West Indies Cricket Fans

Re: https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/595210" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 schedule announced...

Groups:

Group A: Windies (A1); Ireland (A2); Netherlands (A3); Papua New Guinea (A4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div.2) winner (A5)

Group B: Afghanistan (B1); Zimbabwe (B2); Scotland (B3); Hong Kong (B4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div.2) runners-up (B5)

Fixtures (warm-up matches):

Tuesday, 27 February – Afghanistan v Windies, Harare Sports Club (HSC); Hong Kong v Netherlands, Old Hararians (OH); WCL Div.2 (winner) v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Kwekwe (KK); Zimbabwe v Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club (QSC); Scotland v PNG, Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC)

Thursday, 1 March – WCL Div.2 (winners) v Windies, Harare Sports Club (HSC); Afghanistan v Netherlands, Old Hararians (OH); Hong Kong v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Kwekwe (KK); Scotland v Ireland, Queen’s Sports Club (QSC); Zimbabwe v PNG, Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC)

Tournament Proper (first round):

Sunday, 4 March – PNG v WCL Div.2 winner, HSC; Ireland v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Queens Sports Club (QSC); Afghanistan v Scotland, BAC

Tuesday, 6 March – PNG v Ireland, HSC; Windies v WCL Div.2 (winner), OH; Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, QSC; Scotland v Hong Kong, BAC

Thursday, 8 March – Netherlands v WCL Div.2 (winner), HSC; Windies v PNG, OH; Scotland v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), QSC; Afghanistan v Hong Kong, BAC

Saturday, 10 March – Windies v Ireland, HSC; PNG v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v Hong Kong, QSC; Afghanistan v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), BAC

Monday, 12 March – Windies v Netherlands, HSC; Ireland v WCL Div.2 (winners), OH; Hong Kong v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), QSC; Zimbabwe v Scotland, BAC

The following players have informed the WICB that the Pakistan Super league is more important than these qualifiers. ...

Darren Bravo
Andre Russell
Sunil Narine
Kieron Pollard

Narine, Russell, Pollard, Darren Bravo pick PSL over WC Qualifiers

After which WI are left with:

West Indies squad
Jason Holder (capt), Jason Mohammed (vice-capt), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams

IN: Carlos Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo

OUT: Ronsford Beaton, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Hope, Chadwick Walton, Sunil Ambris

Bwicbc remain unequivocal in their support of the ODI Captain, who only last week celebrated the third anniversary of his appointment, January 16 2015.

Since that time he's been batting at 27.54 and bowling at 35.25 which, it would appear, comfortably meets bwicbc's requirement for reselection.

Although this may seem at odds with the last two ODI Captains who had very similar numbers but were removed as failures, its not unexpected, especially when considering the consistent nature of bwicbc asset mismanagement.

Nevertheless I boldly predict a bright future for young Holder in Zimbabwe this spring. After all, Afghanistan, Ireland, Papau and dem are about his level.

Caribbean Mismanaged ODI Squad (2013 -2018)

C Gayle
Shiv*
R Sarwan
D Bravo
DJ Bravo
K Pollard
D Ramdin
R Rampaul
F Edwards
J Taylor
D Sammy

Subs Narine, D Smith

" ODI and T20I status :

Papua New Guinea finished 4th in the final qualifying tournament for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, in New Zealand in 2014. While missing out on qualification for the World Cup, their final position allowed them to gain One Day International (ODI) status for the first time.

By having ODI status, the International Cricket Council (ICC) also granted Papua New Guinea Twenty20 International (T20I) status.

The team played their first ODI match in a two-match series against Hong Kong in Australia in November 2014. 8 November 2014, Hong Kong 202 (48.3) v Papua New Guinea 203/6 (40 overs), Papua New Guinea won by 4 wickets. " Wiki

Although they appear to only have a single cricket ground 19th century colonial thinkers will naturally afford them respect based solely on the size of their 8 million population.
Having ODI and T20 status also ensures they occupy a higher postion in the cricket hierarcy than all 6 regional boards, as do Ireland and Afghanistan.

As these two Islands have gained a new level of significance on the world stage, due in no little part to them coming together, I ask if their presence in Zimbawe reflects their arrival at the top table of cricket or if it signals British West Indian crickets fall

Nepalese cricket has also reached new heights recently and on 28 June 2014, the ICC awarded them T20I status however, it has also seen its fair share of controversy too.

" Despite unprecedented success on the field, including victories over Hong Kong and Afghanistan at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, Nepal went through some turmoil off the field in 2014 with a boycott of the national one-day tournament by the national players with the captain Paras Khadka slamming the Cricket Association of Nepal for their treatment of national players.

The board then came under an investigation by the Commission for Investigation into Abuse of Authority. Later, CIAA filed a case against 18 CAN members including the then President Tanka Aangabuhang, after finding them guilty of misusing around Rs. 14.31 million, which was to be used for developing the game in the country instead. This resulted in several CAN members stepping down from their posts on moral grounds.

In May, members of CAN filed a no-confidence motion agaienst president Tanka Angbuhang Limbu, after the running of the Nepal Premier League was outsourced to a private sports management firm. " Wiki

It will be an interesting side story to see if this unrest will effect their perfomance in Africa but the list of their international scalps shows they are competitive at associate level.

With a population of 30 million people its easy to see why the icc would want to promote their cricket so although 2018 may be too soon for them I doubt the thinktank at Coolidge will be able to devise a strategy that ensures continued BWI ascendancy...... after all, Mount Everest is the biggest tourist attraction on the planet

Not a great start to our warm-ups....

Afghanistan beat the West Indies by 29 runs on D/L. There were 40s from Samiullah Shenwari and Gulbadin Naib as the Afghans made 163-9 off 35 overs, Sheldon Cottrell taking 3-43. Dawlat zadran took 4-26, and there were two wickets each for Rashid Khan and Sharafuddin Ashraf, as they bowled the West Indies out for an embarrassing 110 all out. Evin Lewis made 36 and Marlon Samuels 34, but the rest of the batsmen were out for single digits.

The roll call of shame....

Gayle - 9
Shai - 1
Jason Mohammed - 0
Hetmyer - 1
Powell - 9
Holder - 7
Carlos - 0

I think this qualifying tournament will go down in cricket history, so the trough dwellers better dial 910 1970, for emergency

" We've done well in T20 cricket, we've done well in women's cricket, Under-19 cricket, so now I think it's about time we win another World Cup in the ODI format." Said Captain Holder just hours before the Afghanistan

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... son-holder" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

" the UAE ( Population 9m - 50% Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan ) placed second behind Scotland, qualifying for the 2015 World Cup and gaining ODI, and therefore Twenty20 International (T20I), status until 2018.....

In terms of infrastructure, the UAE have the best stadiums as compared to other Associate members: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi; DSC Cricket Stadium, Dubai and Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah, which has hosted around 200 ODIs and Test matches.

International stadiums in Ajman and Al Ain are currently under development.

The following are the main cricket stadiums in UAE:

Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Sharjah
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Dubai Cricket Council Ground No 1, Dubai
Dubai Cricket Council Ground No 2, Dubai
ICC Global Cricket Academy 1, Dubai
ICC Global Cricket Academy 2, Dubai
Ajman International Cricket Stadium (under construction), Ajman
Al Ain International Cricket Stadium (under construction), Al Ain " Wiki

Their infrastructure, population and finance base is on a par with, and in some instances exceeds, BWI's combined .

I doubt their team can play 90mph pace, just yet ( like how Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India all initially struggled against express pace when they first gained full member status ) I would however, place money that they have spinners to trouble the bandits 1st XI.

Miller time!

There was yet another embarrassing batting performance as the west indies batsmen were all out for a paltry 110 all out against the UAE. Miller came to the rescue with 5-20 to bowl them out for 83 in their warm up.