South Africa and the West Indies played one of the most amazing games of cricket you will ever see at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Sunday.
In the second of three T20Is, the two teams combined for a record 517 runs including 81 boundaries and 35 sixes as the hosts needed just 18.5 overs to chase down a mammoth 258 set by the West Indies.
The catalyst behind the West Indies’ massive total was an innings from top-order batsman Johnson Charles that can only be described as special.
The 34-year-old right-hander, batting at number three, eclipsed Chris Gayle’s record for fastest T20I hundred for the West Indies, 47 balls against England at the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup, when he brought up his maiden T20I century off just 39 balls.
Charles eventually made 118 off 46 balls including 10 fours and 11 sixes. He said the key to his innings was understanding the conditions.
“You know as a batsman, with such a good pitch and such a small ground, that you don’t have to over-hit the ball. I think that was one of the key points that all the batsmen had in the back of their minds,” he said in a press conference after the game.
This continues a remarkable career resurgence for the St. Lucian, who was a member of the victorious West Indian sides at the 2012 and 2016 ICC T20 World Cups.
After representing the regional side in a three-match T20I series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2016, Charles was dropped, with many writing him off completely.
“I think being out of the T20 side for six years definitely allowed me to do some soul searching and see where I’ve been going wrong,” Charles said.
After six years on the outside looking in, Charles finally got a second chance to don the West Indian colors when he was, surprisingly to many, selected for the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia after an excellent 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which saw him finish as the third-highest run-scorer with 345 runs in nine innings, including four fifties.
Charles played two games at the World Cup and recorded scores of 45 and 22 against Zimbabwe and Ireland, respectively.
Earlier this year, he played an integral role in leading the Comilla Victorians to their fourth Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title, making 308 runs in nine innings, including a century and a fifty.
“I’ve gone back to the basics,” was Charles’ response to questions about how he has revived his batting.
“I made sure I have those down pat. Just coming back, it’s worked for me and, going forward, I’m just going to have to make sure that I keep focusing on the basics. If I continue doing that then I’ll keep on having great innings,” Charles added.
Hopefully, Charles can continue this form when the West indies take on the South Africans in the decisive third T20I at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The role of head coach for the West Indies Senior Men’s teams will be split into two separate positions, Cricket West Indies has announced.
Recruitment start immediately for a Red Ball Head Coach for Test and ‘A’ Team cricket, as well as a White Ball Head Coach for One-Day Internationals (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) cricket, the governing body said in a statement released on Wednesday.
"After recently completing an independent review of our 2022 ICC World Cup performance, which included a closer look at the roles of the current Head Coach position, we believe it is now necessary to split the role and engage separate coaches for red and white ball formats,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“The increased frequency of back-to-back multi-format tours combined with the specific demands of the respective formats no longer provides enough time for one individual to adequately plan, prepare and review across bilateral series and franchise itineraries that are so condensed.
“Separating the roles will also provide the head coaches with more time to oversee players’ ongoing development away from tours directly, and through increased engagement and planning with suitable high-performance programmes and coaches.”
According to Adams, the decision to separate the head coaching roles stems from the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group that was appointed by CWI to conduct a comprehensive review of the West Indies Men’s team’s early exit from at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
The group was chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., a High Court Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and included Brian Lara, the West Indies batting legend, along with former South African, Pakistan, and Sri Lankan international coach, Mickey Arthur.
The position of West Indies Men’s Head Coach became vacant when Phil Simmons resigned following the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, and subsequently relinquished the post following the end of the West Indies tour of Australia last December.
Andre Coley is the current interim head coach for the recent Test series in Zimbabwe and the current multi-format tour of South Africa.
The West Indies Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Tuesday named Roston Chase as the replacement for Obed McCoy in the 15-member squad for the T20 International Series (T20I) against South Africa starting on March 25.
McCoy was named in the original squad subject to medical clearance but has been ruled out of the upcoming series due to a knee injury.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, said: “Roston gets an opportunity in the upcoming series as we see him being a versatile player who can be called upon at any stage in the game. We want to wish Obed the best with his rehabilitation programme and hope to see him back in West Indies colours soon.”
The three-match T20I Series bowls off on Saturday 25 March at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The second match will be at the same venue the following day, while the third match will be at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday 28 March.
The T20I Series is preceded by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series.
The first two matches will be at Buffalo Park in East London on March 16 and March 18, with the final contest on March 21 at JB Marks Oval Potchefstroom.
T20I SQUAD
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
West Indies white ball match schedule in South Africa
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
West Indies Women suffered a 49-run defeat to England Women in the fourth T20 International at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday.
The English batted first and posted 131-8, their lowest total batting first in the series, after winning the toss.
Sophia Dunkley continued her good form this year by top scoring with 35 while Katherine Brunt (24 not out) and Amy Jones (21) also had meaningful contributions against Cherry Ann Fraser’s career best 3-20 and Sheneta Grimmond’s 3-33.
The Windies chase once again fell short as only Captain Hayley Matthews (23), Shemaine Campbelle (17) and Afy Fletcher (14 not out) managed to reach double figures as England needed just 16 overs to bowl out the hosts for 82.
Pacer Lauren Bell was the pick of the bowlers with a brilliant 4-12 from three overs while Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean took two wickets each.
West Indies Head Coach Courtney Walsh still had praises for his players despite the loss.
"I thought restricting them to 131 was a positive for us. We had a couple injuries during the match with Gajnabi unable to return to bat and Campbelle getting cut so we were hampered in that aspect. The bowlers stood out today, they're all showing but the consistency we're working on. Fraser and Grimmond lead with the ball today but Afy and Hayley have been the most consistent for the series. We have one more game to play and we're going to regroup and come with one last push."
West Indies will have one last chance to get a positive result in this series as the two teams return to Kensington Oval for the final encounter on Thursday.
West Indies Women secured a thrilling one-run victory over New Zealand Women in the first T20 International at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The Windies lost the toss and batted first, posting 115-9 off their 20 overs thanks to 49 from Aaliyah Alleyne. Amelia Kerr starred with 3-16 for New Zealand.
Then, despite a fighting 27 not out from Hannah Rowe, New Zealand fell agonizingly short of their target reaching 114-9 off their 20 overs. Chinelle Henry led the way with the ball with 3-26 from her four overs.
Player of the Match Chinelle Henry said, “The coaches told us to go out there and be fearless. We wanted more than 115 but that didn’t happen, so we went out there as a bowling unit to get the job done. Going into the second game, we’re obviously looking to improve in both batting and bowling. To see Aaliyah going out at number three and almost getting her maiden T20I half-century showed that we have a lot of depth in the squad, so it’s just for us to keep up that team performance.”
Both teams meet on the weekend for the 2nd and 3rd T20Is, Saturday October 1 at 10:00am and Sunday October 2 at 1:00pm.
The West Indies suffered a crushing 59-run defeat to India in Lauderhill on Saturday, falling to an unassailable 1-3 series deficit in the process.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, the hosts felt the wrath of the Indians from the outset with openers Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav speeding to 53 without loss after just 4.4 overs before Sharma was dismissed for a 16-ball 33 including two fours and three sixes.
Yadav’s dismissal for 24 in the sixth over then paired Deepak Hooda and Rishabh Pant who added a further 47 before Hooda’s wicket fell for 21 in the 12th over to leave the score on 108-3.
Pant went on to top-score with 44 before his dismissal in the 15th over. Sanju Samson (30 not out), Axar Patel (20 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (6) then combined to put the finishing touches on a fine effort with the bat for India, ending 191-5 from their 20 overs.
Alzarri Joseph was the pick of the bowlers for the Windies with 2-29 from his four overs.
The hosts then struggled throughout their reply thanks to some excellent bowling by India and some questionable decision-making by the batsmen.
Brandon King (13) and Kyle Mayers (14) both got starts but fell cheaply while captain Nicholas Pooran sprinted to 24 off just eight balls before he was run out after a mix-up with Mayers.
Rovman Powell with a quick 24, Shimron Hetmyer (19) and Jason Holder (13) were the only other batsmen to reach double-figures as the Windies struggled to a paltry 132 all-out after 19.1 overs.
Arshdeep Singh led the way for the Indians with 3-12 from 3.1 overs while he got good support from Avesh Khan (2-17) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-27).
Obed McCoy and Brandon King played starring roles as the West Indies secured a five-wicket victory over India in the second of five T20 Internationals at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Monday.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, the hosts had a brilliant outing with the ball to restrict the Indians to 138 all out, their lowest first innings total in T20Is in the West Indies.
Hardik Pandya (31), Ravindra Jadeja (27) and Rishabh Pant (24) were the main contributors for the tourists as Obed McCoy ripped through the Indian line-up to finish with figures of 6-17 from four overs, the best by a West Indian in T20 internationals.
Jason Holder provided most support to McCoy with 2-23 from 3.4 overs.
In the Caribbean side’s turn at the crease, opener Brandon King made a crucial 68 to orchestrate a somewhat tricky yet successful chase in the end.
The Windies were cruising at one point, finding themselves 71-2 at the fall of captain Nicholas Pooran’s wicket in the 10th over.
Things got tricky at that point thanks to some tight bowling from the Indians that saw the wickets of King, Shimron Hetmyer (6) and Rovman Powell (5) all fall within overs 13 and 19 to eventually leave the West Indies needing 17 off 10 balls with Devon Thomas and Odean Smith at the crease.
At the start of the final over, the hosts needed 10 runs for victory and things got much easier when Avesh Khan started the over with a no-ball.
Thomas then proceeded to hit the resulting free-hit for six to leave the Windies needing just two from five. He then hit a boundary off the next ball to finish 31 not out off 19 balls and complete the five-wicket victory for the hosts to tie the series 1-1.
The West Indies have now lost seven consecutive white ball games after going down by 68 runs to India in the first of five T20 Internationals at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Friday.
West Indian captain Nicholas Pooran won the toss and elected to field first.
India’s opening pair of returning captain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav got the ball rolling, putting on a partnership of 44 before Yadav was dismissed by Jason Holder for a quick 16-ball 24.
Captain Sharma provided a steady head for the Indians throughout the majority of the innings as he lost partners Shreyas Iyer (0), Rishabh Pant (14) and Hardik Pandya (1) before eventually being dismissed in the 15th over for a top score of 64 to leave the tourists 127-5.
They eventually got up to 190-6 off their 20 overs thanks to cameos from Ravindra Jadeja (16) and Ravichandran Ashwin (13) as well as a brilliant closing effort of 41 from just 19 balls including four fours and two sixes from Dinesh Karthik.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was brilliant for the hosts with an economical 1-14 from his four overs while opening pacer Obed McCoy took 1-30 from his four.
The West Indian reply got off to a fast start thanks to openers Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks as the pair sped to 22-0 in the second over before Mayers fell for 15 to pacer Arshdeep Singh.
The Windies then tried to gamble, sending Jason Holder up the order to bat at three but this move fell flat as he was next to go, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for a duck.
The innings then ground to a virtual halt as Brooks (20), Nicholas Pooran (18), Rovman Powell (14), Shimron Hetmyer (14), Akeal Hosein (11) and Odean Smith (0) all perished to, eventually, leave the Windies needing 90 off 21 balls for victory.
Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph then finished not out on 19 and 5, respectively, to end the innings on 122-8, 68 runs short.
It was a balanced bowling effort by the Indians with Ravichandran Ashwin (2-22 off four overs), Arshdeep Singh (2-24 off four overs) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-26 off four overs) all contributing well.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Senior Selection Panel on Thursday named 16 players for the upcoming Goldmedal T20I Cup, powered by Kent Water Purifiers against India and for the three-match T20 International (T20I) Series against New Zealand.
The West Indies and India Men’s teams will go head-to-head in the five-match series starting Friday, July 29, with the first-ever West Indies Senior Men’s team match to be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The five-match series runs until August 7 with games being played in Trinidad, St Kitts and Florida.
The same pool of 16 players will then travel to Jamaica for the three-match T20I Series against New Zealand at Sabina Park from August 10-14.
An official squad of 13 players will be nominated ahead of each match.
The Selection Panel recalled left-handed batter Shimron Hetmyer. Left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell is recovering from injury and unavailable for selection, while allrounder Fabian Allen is also unavailable for personal reasons.
“We welcome back Hetmyer and it is good to see him again in West Indies colours. He will fortify the batting group and with his experience and adaptability we have a ‘finisher’ who can add value and win matches for the team and delight the supporters,” said lead selector, The Most Hon Dr Desmond Haynes.
“Everything we do, we have to take into consideration we have a big tournament coming up later this year, which is the ICC T20 World Cup, so we are planning and gearing up towards that event. It is good to give the players some exposure to the international stage and look to find the right combinations,” Haynes added.
FULL SQUAD
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Dominic Drakes
Shimron Hetmyer
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Keemo Paul
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Devon Thomas
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Selection Panel on Tuesday announced the West Indies Men’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20 International Series and the three-match CG United One-Day International Series against Bangladesh.
Rovman Powell has been announced as the new Vice Captain for the T20Is while left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy returns after recovering from injuries. There are also recalls for experienced wicket-keeper batter Devon Thomas and allrounder Keemo Paul. In the CG United ODI Series squad, there is a call up for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.
“We know Rovman’s history. He has captained the West Indies before and is also the captain of his CPL franchise. Our role is to look at future leaders as well and we have identified a few, including himself, who we will be putting programmes around to ensure we keep them involved in that aspect of the cricket,” said lead selector Dr the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
“Thomas is a very versatile cricketer, who has been knocking on the door in all formats. He has been doing well in franchise cricket and with that level of talent, we must ensure we keep him interested. He brings a lot to the table and is basically a four-dimensional player, he can bat, bowl, he is brilliant in the field, and he can keep wicket as well. McCoy has done exceptionally well in the IPL and enjoyed a successful stint in England as well, so we are confident that he is back to his best in terms of playing and fitness. Generally, we have to start looking at the bigger picture of getting these players playing together as often as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later down in the year. We need to ensure we are fielding a very strong side for that tournament,” Haynes added.
The T20I Series opens with back-to-back matches on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July at the Windsor Park in Dominica. This will see a return to international cricket at the fully refurbished venue, where international cricket is being hosted for the first time since the hurricane damage of 2017. The Series climaxes with the third and final match on Tuesday, 7 July at the Guyana National Stadium. The CG United ODI Series will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, 10 July, Monday 13 July and Thursday, 16 July.
Online ticket sales are now live via the new WINDIES TICKETS service, presented by Mastercard, at www.tickets.windiestickets.com. Fans can purchase in advance without the need to travel to box offices to save tickets to their mobile phones which can then be presented for scanning at the stadium entrance. Fans who register for the WINDIES TICKETS service and purchase tickets will also receive offers and promotions for future games.
In Dominica, there is great excitement on the Nature Isle for the return of international cricket with tickets available in three price categories providing a range of viewing positions for every budget. Ticket prices range from US$6 (EC$15) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (EC$40) for the standard seats and US$25 (EC$70) premium seating in the Shillingford Stand.
In Guyana, the prices will range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands, as the fans in Guyana welcome the busiest “Summer of Cricket” to the South American mainland.
Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
FULL SQUADS
T20 Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Keemo Paul
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Devon Thomas
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Reserve: Dominic Drakes
One-Day Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Kaecy Carty
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Keemo Paul
Anderson Phillip
Rovman Powell
Jayden Seales
Reserve: Romario Shepherd
It was a special Sunday night at the Kensington Oval in Barbados as the West Indies defeated England by 17 runs in the fifth T20 International to win the Betway series 3-2.
Former West Indies Test and ODI captain Jason Holder was the hero of the day with four wickets in four balls in the final over as the West Indies defended their score of 179-4.
Not surprisingly, Holder was chuffed.
“What a real night last night. I just want to thank each and every fan that came to the stadium yesterday. It was a wonderful feeling seeing everyone back in the stands cheering," he while speaking with the media Monday morning. "Special thank you also to the supporters who travelled all the way from England to support their team. I think both teams played a really good series and it’s good to see the way it ended.”
Holder, who was voted Man-of-the-Series after an excellent return of 15 wickets in five matches, was pleased with the attitude of the team that saw them bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 ODI series defeat to Ireland earlier in January.
“I think it’s been great. After the start we had against Ireland in Jamaica and everybody was really down and deflated, to see the way we bounced back against England, it just shows the character in the dressing room. I think we really pulled together and it’s the first time in a long time it’s felt that close in the dressing room. It’s a great feeling,” he said.
“Hopefully we can continue this and build something special. I think this group has to be the group now, with such young and talented players, to become even closer and get better. I think if we do that, the future of West Indies cricket would be in good hands.”
The West Indies next assignment will be a white-ball tour of India where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is beginning on February 6.
“I think this series is a big series. India, for me, is the best all-round cricket team in the world and they’ve proven that over the last couple of years so to go in their backyard and beat them is not going to be an easy feat but it’s not impossible,” Holder said.
England secured a 34-run win over the West Indies in the fourth Betway T20 International at the Kensington Oval today to tie the five-match series 2-2.
West Indies captain Kieron Pollard won the toss and chose to field, and the home side had early success when Jason Holder removed the man who got 73 for England in the last match, Tom Banton, for just four to leave the visitors 8-1.
Jason Roy and James Vince then put on 85 for the second wicket before Roy was dismissed in the 12th over for 52 off 42 balls.
Vince was next to go for 34 in the 13th over to leave the tourists 97-3.
A 65-run fourth-wicket partnership between stand-in captain Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone then carried the English to 162-4 before Livingstone was dismissed in the 19th over for 16.
Ali produced some brilliant late innings hitting before he was eventually dismissed for 63 off just 28 balls in the last over.
England’s innings eventually ended on 193-6 after their 20 overs.
Jason Holder finished with 3-44 from his four overs for the Windies.
In the chase, openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers got off to a fast start reaching 64 before Mayers was dismissed in the eighth over for a well-played 40 off 23 balls.
King then fell in the 10th over for 26 to leave the West Indies 69-2.
After 10 overs, the West Indies were 76-2 needing 118 more to win from 60 balls with Nicholas Pooran and Rovman Powell at the crease on four and five, respectively.
Powell was unable to replicate his heroics from the third T20I after being dismissed for five by Adil Rashid in the 11th over.
After two massive sixes, Pooran was the next to go for 22 in the 14th over to leave the West Indies 97-4, needing 97 more runs to win off 39 balls.
Some brilliant hitting from Jason Holder meant that after 16 overs, the West Indies were 133-4, needing 61 off 24 balls to win with Holder on 29 and captain Kieron Pollard on 3.
Holder then went for 36 in the 18th over to leave the Windies 144-5 needing 50 from 16 balls to win.
The target eventually proved to be too much for the West Indies who ended on 159-5 off their 20 overs.
Ali followed up his 63 with 2-28 off four overs to cap off an excellent all-round performance, while Reece Topley continued his good form with the ball in the series with 1-21 off his four overs.
The series decider will take place tomorrow.
The West Indies are in a position to knock off the number one ranked T20 International team in the world, England, with a win in the fourth T20I of their five-match series on Saturday.
After a 20-run victory on Wednesday, the Caribbean side now leads the series 2-1 with the chance to take an unassailable 3-1 lead on Saturday.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons says that even with a series win in sight, he is focused on how the team is playing.
“Saturday, if we win the game we’ll win the series so yes, I’d be happy, but I’m happier now with the way that the players are taking on board how we want to play going forward,” Simmons said in a press conference today.
With the ICCT20 World Cup a few months away, the emphasis for the former Ireland and Afghanistan head coach is for the two-time champions to have a much-improved performance from the disaster of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in the UAE where they won only one of their five group matches and crashed out of the tournament.
“Winning as a whole is a great thing for any team so it’s something that we’re happy with, but for me, at this point in time, it’s about building back the team because at the end of the day, October is another T20 World Cup and, especially with our performances in the last one, we want to get back up to where we normally are. I’m looking at the quality of the cricket we’re playing and how we’re improving rather than just a series win,” Simmons said.
The former West Indies player also commented on Rovman Powell’s brilliant maiden T20 hundred.
“I think it was a brilliant innings from the start. The way he assessed the situation at the beginning is something that we’ve been talking about as a group and I’ve been looking forward to someone doing that in a match and he did that. We’re moving in the right direction,” Simmons added.
West Indies all-rounder, Rovman Powell, stole the show with a maiden T20 hundred in the team’s 20-run win over England in the third of their five-match Betway Series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Wednesday.
Powell smashed a belligerent 107 off 53 balls, including five fours and 10 sixes, to help the home side amass a total of 224-5 off their 20 overs. In the field, Powell took two catches to help the Windies restrict the English to 204-9 and secure a 2-1 lead in the series but it was with his batting that he spoke loudest.
“It means a lot. The last six or seven months have been tough, not getting a lot of runs so it was good for me to get an opportunity tonight and I took it. I hope it’s a breakthrough international performance. It’s just for me now to go back to the drawing board, think about the stuff that I did right and hopefully I can replicate it come Saturday,” Powell said after the game.
Many fans and pundits were left bemused when Powell strode to the crease at number four ahead of Darren Bravo, who batted at that position in the second game, but Powell said that the move was tactical and that he was told of the possibility the night before by captain Kieron Pollard.
“It was to split up the two left-handers. We didn’t want Pooran and Bravo at the crease at the same time, so I was the right-hander that slotted between them. Last night (Tuesday) he told me it's a possibility that I would bat four so I started to think back to some of my good innings and started to come up with a game plan. I think that plan served me well today. When I walked out to bat, I was confident because for the last five months I’ve been working hard and stroking the ball well so that confidence transferred into the game,” he said.
That confidence also comes from a fantastic stint Powell had at the Abu Dhabi T10 League in late 2021 for the Northern Warriors where he scored 305 runs in nine innings at an average of 33.88 with 15 fours and a mammoth 27 sixes.
“I think I’m in very good form. I told the guys I’m sure that I’m one of the best in the world at the moment when it comes to hitting the ball and it started from the T10. When I went there, I just tried to express myself and catch back the eyes of the selectors and now everything is coming to fruition,” he added. West Indies fans are hoping that that form will carry over into the fourth T20I which takes place on Saturday.
One of the key things that fans of West Indies cricket over the last few years have wanted from the regional team is consistency.
There are periods where the team is clicking at all levels, as evidenced by a dominant 4-1 T20I series win over Australia in July 2021 but there are also periods where the team just can’t seem to buy a win.
The Caribbean side are currently locked 1-1 in a five-match T20I series with England and Jason Holder, in a press conference today, pleaded for the team to strive for consistency.
“We’ve just got to keep challenging ourselves to play a complete game. If we can be a lot more clinical and consistent, we can make our lives a whole lot easier. The challenge for each and every individual is to seek consistency. I think consistency is something that we’ve been talking about for years and it’s just time we start heading in the right direction and progressing. I just want to see progression and development, consistently,” he said.
The former West Indies Test and ODI skipper, who has so far taken figures of 4-7 and 2-25, in the first two games of the series, also said that with a relatively young squad, he has to take on a leadership role even without the captaincy.
“I just try to give anything to the team that I think will benefit us. We have a relatively inexperienced group so I just try to help out as much as I can and give what advice I can give. I don’t think it’s a situation where I have to give too much information because that becomes clouded for individuals, so I keep it as simple as possible. Anything I pick up I pass it on to the captain and then obviously to individual players but I think my role is just to help guide and nurture the young talent that we have,” Holder added.
There are three games remaining in the series, but Holder wants the team to take a game-by-game approach rather than looking to the future too soon.
“I’m just focused on what’s ahead tomorrow. Tomorrow is our next encounter so there’s no point in looking at the last three matches before we get to the one tomorrow,” he said.
In the second T20I the regional team’s fielding left a lot to be desired and Holder echoed the same sentiments.
“I don’t think we were good enough in the field in the last encounter and that probably hurt us in the end,” Holder added.
The West Indies can, hopefully, have a better day in the field tomorrow when they take on England in the third T20I at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
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