WI vs AUS

Gayle urges young players to learn quickly on international stage – “First time I was dismissed like five times against Chaminda Vass in a test series”

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Recent standout batter Amir Jangoo has won a West Indies Test selection for the team’s two-Test tour of Pakistan in January.

After impressing with a score 104 not out from just 83 balls against Bangladesh on ODI debut in St Kitts and as a regular performing in regional cricket, the 27-year-old earned a spot of the 15-player group on the first Test tour of Pakistan for the team in 18 years.

former West Indies hard hitting opening batsman Chris Gayle says young players have to be prepared to learn quickly when they enter the international stage.

The Kraigg Brathwaite led 15-man Windies squad  will face Pakistan in a two test series starting on January 17.

The series is final action for both sides in the World Test Championship cycle, with both sides currently sat in the bottom half of the table and eager to finish unsuccessful campaigns on a high.

Andre Coley will oversee the team as coach, with Daren Sammy set to take the red-ball portfolio from June.

Noting he endured a torrid tour of Sri Lanka in only his second test series in 2001, Gayle says the young players will have to be mentally strong in what is expected to be a tough series against the Aussies.

“First time in Sri Lanka as well I was dismissed like five times against Chaminda Vass in a test series. Highest score was probably 40 something runs and I finished maybe leave it probably fifty runs in in the entire three match series, you know? But in one day, you know I went down to school You know a lot of runs, but you know words are hard drives from me with Brain Lara, participate a lot of big players condition and you know they didn’t score in it runs as well. So just it was a learning curve. It’s all quickly learned just let faster ball do the same thing as well. So you know it’s all about the batter the skills you develop you know facing a particular goal with so many skills as well sort of the the machine is very good, you know before coming up against.

About that good baller coming up against a good batter. Both are very skillful, both are very skillful, so that made the game a bit more interested as well, very more, you know. Challenging from our from our viewers point of view as well.”

However, Gayle who scored 10,480 runs for the Windies with a highest score of 215 in the format says, those totals will soon be eclipsed.

The first Test in Pakistan begins on January 17.

West Indies Test Squad to Pakistan: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Joshua Da Silva, Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Amir Jangoo, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican

‘Shamar Joseph may be savior of Test cricket’ – Steve Waugh’s ultimate praise for West Indies star

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Defeating Australia in Australia requires a lot of courage and the same was shown by the Kraigg Braithewaite-led West Indies during the second Test match in Brisbane.

West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph had a dream debut series as he reignited the emotion for playing cricket for the national side.

Shamar Joseph picked up a total of nine wickets in the day-night Test and anchored West Indies’ eight-run win.

Also, the West Indies batsmen showed a lot of character in the first and second innings despite being put under the pump by the Australian pace attack. West Indies were able to level the two-match Test series by 1-1 and also gave themselves a booster for the coming years.

However, in the last few years, there has been a lot of downfall in West Indies cricket. The team which had ruled world cricket in the 70s and 80s with their deadly batting and pace attack, failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup 2023. The major reason behind the downfall was the non-interest of the national players in representing their national side playing in T20 leagues for the sake of more money.

However, Shamar Joseph has once again ignited the passion and emotion for the West Indies cricketers to represent their side. Former Australian captain Steve Waugh was in awe of Shamar Joseph’s performance in the second Test match against Australia. Waugh shared an appreciation post for Shamar and stated that the Cinderella stories are very rare in cricket. However, according to him the second AUS vs WI Test was an example of such a story. Waugh further added that Shamar Joseph’s performance has once again reignited the passion to play cricket in the Caribbean.

Steve Waugh shares appreciation post for Shamar Joseph

His caption read, “There’s nothing like test cricket and this man may be the Saviour in the purest form of the game. Cinderella stories are rare in sport but this was truly epic from a young man who has single handedly reignited the passion of cricket followers in the Caribbean and all over the world. Many congratulations.”

 

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A post shared by Steve Waugh (@stevewaugh)

Bowling in the second innings of the Brisbane Test was not easy for Shamar Joseph. Shamar was hit on his toes by a toe-crushing yorker by Mitchell Starc. Shamar was retired hurt and also could not walk down back to the dressing room. However, coming out from that blow and ripping through the Australian batting order was a commendable job. Joseph picked up a seven-fer in the second innings and dismissed big names such as Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, and Marnus Labuschagne cheaply.

This was the fourth time West Indies defeated Australia at The Gabba. The loss against West Indies was a big setback for the Aussies as they were in no condition to lose the match towards the end of Day 3. The World Test Champions have a lot to think about and discuss after the retirement of David Warner.

“West Indies can become the first team to win T20 World Cup at home”- Darren Sammy believes they can win the T20 World Cup 2024

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Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy reckons the men from the Caribbean have what it takes to win the T20 World Cup, set to be played in June this year.

Sammy is highly impressed with the way they won the T20I series against South Africa (2-1), India (3-2) and England (3-2) last year. He feels they have the momentum needed going into the T20I series against Australia.

Sammy said ahead of the West Indies’ first T20I against the Australians:

“The way we’ve progressed over the last year, we didn’t lose a T20 series in 2023, confidence is building, momentum is building. We all believe that we can become the first team to actually win the tournament at home, and that’s what we are working towards.”

Sammy also shed light on the importance of players having enough experience playing in T20 franchise leagues around the world:

“Our guys will not be playing international cricket, but they will not be short of cricket. So many leagues, (they) play in the IPL (Indian Premier League), the PSL (Pakistan Super League), and obviously playing (the World Cup) at home, it’s our conditions.”

West Indies T20I squad against Australia: Rovman Powell (c), Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas

Darren Sammy believes ODI drubbing will not affect West Indies’ T20I team

While Australia thumped the West Indies 3-0 in the ODI series, Darren Sammy said that it wouldn’t affect the morale of their T20I side. He said that with several fresh faces and experienced players back, they will look to express themselves and win the series.

“We’re not going to carry the ODI series to Hobart,” he added. “It’s a fresh squad, a settled squad, more experience (and) guys who believe they are some of the best in the world to do it.”I expect to see a different attitude, a different brand and we expect to come out there and compete and win.”

Darren Sammy led the West Indies to T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. The first of the three T20Is between the West Indies and Australia starts in Hobart on Friday, February 9.

Sir Clive Lloyd says West Indies has earned the right to receive more benefits – “It’s time for us to be looked after,”

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Cricketing legend, Sir Clive Lloyd has called on cricket’s leading nations to provide the West Indies team with more opportunities to compete, thereby aiding Cricket West Indies (CWI) in generating much-needed revenue, which can be used to develop the sport in the region.

“It’s time for us to be looked after,” declared Lloyd during an appearance on Mason and Guest Cricket Show on the Voice of Barbados.

Sir Clive, regarded as one of the greatest captains of all time, made the comments while reflecting on the West Indies’ recent historic Test victory against Australia, led by emerging talent Shamar Joseph.

The legendary batsman said when the contributions of past West Indies teams to cricket were taken into consideration, they merited more than just two Test matches per tour.

“We should either be playing three Test matches or five. We’re not Afghanistan or Bangladesh. We’ve been in the ICC setup for nearly 90 years, so we are a frontline team,” Sir Clive said

“When India and all these teams were not doing well, I didn’t see them sort of playing two Test matches. We travelled 12,000 miles for two Test matches.”

Reflecting on West Indies’ golden era, Sir Clive recalled their back-to-back World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979, and their 1983 runner-up finish.

Australia (6), India (2), and the West Indies (2), are the only nations to win the ICC Men’s World Cup multiple times.

Sir Clive, nicknamed the ‘Super Cat’, also recalled his team’s remarkable unbeaten streak of 26 Tests and 11 consecutive victories, marking his milestone as the first West Indian to reach 100 Test caps.

“If you were 17-years old, you would have not seen the West Indies lose. We have so much to be proud of. I don’t like how they’re treating us. When we were in the ascendancy, I didn’t see anybody saying that West Indies should get more money. We were giving other countries money,” he contended.

He reminisced about a time when top teams like India, England, and Australia, eagerly sought matches against the West Indies, as he doubled down on the need for reciprocated support.

Earlier this month, CWI’s chief executive officer, Johnny Grave urged the boards of India, England, and Australia to collaborate closely with the ICC and take decisive action to reform the economics of Test cricket.

Grave’s remarks were prompted by criticism directed at his board and Cricket South Africa for fielding inexperienced Test squads in recent tours to Australia and New Zealand, respectively.

“The revenue-share model is completely broken,” Grave said. “If we really want to operate as a cricketing community we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we’ve got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.”

“CWI has spent over two million dollars sending teams to Australia in the last four months and whilst Cricket Australia has received all the economic benefits from those series, we’ve seen zero dollars back.” 

Aus vs WI, 1st T20I: Probable XI, West Indies will be keen to start the Series on a good note

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West Indies are touring Australia for a multi-format series. The Test series ended in a draw and Australia clean-swept the ODI series by a 3-0 margin. The two sides will now face each other in the shortest format, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in June 2024.

The first game of the three-match series will be played at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart on February 9. The series offers a great opportunity for both sides to prepare for the upcoming global event. It gives the management from both nations to get their combinations right.

West Indies big guns are set to give Australia a crucial test as the sides ramp up preparations for the T20 World Cup.

Star talents Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell are among those joining the Caribbean side for the three-game series, beginning in Hobart on Friday night.

It’s one of six straight T20s the Australians play in coming weeks, heading to New Zealand for another series, before individuals take part in the IPL between March and May.

It is a vital preparation for the squad as they get ready for a home T20 World Cup in June.

Australia, meanwhile, will be high in confidence after their ODI series win. Most of their regular players were rested but they displayed a solid all-round performance to emerge victorious. With the regular players back in the squad, they will hope to start the series on a winning note.

Australia vs West Indies Probable XIs

Australia

Probable XI

David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Jason Behrendorff, Josh Hazlewood, Spencer Johnson, Adam Zampa

West Indies

Probable XI

Johnson Charles, Brandon King, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd/Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph

Australia vs West Indies Match Prediction

Australia were fantastic in the ODI series, winning it by a 3-0 margin. They will be looking to repeat the same performance in the T20I series.

The hosts have the momentum behind them coming into this format and are expected to continue their winning run.

Prediction: Australia to win this contest.

“West Indies Didn’t Get Any Revenue For Australia Tour”: South Africa Great Graeme Smith, Calls For New Model

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As Test engagements shrink amid mushrooming T20 leagues across the world, former South Africa captain-turned-administrator Graeme Smith said the five-day format needs a balanced revenue-sharing model than a busy calendar to survive.

Currently, India is the biggest beneficiary of the ICC’s revenue distribution model, assured of 38.5 per cent of the total earnings for the 2024-27 cycle.

While the Indian board will get USD 231 million annually, West Indies would get just about USD 27.50 million, South Africa USD 26.24 million and a minnow like Afghanistan would fetch only USD 16.82 million per year.

Smith said the challenge lies in addressing this disparity.

“Everyone talks about scheduling but the real challenge for Test Cricket is financial modelling. You have heard Johny Grave (Cricket West Indies CEO), he has been openly speaking about the revenue sharing model,” Smith, who is the commissioner of the ongoing Betway SA T20 League, told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

“West Indies winning the Test in Australia is great for the game but they didn’t get any revenue for that tour. We discuss in MCC Cricket Committee meetings what should be the revenue sharing model to make nations so financially strong that they want to play Test Cricket.

“Players feel that they can make more money playing T20 rather than Tests. Those financial decisions eventually impact the format,” added the former MCC cricket committee member.

Several West Indies players prefer to be T20 freelancers and reject contractual agreement with the cricket board, citing lack of funds. As a result, the Caribbean board, along with Pakistan, has been vocal in its criticism of the model.

Despite being one of the most successful Test players from his country, Smith said the T20 format is important for the growth of the game and making sure that it remains commercially viable.

“I love Test Cricket and I want Test Cricket to be strong but it is probably a 6 or 7 nation format and T20 is for growth. It is introducing new players, new fans and new markets to the game,” he said.

“It is important for South African cricket to bring gravitas to its own product and keep cricket in this region strong,” said the league commissioner of Betway SA20 league.

Smith said the idea is to create all-format players, taking a cue from the IPL which threw up talent like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

“We want to follow the IPL in producing all format players. We would love to see our national team competing in World Cups and playing Test matches all around the world and having a robust T20 league as well,” he added.

Smith said he is mighty impressed with the performance of young guns like Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in Test cricket.

Jaiswal became the third youngest Indian to score a double century in the just-concluded second Test against England while Gill struck a hundred in the same match.

“Indian Cricket is so blessed that they have so much talent. When we talk about these two, their fame and their skills come into light largely through the IPL. Talent is coming through different platforms now and if you are good enough, you can still play every format,” said the veteran who has 9265 runs in 117 Tests.

He feels sad that the once formidable South Africa has failed to perform well in the five-day format in the recent past.

“It hurts. We haven’t played good Test Cricket for long. We have some quality players but no one is averaging above 40 while when we played the average of six players was about close to 50,” said Smith who led his country to record 54 Test wins.

He also said that Indian Cricket has enough talent to see through the transition phase once legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are retired.

“Virat and Rohit have been incredible for Indian Cricket. I think Indian Cricket will always have enough talent but it will be a sad day to see these guys retire,” he said.

Considered one of the greatest ever captains of all time, Smith did not give any names when asked who he thought could be the future captain of the Indian team.

“I think someone who can handle the expectations and pressure and manage the players. Captaining India is a very big job and comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure,” said the veteran who became captain at 22.

West Indies Shamar Joseph Surges 42 Places in ICC Test Rankings After Outstanding Performance Against Australia

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West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph has surged into the top 50 of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers after his stellar performance that played a pivotal role in the Windies’ historic 8-run victory over world champions Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Despite bowling with an injured toe, Joseph delivered a career-best and match-defining performance, claiming 7 wickets for 68 runs.

This outstanding effort propelled him 42 places up the rankings to secure the 50th position, tying with Sri Lankan speedster Lahiru Kumara with 397 points.

Joseph’s teammates Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph also received recognition for their contributions in the Brisbane test.

Roach ascended two places to 17th, maintaining his status as the highest-ranked bowler from the region, while Alzarri Joseph climbed four places to 33rd.

On the batting front, England’s Ollie Pope achieved a new career-high with 684 rating points, advancing 20 places to claim the 15th spot on the test batting rankings.

This notable improvement follows his impressive match-winning score of 196 in the second innings of the 1st test against India in Hyderabad.

At the top of the bowling rankings, India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retained his position after a six-wicket haul against England.

The top spot in the batting rankings is still held by Kane Williamson of New Zealand, while Kraigg Brathwaite remains the highest-ranked West Indies batsman, despite dropping one place to number 37.

‘Literally had tears in my eyes’ – AB de Villiers reads about Shamar Joseph on wikipedia after Gabba heroics

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Former South African Captain AB de Villiers revealed that he was deeply moved to tears after learning about Shamar Joseph on Wikipedia.

This came after the West Indies pacer belted a memorable victory for his team against Australia at the Gabba on January 28.

Despite his current status as a hero in West Indies cricket, Shamar’s journey to success has been far from smooth. Originating from one of the most isolated villages in the Caribbean islands, Baracara, this right-arm fast bowler did not make his professional debut in top-level cricket until 2023.

Until last year, Shamar worked as a security guard before deciding to leave his job and follow his passion for cricket. This was a topic Shamar addressed after being named the Player of the Match and series following the victory at the Gabba.

“It was all about believing and making a lot of sacrifices to get here. Remembering what got you here, continuing the same and staying there. I just stick to my basics and take advice from the seniors,” said Shamar.

De Villiers remarked on Shamar’s remarkable journey in international cricket following his heroic performance and encouraged people to read about the pacer. The former Proteas skipper described Shamar’s life as ‘inspirational’ in his tweet on X after West Indies’ victory.

“The Shamar Joseph fairytale! Special scenes.”

“Do yourself a favour, go read about his life on wikipedia! Literally had tears in my eyes while reading about his journey. Inspirational to say the least,” said De Villiers.

‘Don’t allow burnout’ – Ian Bishop urges governing bodies to safeguard Shamar Joseph’s West Indies future

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Throwing a voice of caution on a day of celebration, Ian Bishop urged the West Indies Cricket Board and Guyana cricket authorities to ensure that Shamar Joseph, their overnight Test star, has enough funds and a well-managed workload to sustain a career in the Caribbean.

Shamar Joseph’s stunning 7-68 scripted a thrilling eight-run victory in the pink-ball Test match at the Gabba, ending a 27-year drought for West Indies in Australia.

In overcast Brisbane on Day 4, the rookie pacer flipped the game on its head with his second fifer of the series that brought Australia’s 11-match winning streak in day-night Tests to a screeching halt.

He triggered a collapse of 4 for 23 before Dinner that the hosts couldn’t recover from despite Steve Smith’s gutsy 91*. With this, West Indies shared the spoils in the two-match series.

In a tweet that followed West Indies’ historic triumph over Australia, their first win in 27 years in the country, Bishop put focus on Joseph – the hero of the Gabba win – and “1 or 2 other fast bowlers” who shouldn’t be burnt out.

Bishop’s tweet read: “Important for the board, Guyana govt & cooperate bodies to find a way to allocate funds to compensate Shamar Joseph & 1 or 2 other fast bowlers to keep them in the Caribbean & control how much cricket they play. Their pace is everything. Don’t allow burnout.”

Joseph’s humble beginnings and unconventional path towards the Test cap have been widely discussed over the past two weeks, bringing hope into a West Indies cricketing system that has been fraught with talent loss, with players moving to greener pastures (read T20 franchise cricket).

Speaking to Wisden.com last year, Bishop had touched upon the topic of modern workloads, and how it was becoming harder to become an all-format bowler.

“It [workload] has to be managed, it has to be managed because it’s becoming harder and harder now to be an all-format player,” Bishop had said in February last year. “Particularly from a bowling perspective, but not exclusively. Guys are starting to have to prioritise their family time, their personal life a little bit more. Plus, you can’t, you can’t play every format over the year, you’ll just get burned out.”

“And it may not be so much just the games, but the practice sessions, the travelling, going from one franchise to the other. It is something that certainly has to be managed because the priority still has to be international cricket. That is the biggest shop window.”

The 24-year-old Joseph isn’t a T20 regular yet, although he was identified and fast-tracked from his Caribbean Premier League team Guyana Amazon Warriors. In December, he was signed up by Dubai Capitals to play in the International League T20.

Bishop, who was commentator in the league’s inaugural season last year, spoke to Wisden about the economy of smaller nations like West Indies and South Africa being a “struggle.”

“So we have to ensure in our own backyard that we allow players to earn a comfortable living,” he said.

“And if that means having some discussion where we’re playing just two-three leagues a year but still make ourselves available for international cricket, I think that’s fine,” Bishop continued. “Players will understand. At least the ones who are in the prime of their careers, because you don’t want to take a guy’s private money away, opportunity away from them.

“How long do you play international cricket for? So there needs to be a compromise.”

“I told my skipper I would bowl to the end until the last wicket falls,” Shamar Joseph said after bowling an unchanged spell of 11.5 overs for seven wickets

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A literal toe-crushing yorker from Mitchell Starc on day three put in doubt Shamar Joseph’s participation in the rest of the second Test in Brisbane.

In fact, he wasn’t even going to be at the ground on the fourth day. But his doctor treated him and he ended up bowling a spell of a lifetime to seal a historic win at the Gabba.

Joseph, starting to bowl towards the end of the first hour of day four, took seven wickets in a spell that saw him bowl 11.5 overs on the trot with only the dinner break offering him some respite.

“I wasn’t even coming out to the ground this morning to be fair. I must give a shout-out to the doctor,” Joseph told the broadcaster after the game. “He is an amazing doctor to me. He told me to come to the ground for a reason, even if it’s just to support the guys.”

“But I came and he did something to my toe. I don’t know what he did but something worked. So I just had that time to go out there and bowl and bring this game home for my team.”

West Indies had to take eight wickets, while Australia were 156 runs away from their 216-run target. Once he came into the attack, Joseph’s only plea to his captain Kraigg Brathwaite was to keep him going “till the last wicket falls”.

“It was just [about being] positive. That’s all. [My team-mates] said just go out there and do it – take wickets,” he said. “It was just our positivity. I am not that tired because I wanted to do this for my team. I told my skipper I would bowl to the end until the last wicket falls.

“It doesn’t matter how my toes are, I’m okay. I did it for him and I am happy that he is proud of me now.”

This was West Indies’ first Test win in Australia since 1997, and the first against them since 2003, and the magnitude of the feat wasn’t lost on the 24-year-old.

“I feel like we won the series. Even though it’s 1-1 I feel like we won the entire series,” Joseph said. “I feel really amazing for my team-mates. They are really encouraging and I am glad that I made them proud and bring the series to 1-1.

“Tears came to my eyes right now. I already cried during my five-wicket haul [in the first Test]. It’s just happiness. That’s the emotion I can bring out right now. Just happy that we won the Test.”

Brathwaite was happy with the win, but now wants his team to continue putting in performances like this one.

“We won a Test match in Australia. It’s amazing,” he said at the presentation ceremony. “It does a lot [for West Indies cricket]. It means a lot. It’s been a number of years since we’ve won a Test match here.

“But my message to the group is that this is the beginning. It’s amazing, we enjoy this, but I think this has to continue.”

Brathwaite said some harsh words from former Australia fast bowler Rodney Hogg served as inspiration for West Indies in the day-night Test.

“I must say we had two words that inspired us in this Test match. Mr. Rodney Hogg said that we were pathetic and hopeless. That was our inspiration,” Brathwaite said. “We wanted to show the world we’re not pathetic.

“And I must ask him ask him, are these muscles big enough for him?” Brathwaite asked, flexing his biceps.

Brathwaite only got to know an hour before the day’s play started that he would have Joseph available to bowl. He hailed the fast bowler as a “superstar” and credited him for leading by example.

“The doctor said he got an injection and he’s quite good and then he [Joseph] told me he’s going to do it. I had to back him.

“He’s a superstar and I know he’ll do great things for West Indies in the future. Just his belief… he told me today he’s not putting [the ball] down till it’s finished. That’s the example for this team to follow.”