Brandon King and Evin Lewis powered the West Indies to a commanding five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of their three-match T20 International series in Dambulla on Sunday. The duo's explosive partnership at the top of the order laid the foundation for the West Indies to chase down Sri Lanka’s total of 179 with five balls to spare.

Chasing 180 for victory, King and Lewis put on a blistering 107-run opening stand off just 55 balls, propelling the West Indies to 74 runs in the powerplay and setting the tone for the remainder of the chase. King, who was named Player of the Match and Match MVP, top-scored with a stylish 63, while Lewis smashed a quickfire 50. Their partnership effectively nullified the efforts of Sri Lanka's middle-order batters Kamindu Mendis (51) and Charith Asalanka (59), who had earlier helped the hosts to a competitive total.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers briefly slowed the West Indies' momentum in the middle overs, with Matheesha Pathirana taking 2 for 27. However, the West Indies remained in control throughout, and despite the loss of a few wickets, they had enough firepower in their batting lineup to seal the win. Sherfane Rutherford finished the game in style, hitting a boundary off the first ball of the final over to bring the West Indies home at 180 for 5.

Earlier, Sri Lanka had posted 179 for 7, thanks to the 82-run partnership between Asalanka and Mendis. The West Indies bowlers did well to keep Sri Lanka in check, with Romario Shepherd picking up 2 for 39 and Shamar Joseph being the most economical, conceding just 27 runs from his four overs.

West Indies will take confidence from this victory as they head into the second match of the series, with Brandon King and Evin Lewis’ dominant opening partnership proving to be the key in their comfortable win.

 

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the squads selected for the eagerly anticipated West Indies Senior Men’s T20 International (T20I) and One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka. The teams are set to compete in three (3) T20Is and three (3) ODIs from 10 to 27 October 2024.

T20I Squad

The T20I squad will take on Sri Lanka from 10 to 17 October 2024. After a resounding 3-0 series sweep against South Africa earlier this year, the West Indies have climbed the rankings, moving to fourth place, and established themselves as serious contenders on the world stage. Several senior players, including Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein and Shimron Hetmyer have opted out of the tour for personal reasons, opening the door for newer faces and returning players. Captain Rovman Powell will lead the side, with Roston Chase continuing in his role as Vice-Captain.

Head Coach Daren Sammy, who now leads on selection under the revamped selection system, noted the importance of this series in evaluating players for key roles and understanding the conditions ahead of future ICC Tournaments.

On the T20 squad, Coach Sammy said, “the tour of Sri Lanka gives us a chance to test our depth and assess players in different situations, especially with several senior players missing out for various reasons, including a need for rest and rehabilitation from injury. We are confident in the squad’s ability to compete strongly.”

West Indies T20I Squad:

  1. Rovman Powell (Captain)
  2. Roston Chase (Vice Captain)
  3. Fabian Allen
  4. Alick Athanaze
  5. Andre Fletcher
  6. Terrance Hinds
  7. Shai Hope
  8. Alzarri Joseph
  9. Shamar Joseph
  10. Brandon King
  11. Evin Lewis
  12. Gudakesh Motie
  13. Sherfane Rutherford
  14. Romario Shepherd
  15. Shamar Springer

The series will begin on 13 October 2024, with the first match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, followed by two more matches on 15 and 17 October.

ODI Squad

The ODI squad is set to face Sri Lanka in a three-match series from 20 to 27 October 2024. Shai Hope will continue as Captain, with Vice-Captain support from Alzarri Joseph. This series provides an opportunity for CWI to focus on building its ODI team ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.

A notable inclusion is Jewel Andrew, the young Antiguan wicketkeeper-batsman who has impressed and earned his place in the squad. The squad also sees the return of several key players, including Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford.

Head Coach Sammy, remarked on the ODI squad’s balance and potential for growth: “As we continue to build our ODI team, this tour offers a valuable opportunity to evaluate strategies and give opportunities to emerging talent. We are excited to see young players like Jewel Andrew, who has earned his place as an exciting prospect for the future.”

West Indies ODI Squad:

  1. Shai Hope (Captain)
  2. Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain)
  3. Jewel Andrew
  4. Alick Athanaze
  5. Keacy Carty
  6. Roston Chase
  7. Matthew Forde
  8. Shamar Joseph
  9. Brandon King
  10. Evin Lewis
  11. Gudakesh Motie
  12. Sherfane Rutherford
  13. Jayden Seales
  14. Romario Shepherd
  15. Hayden Walsh Jr.

Team Management:

  • Head Coach: Daren Sammy
  • Team Manager: Rawl Lewis
  • Assistant Coach (Fielding): Rayon Griffith
  • Assistant Coach (Batting): Floyd Reifer
  • Assistant Coach (Bowling): James Franklin
  • Physiotherapist: Neil Barry
  • Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers
  • Masseuse: Fitz Alleyne
  • Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram
  • Media & Content Officer: Jerome Foster

Team management remains the same across both squads.

The ODI series will start on 20 October 2024, with the first match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, followed by matches on 23 and 26 October.

Tour Schedule:

T20I Series:

  • 1st T20I: 13 October 2024 – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
  • 2nd T20I: 15 October 2024 – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
  • 3rd T20I: 17 October 2024 – Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium

 

All matches 7:00pm local time/9:30am Eastern Caribbean/8:30am Jamaica Caribbean fans can catch the action on Rush Sports, the Bluu App and Sports Max App.

 

ODI Series:

  • 1st ODI: 20 October 2024 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
  • 2nd ODI: 23 October 2024 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
  • 3rd ODI: 26 October 2024 – Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

 

All matches 2:30pm local time/5:00am Eastern Caribbean/4:00am Jamaica

Caribbean fans can catch the action on Rush Sports, the Bluu App and Sports Max App.

 

 

 

A tournament record second wicket partnership of 199 runs between Kyle Mayers and Evin Lewis was not enough to see St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to victory in the fifth match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Basseterre. The St Lucia Kings completed an ice-veined run chase to pull off a five wicket win with 16 balls remaining.

An unbeaten century for Lewis off 54 balls and 92 from Mayers off 62 deliveries lit up the evening, with boundaries raining down on all corners of the ground, the Patriots pair hitting a combined 16 sixes and 13 fours to set a challenging target of 201-3.

The game looked all but gone for the Kings early in their response. At 24-4 inside four overs with opener and captain Faf du Plessis pocketed by countryman Anrich Nortje for 2 and Mayers doing early damage with the ball in hand to get rid of Johnson Charles and Ackeem Auguste.

A remarkable passage of play followed, Tim Seifert was dropped twice on his way to scoring 64 off 27 balls before Bhanuka Rajapaska (68* off 35) and David Wiese (34* off 20) beat the fielders and cleared the ropes with aplomb to knock off the runs with relative ease.

The rain fell at Warner Park but it wasn’t heavy or sustained enough to come to Patriots rescue, all of their bowlers shipped heavy runs apart from Nortje who finished with 2-29 from his four overs. Team captain Andre Fletcher intimated that his side need to improve in order to challenge in the competition.

“As a fielding unit, we are not helping the bowlers.” Fletcher said after the match. “We can't be dropping catches and expect to win matches against powerful batting line-ups. Catches win matches and we have to do that, and buck up on our fielding.”

It was a bittersweet evening for Kyle Mayers, who picked up the Player of the Match award for his outstanding all-round performance. “It was a good day for me but the team did not cross the line, so it is still sad. The difference between us and them was that they executed in the back end and the rain also kept our spinners out of the game.”

It as a confident start to the 2024 campaign by St Lucia Kings who chalked up victory in their first outing but plenty to ponder for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots with just one win from three matches so far.

 

A high-scoring run-fest at Warner Park saw Trinbago Knight Riders defeat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots by 44 runs in the third match of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Saturday night. 

 Patriots captain Andre Fletcher won the toss and inserted the Knight Riders on what turned out to be a good batting wicket. Sunil Narine hit three fours and four sixes to get the Knight Riders off to a rapid start and they never looked back. 

 The boundary was peppered and cleared all evening, Nicholas Pooran scooping the Player of the Match award for a thrilling innings of 97 off 43 balls that fully deserved a century. Keacy Carty piled on the pain for the Patriots by striking 73 off just 35 balls in a visceral display of strokemaking, the pair of batters leaving the opposition bewildered in the face of boundaries struck all-round the relatively short-sided ground in Basseterre.  

 Fittingly, Carty hit the final ball of the innings for six to see the Knight Riders post a mammoth score of 250-4. The Patriots cleared the two hundred run mark themselves in posting 206-8 in what turned out to be the highest-scoring match in CPL history between the sides but in truth, Andre Fletcher’s side never truly looked like they were going to haul in the target despite a fabulous 56 from Mikyle Louis with support from Evin Lewis and Tristan Stubbs, who each scored 39.

 Just a few hours before the game began 41-year-old Dwayne Bravo announced that this year’s CPL would be his last, the tournament’s all-time leading wicket-taker and five-time champion writing on Instagram that, "It's been a great journey. This season will be my last one and I'm looking forward to playing my final professional tournament in front of my Caribbean people… TKR is the place where everything started for me and will end with my team."

 Bravo went wicketless in his three overs but along with Narine was one of only two Knight Riders bowlers to go at an economy rate of less than ten runs per over. Narine picked up 2-24 off his four overs and only went for three boundaries.

 Earlier, Pooran looked like he’d reached three figures in style. Anrich Nortje sent down a full and wide delivery in the 18th over that the batter climbed into with relish. It wasn’t to be, the sliced shot fell into the hands of Drakes on the boundary at deep point and the batter could not hide his disappointment. 

Nevertheless, Pooran could comfort himself in the knowledge that his innings contributed to a resounding win for his side, saying afterwards, “At the end of the day, I want to win matches and tournaments. I want to win the CPL and if I want to do that, I need to keep doing my job.” 

 It was a case of 'job done' for the Knight Riders as they chalked up their first win of the 2024 campaign.

 

Guyana Amazon Warriors got their first win of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a comfortable 65-run victory against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Thursday. 

The Patriots won the toss and opted to field first, but the decision backfired, as the Amazon Warriors made light of losing wickets at regular intervals, to post an exceptional 197 for 7. 

In reply, the Patriots struggled to get close to the Warriors total, being bundled over for 132 in 16.5 overs.

Evin Lewis played a quick-fire captain’s knock, but once he fell, no one else in the Patriots order was able to have a similar effect on the game.

The Amazon Warriors innings suffered an early blow when Sheldon Cottrell removed Chandrapaul Hemraj in the first over for a duck.

Though the Patriots lost two further wickets in the PowerPlay –Saim Ayub falling to Dominic Drakes and Azam Khan to Oshane Thomas –they kept the run-rate brisk, and were well positioned at 59 for 3, at the end of the initial six overs.

Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer maintained and, by extension, built on that momentum taking the score to 101 for 3 at the halfway stage of the innings. Hope led the way, as he raced to a half-century from a mere 26 balls.

However, the partnership was eventually broken by wrist spinner Izharulhaq Naveed, who bowled the destructive Hope for 54. That wicket was quickly followed up by the dismissal of Hetmyer for 26, as the left-hander holed out to the fielder on the deep point boundary.

Those wickets briefly took the momentum out of the innings, before Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd not only steadied the ship, but added quick runs at the backend to help the Warriors to their imposing target.

The Patriots reply never really got going as scoreboard pressure told. 

Andre Fletcher and Joshua Da Silva fell inside the PowerPlay to leave the Patriots 37 for 2 at the end of six overs.

Lewis played a fine counter-attacking innings of 48 from 24 balls to bring the required run-rate down to something more manageable, but whatever hope they had of achieving the winning target, was short lived. 

Lewis and Sherfane Rutherford fell six balls apart to leave the Patriots at 88 for 4 after 10 overs.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, the remaining batsmen failed to put together any useful partnerships, as they came and went in quick succession.

Gudakesh Motie proved too hard to handle and, as such, finished with career best figures in a spell that included the wicket of Ambati Rayudu. 

The left-arm spinner ended with four wickets for 28, almost single-handedly gifting Amazon Warriors an opening victory, which would not only boost their confidence, but also set them up nicely for the remainder of the campaign.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 197-7 (Hope 54, Ayub 31; Thomas 3-38, Drakes 2-43) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 132 (Lewis 48, Rayudu 32; Motie 4-29, Tahir 2-35) by 65 runs

The Patriots will look to bounce back when they host the Barbados Royals on Saturday.

The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have retained d big hitters Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher for their 2023 campaign in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The Patriots will also retain middle-order batsman Sherfane Rutherford, all-rounder Dominic Drakes as well as fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell and wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva. The Patriots have also brought in Oshane Thomas who was transferred from the Barbados Royals.

The tournament gets underway on 16 August with the final taking place on 24 September. There will be matches in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.

The overseas players and draft picks will be announced during the Republic Bank CPL draft show which will be broadcast at the end of June.

 

 The Barbados Royals secured their eighth win of the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with a 36-run win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Providence Stadium, Guyana. 

One big-hitting left-hander Evin Lewis has surpassed another, Chris Gayle, for the most sixes scored in Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history.

On Sunday, the 30-year-old managed just 19 for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in a lopsided 49-run loss to the St Lucia Kings but despite the defeat, there was a positive side.  Lewis's two sixes in the innings moved him level and then one clear of legendary T20 star Chris Gayle.

Gayle has remained at the top of the six-hitting leader board for some time on 172 from 85 matches.  Lewis's new high of 173 has come in 86 matches.  Kieron Pollard is in third place on 152.

Lewis, who was recently named to the West Indies World Cup squad, has long listed the big Jamaican as the player he idolized the most over the years.  Gayle arguably the most dominant batsman to ever play the format leads many of the boundary-hitting statistics, including the most sixes with 1056.

Barbados Royals women and Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots men were crowned champions in the inaugural SKYEXCH 6IXTY after two thrilling matches at Warner Park.

 The Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, lifted his own trophy as the Patriots won the inaugural men’s SKYEXCH 6IXTY. In the poetry of cricket, Gayle was dropped twice in one over before he hit the winning runs to see his team over the line. You couldn’t have scripted it better. It was written in the stars.

When put in to bat in the men’s final the Trinbago Knight Riders had a tricky start to their innings losing two early wickets and finding themselves 6/2 after just nine balls. Sunil Narine, who had batted so brilliantly in the semi-final, was dismissed without scoring before some incredible wicket-keeping from Da Silva saw the back of Tion Webster.

Andre Russell looked to be the difference and was striking the ball well, but a stunning piece of fielding put an end to his efforts before Terrance Hinds and Seekkuge Prasanna were both sent packing. Resistance in the form of an unbeaten 37 from Tim Seifert meant the Patriots needed 85 to win.

The chase started with gusto from the Patriots who unlocked the extra Powerplay for the first time in the tournament and they raced to 43/0 after just 20 balls. Russell made the initial breakthrough bowling Lewis for 21 and Narine made light work of Dewald Brevis who went without scoring. But the excitement really started when the Universe Boss strolled out to bat.

With a trophy named after him and eternal bragging rights on the line, he came out with his usual intent and went aerial. This always has its dangers and with just 13 needed from 12 the ball found Jayden Seales, who dropped him before just two balls later he was also dropped by Anderson Phillip.

With seven needed off the final over, Gayle and Fletcher rotated strike until, with four required, it was the man after whom the trophy was named to face. In his usual style, he swung hard and found the boundary on the onside. As the ball raced away for four, the Patriots were already celebrating, and Gayle’s wry smile was just an indication of what it meant to win the inaugural title and lift a trophy named after him.

 Shakera Selman produced a magical spell to stun the Trinbago Knight Riders women and help her team become the first to lift the women’s Universe Boss SKYEXCH 6IXTY trophy. With the Knight Riders already on the ropes, Selman claimed three wickets in the penultimate over to clean up the Knight Riders’ batters and ensure a 15-run victory.

 Batting first, Royals’ openers captain Hayley Matthews and Aaliyah Alleyne set the foundations before Matthews fell for 15. Their troubles continued when the in-form Chloe Tryon was stumped without adding to the score and Alleyne not long after, both thanks to the bowling brilliance from Anisa Mohammed in the middle overs.

 Chinelle Henry put up resistance with her 15 and the batting side reached 64 before Cooper was stumped for 6 and the Royals were all out 65 off 56 balls. It had been an all-round effort in the field by the Knight Riders and with the Deandra Dottin opening the batting and in fine form, they looked confident as they came out to chase the runs in pursuit of the title.

 When Lee-Ann Kirby fell in the first over it was clear the chase would not be easy. Then in a shock twist, Dottin chopped onto her own stumps in the same over and suddenly the Knight Riders were 13/2 at the end of the second. The Royals continued to keep a lid on the run chase and remained disciplined in their bowling.

 The boundaries dried up and there was a spell of 37 balls before the ball found the rope. The game was in the balance with the batting side needing 19 from 12 and it looked like a nailbiter was brewing. However, it was here that Selman produced her incredible over claiming Jensen caught by Matthews for 7 before Luus was caught at mid-off and Kycia Knight was caught by Joseph to seal the victory.

 The Barbados Royals has secured the title in the inaugural women's SKYEXCH 6IXTY and the party could begin.

Earlier in the day, four men’s teams had taken to the field across the two semi-finals. The first of the day saw St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get the better of the Jamaica Tallawahs as they made history with the highest successful run chase of the tournament. The game also saw the Universe Boss Chris Gayle launch his first SKYEXCH maximum of the tournament to raucous cheers from the partying crowd.

In semi-final two the Barbados Royals came flying out of the traps much due to the rockets being launched off the bat of Rakheem Cornwall. But when he was dismissed the run-rate slowed and the Royals could only manage 101/5 from their 60 balls. TKR raced to 43/1 after Sunil Narine was dismissed for 31 but Tion Webster batted well for his 27 which helped put a dent in the chase. In the end, it was a huge six from the bat of Hinds that saw them into the final winning by three wickets with eight balls remaining. 

It truly was a ground-breaking tournament full of all the thrills and spills and everything in between and what better way for it to finish than with the image of the Universe Boss lifting the Universe Boss Trophy.

 

Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Nicholas Pooran are the latest big names from the Caribbean to sign up for the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20).

They join the likes of Andre Fletcher, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Ravi Rampaul, Kennar Lewis and Dominic Drakes as West Indians participating in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Other big names participating include England's Moeen Ali and Alex Hales as well as Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.

The ILT20 is set to begin in January next year in the UAE and is competing with South Africa's T20 League for players. There will be six franchises consisting of 18 players each.

The 2023 edition of the ILT20 will have 34 matches. All the teams will play each other twice, before four playoffs, including the final, spread across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons insists the team will have to make do with the players that are available as the unit continues to suffer the absence of a few high-profile players.

Chief among that group is Sunil Narine, who was once ranked as the world’s number one spinner and a regular feature in T20 leagues around the world.  Narine has not appeared in a match for the team since 2019.  Also missing are the likes of big-hitter Andre Russell and Evin Lewis who have not featured for the team since last year’s T20 World Cup.  Russell has been unavailable while Lewis has not taken the required fitness tests to be included in the team selections.

All three players have, however, continued to take part in the lucrative T20 leagues around the world, despite not playing for the regional team since last year's World cup debacle.  Simmons admits that not having all the players the team would love to have available is not the ideal scenario but expects the cricketers to be motivated to play for the West Indies.

“I’ve made it a point of duty, anywhere that I’ve gone, I don’t think you should be begging people to play for their country,” Simmons told members of the media on Tuesday.

“I think if you want to represent the West Indies, you make yourself available for West Indies cricket,” he added.

“Life has changed in that people have the opportunity to go to different places, if they pick that over the West Indies then that’s how it is, but it doesn’t make sense me going out there and begging you to play for the West Indies because I don’t know if you will come with as strong a heart as I want you to have.”

The West Indies are currently trailing New Zealand 1-0 in the ongoing T20 series.

 

Promising top-order batsman Evin Lewis continues to remain ineligible for selection to the West Indies squad after reportedly not taking the required fitness tests ahead of the New Zealand series.

Once considered a replacement built in the mold of T20 Chris Gayle for the shorter formats, the big-hitting left-hander has not appeared for the regional team since November of last year when they faced Australia in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

The issues first began for the 30-year-old in 2020 when it was announced that Lewis along with another batsman Shimron Hetmyer had failed a fitness test ahead of the team’s tour of Sri Lanka.

Lewis, however, rebounded strongly to put in a strong performance against Sri Lanka in March of last year, scoring his fourth ODI century.  On that occasion, the player credited a renewed commitment to fitness and gym work as a key part of his success.  The player went on to score 432 runs in another 15 T20 matches with an average of 31 but has not been seen in the maroon colours since the team’s failed World Cup title defense.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief of selectors Desmond Haynes confirmed that that absence would continue as the player did not complete a test for the upcoming series against New Zealand, as has been the case for a number of recent series.

 

 

 

Cricket West Indies lead selector Desmond Haynes and Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams have blasted players for not being able to meet minimum fitness standards that would qualify them for selection to the senior men's squad.

“I’m pretty disappointed as well,” Haynes said speaking in a press conference on Monday.

“When you look at the amount of cricket that is being played around the world, I think there is a certain level of fitness that is required and I think there is a standard that you should set as a professional cricketer,” added Haynes before going on to mention how picking players while being unsure of whether or not they can finish tours is a concern.

“I do get concerned when you have to be selecting the side and not sure if these guys are going to be fit enough to finish the tour,” he said.

"For contracted players who are unavailable for fitness, there are consequences that are outlined in the contracts," Adams said.

One player who missed out on selection for the tour of the Netherlands in June because of failure to meet minimum fitness requirements is Trinidadian left-handed opener, Evin Lewis.

"We have players who, in our eyes are good enough to be considered for selection who are unavailable because of not even coming in on minimum fitness standards. That is very disappointing. For players who are contracted, that is doubly disappointing,” the former West Indies middle-order batsman added.

On a more positive note, Haynes commented on the inclusion of new faces in the team like St. Maarten’s Keacy Carty.

“As the new group of selectors, we have made it very clear that we will give opportunities to people and try to broaden the pool and start thinking with 2023 in mind,” he said.

 

 

In January, after Romario Shepherd smashed an unbeaten 44 from just 28 balls to take the West Indies within one run of England’s total of 171, he revealed that he hoped his heroics would get him noticed for the upcoming IPL Mega Auction that was held this weekend.

For the past three years, Shepherd had registered for the draft in the richest T20 league in the world but there were no takers. However, he never gave up hope.

"Eventually, if an IPL contract comes, that would be great for me. I'm not saying that I don't think about it - I do think about it, but I try not to think about it during a game,” he said then.

"It's a great platform. For any youngster, it's their dream to go to the IPL and I'm no different. I'm trying my best to get myself in there. It's something that I've dreamed about for a very long time. My name was in the [auction] for the last three years, so this year, I'm looking forward to it."

That dream became reality on Sunday when during the second day of the auction, he was sold to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping US$1.03 million dollars.

His was the highest bid for a West Indies player on the second day when several Caribbean players were the beneficiaries of six-figure contracts for the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League.

The big-hitting allrounder Odean Smith, who also made an impression during the series against England, was sold to the Punjab Kings for approximately US$798,000 while Rovman Powell was sold to the Delhi Capitals for US$345,000.

Evin Lewis, who missed the series was sold to the Lucknow Super Giants for US$266,000. Dominic Drakes was told to the Gujarat Titans for US$146,000 and Sherfane Rutherford will join the Royal Challengers Bangalore for US$133,000.

Fabian Allen went for US$99,000 to the Mumbai Indians.

 

 

Several newcomers including Justin Greaves, Gudakesh Motie and Odean Smith have been called to the West Indies squads that will play three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals in Pakistan from December 13-22 at the National Stadium in Karachi, Cricket West Indies announced today.

Meanwhile, Jason Holder is being rested for this tour due to workload management and Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are unavailable due to injury and rehabilitation. Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons are all unavailable due to personal reasons, CWI said.

Greaves, Motie and Smith have been called up for the ODIs along with middle-order batsman Shamarh Brooks.

Smith and Motie are also selected in the T20I squad for the first time, along with left-arm fast-bowling all-rounder Dominic Drakes. Motie was a travelling reserve for the recent ICC T20 World Cup, while Drakes and Smith were net bowlers before the start of the tournament

“There are a number of talented newcomers in each format that will have the opportunity to show what they are capable of at the international level,” said Chief Selector Roger Harper.

“Justin Greaves is a very talented player, had a good CG Insurance Super50 tournament and performed well in the President’s XI match against Ireland in 2020. Odean Smith really grabbed our attention in the last CPL. His pace was never in question, however, he has added greater control and has displayed the ability to be a wicket-taker.”

Brooks gets called after his performances in the last Super 50 Cup.

“Shamarh Brooks batted well in the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and followed that up with good performances in the CPL,” Harper explained.

“He will lend greater depth to the batting line-up. Gudakesh Motie has been rewarded for his outstanding performance in the CG Insurance Super50, followed up by his showing in the CPL. Dominic Drakes has the potential to be an outstanding all-rounder as he displayed during the last CPL.

 “The ODIs in Pakistan are part of the ICC ODI Super League where points gained work towards qualification for the ICC World Cup 2023. So these ODI’s are very important to us and are being treated as such.”

The ODI Series will be West Indies fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. West Indies currently lie in eighth position out of 13 teams and have the opportunity to move above Pakistan into seventh position.

The full squads are as follows:

One-Day Internationals: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice-Captain), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Nicholas Pooran, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.

 T20 Internationals: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Nicholas Pooran (Vice-Captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr.

TOUR SCHEDULE
December 13 – 1st T20I, Karachi
December 14 – 2nd T20I, Karachi
December 16 – 3rd T20I, Karachi
December 18 – 1st ODI, Karachi
December 20 – 2nd ODI, Karachi
December 22 – 3rd ODI, Karachi

 

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