing the captaincy is not an indicator that he was throwing in the towel.

 “This is not me giving up. I remain ambitious and still view the captaincy of West Indies cricket as an honour that is bestowed upon you. There is no doubt I remain fully committed to West Indies cricket and I look forward to providing my services as a senior player in a supportive role," he said.

"By stepping down now as the West Indies white ball captain I believe it is in the best interests of the team and for me personally, as I need to concentrate on what I can deliver to the side as a player. I desperately want us to be successful and the most value I can give to the team is through fully focusing on the role of consistently scoring runs at crucial times.

“I am very thankful to CWI for the opportunity and faith shown in me and for the support that I have received by our devoted fans since taking the role, and to my teammates who have worked so hard as well. I know we have it in us to carry West Indies cricket forward and be proud.”

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams thanked Pooran for his time leading the two teams.

“On behalf of CWI I want to thank Nicholas for his time leading our white ball teams. Having spoken with him I know he remains fully committed to West Indies cricket and I am convinced he has a big role to play in our future,” Adams said.

Last year and earlier this year, Pooran led the West Indies in the absence of Kieron Pollard, enjoying a T20 International (T20I) Series win against Australia at home (4-1). He was officially appointed West Indies Men’s white ball captain in May this year when Pollard stepped down. Overall, Pooran led the team in 17 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 23 T20Is, recording Series wins against the Netherlands (ODI 3-0) and Bangladesh (T20I 2-0).

The West Indies Men’s next white ball series is against South Africa in March 2023 (directly after the two Test Match Series) and consists of three ODIs and three T20Is.

“A nice and competitive game,” is what West Indies Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite expects when his team continues their preparation for their two-match series against Australia by taking on an Australian Prime Minister’s XI in a four-day game warm-up fixture beginning on Tuesday in Canberra.

The Windies already have one warm-up fixture under their belt, a high-scoring three-day match against a combined NSW/ACT XI which ended in a draw on Saturday.

That game saw the Windies get scores of 424-9 declared and 114-4 while their opponents got 426-4 declared.

“Everyone is feeling good. We had a nice, competitive three-day game. The pitch was more batting friendly but I think our bowlers got a good run out as well.”

Australia’s PM’s XI will feature players with a lot of international experience and Brathwaite says this will give his side a big test ahead of the series.

“This second game is obviously a different team; a much more competitive team so we look forward to that challenge,” he said while also noting how important it will be to get used to the pink ball ahead of the first test.

“Gearing towards the first test, it will be good to get used to the pink ball and the conditions here in Australia. It will react differently off the surface, especially when the lights turn on. It tends to do a lot more at night so that is something we have to keep on our minds,” Brathwaite added.

The match gets underway on Tuesday at 10:00pm Jamaica time (11:00pm ECT).

Jamaica Scorpions spinner Dennis Bulli has credited a strong showing in the CGI insurance Super50 tournament with getting a good opportunity to showcase his talent.

The 35-year-old Bulli was one of the standout bowlers for the tournament and claimed an impressive 14 wickets in 6 matches, with an economy rate of 4.76.  Despite playing two fewer matches, the spinner was just one wicket off the top spot occupied by Shannon Gabriel (15), Odean Smith (15), and Nicholas Gordon (15).

In Saturday’s final, the left-arm spinner's mesmerizing skills were on full display when he left Trinidad and Tobago Red Force batsman Darren Bravo bamboozled all ends up, to take the crucial wicket of the dangerous batsman and end with figures of 1 for 44.

With a tournament best of 4 for 32, against the West Indies Academy, Bulli, who has not always managed to find consistency, was one of the key reasons the team was able to win the first Super50 title in 10 years.

“I’ve had times but I never got a good enough chance to express myself but this has been one of those times,” Bulli said of his performances this season.

“The first time I really got a chance to express myself was in 2019 and I did well.  I got called up for the President’s XI team and got injured, got picked for the CPL, and got covid.  So this is another opportunity and a good time for me to show what I can do.”

West Indies' batsmen missed a chance to find their groove on Australian pitches before their tour game against an NSW/ACT XI was declared a draw.

The visitors were 114 for 4 in their second innings on Saturday at Manuka Oval when play was called off, the hosts declaring earlier in the day on a mammoth 426 for 4.

Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul, made just 4 after not batting in West Indies' first innings effort due to illness.

Jermaine Blackwood, who retired on 42 in the first innings, made just 1.

West Indies were 77 for 4 before Roston Chase (31*) and Joshua Da Silva (12*) ensured no further damage was done.

Earlier Blake MacDonald finished unbeaten on 177 after No. 3 Oliver Davies had smashed 115 off just 106 balls on Friday in a wake-up call for the West Indies attack.

Final scores: West Indies 424 for 9 dec (Thomas 77*, Brathwaite 75, Brooks 56, Holder 50) and 114 for 4 drew with Combined NSW & ACT XI 426 for 4 (MacDonald 177*, Davies 115).

The tourists will play a four-day twilight fixture against a strong Prime Minister's XI from Wednesday before Tests against in Perth and Adelaide.

Jamaica assistant coach Nikita Miller insists the team can afford to take nothing for granted when they face Trinidad and Tobago, in the final of the CGI Insurance Super50 Cup, on Saturday.

The Jamaicans will be looking to claim their first title since 2012 and should enter the match with some confidence after a strong batting performance against Guyana on Thursday, in the semi-finals,  and four straight wins.

Miller knows, however, that the challenge will be different against an in-form Trinidad and Tobago who have lost just once this season.

“We will have to plan for Trinidad’s game differently.  We have gone to a couple of their games and looked at some footage and we'll plan our approach,” Miller said ahead of the game.

Trinidad and Tobago were the zone A winners after finishing ahead of Guyana, while Jamaica won zone B ahead of the Leeward Islands.

“We’re looking forward to it we are not going into that game overconfident.  We know that they are playing good cricket and they know that we are playing good cricket as well,” Miller added.

The Jamaicans managed to defeat Trinidad and Tobago in the final the last time they won the trophy.