Straight Drive

There are some people who would want us to believe that sports and politics should not mix. However, sports is not immune to the effect of politics and as such sportsmen must use their platform to voice their concerns about injustice. Jason Holder and his team will wear the caption " Black lives Matter" on the collars of their shirts when they take the field on July 8. This is an important gesture as the Windies players show solidarity to the global movement that is fighting for equality. Cricket has always been more than a game for Caribbean people. It has always been a statement of our skill and courage among other things. It is the continuation of a legacy that has long erased the fallacy that black men are  merely athletic and lack the tactical and intellectual capacity to be successful. When West Indies was the number one team, they combined excellent physical ability with great cricketing intelligence so to do. The team had the skill set not just to be competitive but t...

   In every team, there are those who are automatic starters once fit. Then, you have the fringe or bench players who are making their way back from injury or loss of form. In West Indies 15 member squad, there are the three B's: Blackwood, Bonner and Brooks. Brooks may very well be the front runner to start having scored a century in his last test against Afghanistan. However, he is still a player trying to establish himself after  just playing three test matches.  Nkrumah Bonner is completely new to test cricket and must performed exceptionally in the upcoming practice match to be in consideration for the starting 11. Jermaine Blackwood has a hundred against England and averages 55 against the same opponent. His counter attacking style batting could come in handy in the middle order especially if West Indies needs to  hit themselves out of a tight session. He has also become more selective and has shown growth and maturity on the first class scene.  These...

The number six position is the core of the batting order. It is the pivot and fulcrum. Having the most complete West Indies player bat in that position is an experiment worth taking.  Holder has worked hard to become the world's number one all rounder. He has demonstrated the consistency and temperament necessary to be trusted at number six. With an average of 33 coupled 106 wickets, Jason Holder has excelled . Due to his good work, it is the time for Jason to promote himself up the order.  With the absence of Hetmeyer and Darren Bravo, it is imperative that the right balance is sought. Having the captain batting higher will allow the Windies to play an extra bowler or batsman. In this case, Cornwall would be the ideal addition. He would help to  strengthen the batting order. There are some that would argue that if Holder bats higher then the lower order would be weakened. However, with Dorwich, Cornwall and Roach, the lower middle order will still be formidable.  It...

The name Gabriel means "God is my strength" and is associated with the archangel in the Bible that is always a bearer of good news. If Shannon survives the practice matches and is selected for the first test on July 8, he would have epitomized the meaning of the name. It would be awesome news.  When Jerome Taylor decided that the pain in his back was too much for the longer format of the game, Gabriel put his powerful hand up and decided that he was ready for the challenge. He has performed creditably so far.  It is said that bowlers hunt in pairs and Shannon has been the perfect fit for Kemar Roach. Roach can breathe easier knowing that the speedy and aggressive Gabriel is going to put fear in batsmen at the other end. And, this will eventually lead to wickets.  Shannon has 133 wickets after 45 matches. Three more than Jerome Taylor having played one match less than Taylor. He will be a major threat in the England series if his fitness is sustainable. He often leaves the...

When Darren Sammy was handed the captaincy in 2011, many eyebrows were raised. Some argued that he cannot make the team on merit and his presence in the side will weaken it. Years later, he is the only captain to win two T-20 world cups and a stadium in St Lucia named in his honour, appropriately symbolizes his now monumental stature. More than anything else is  the ability he demonstrated to unite often polarizing players and factions. Even as his stature expanded and he started to gain the respect of  the men he led, his ego never got too big for his team. He found the right dynamics to keep his team ticking. In addition,  he was able to manage big players such as Gayle and Pollard with distinction.  He stood up for his players. At the 2016 T-20 world cup,  Sammy fought  negative utterances against his team in the media. He rubbished the " brainless" comment made by Mark Nicholas about the West Indies players. He did so by  injecting the motivation i...

At 27 years old and the privilege of playing almost 60 test matches, Kraigg Brathwaite is the most senior batsman in the team. It is time for him to change gear and solidify his career. At the crease, he is a batsman with almost the perfect temperament for an opener. He works diligently  and does not surrender his wicket. He has been the opener that has shown the most promise since the post Chris Gayle era. It is now time for the talented Brathwaite to convert the promise to purpose.  He is on course to play at least 150 test matches if he stays fit and contribute sufficiently. He should now be looking to position himself as one of the all time great West Indies openers. He has all the tools to increase his average from 33 to somewhere near 50. Brathwaite has the time to put his name among the greats. Much has been invested in him. The selectors have always kept  faith in him. To whom much is given, the same is expected and Kraigg should now lead the West Indies batting l...

The first test in the Covid era is set to be  played in a bio-secure environment on July 8 . It is a test that is symbolic with change and adaptation, a truly defining time. It is a moment that West Indies should seek to cease.  The last time the English played in the Caribbean Holder's men were aggressive, decisive, gritty and smart. They will have to formulate a meticulous plan that is effective to suit all the variables that will present themselves in this landmark test. Jason Holder has lost more test than he has won as a Captain and the moment is right for him to lead his side to a series victory. This would present the West Indies as  a credible threat overseas. West Indies has failed to win a series in England for the last twenty years and they must believe that the English can be humbled at home.  There will be no spectators in the stands, players will be match rusty and no saliva can be added to shine the ball. It is a different ball game in this peculiar ti...

On the stage where he has had his finest hour yet, Shai is returning to that country. On his last visit, he skillfully and gracefully crafted two centuries. He scored one in each innings and as such immortalize himself. Likewise in the consciousness of cricket fans, Shai is the batsman that can invoke that hope in a sometimes unpredictable West Indies line up. There are great expectations on the shoulders of  arguably West Indies best batsman. If West Indies has any ambitions of defeating the English at home, then Shai Hope is the man that would  have to  be the nucleus of the batting . He would have to be the nucleus in practice and not in theory. Defeating England would require batsmen to score centuries consistently, Hope will be expected to be the chief protagonist. However with an average of  27.2 in tests from 31 matches, and those twin centuries remain his only hundreds, he will have to improve considerably. Maybe, he would need to transpose his ODI ...

With only seven wickets left to reach 200 , Barbadian Kemar Roach is poised to join the 200 club on the England tour. Ever since the legendary pair of Ambrose and Walsh, several promising pace bowlers have come on the scene but never accomplished the 200 landmark for one reason or another. Promising talents such as Franklyn Rose, Nixon McLean, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor  have all fallen short of that mark. Therefore this feat is a great accomplishment. Roach made his debut in 2009 and  has adapted his game and gotten smarter as a fast bowler. He had to come back from injuries at times. At 31 approaching 32, the next important question is, will he be able to join the elite 300 club? He has played 56 Test Matches and  if he is able to double the number of matches in years to come 400 wickets would be very possible.  Correspondent  CWForrest

The West Indies test series against England is merely a few weeks  away. It is essential that Jason Holder gives the talented Rahkeem Cornwall confidence by strategically bowling him. This means giving him the number of overs as the primary spinner of the team. Too many times in the past, Roston Chase has bowled more overs in an innings than Davendra Bishoo. As a primary spinner in any cricket team, that must have some psychological effect. England is known to be pace friendly however there will be pitches that will be conducive to spin bowling. Cornwall is an emerging spinner. If he is selected in the final eleven of any of the tests, Jason Holder needs to show belief  by persisting with him for complete spells even if he goes for a bad over or two.  Correspondent  C.W .Forrest 

                                  West  Indies need a quality spinner to defend its title .          Whenever   the clearance is given to go ahead with the T20 World Cup, West Indies will need an available quality spinner to stand a greater chance of winning the T20 World Cup thrice. While there are no guarantees in sport, history suggest that spinners have played  pivotal roles and will continue to do so.  At the last World Cup in India, Samuel Badre and  Sulieman Benn  accounted for 26% of the wickets taken by the West Indies.         Even though Australia may not be as spin friendly as the previous host India, spinners are expected to play key roles. If Sunil Narine is available for the World Cup, this will give West Indies a major boost in the spinning department. Correspondent CW Forrest