West Indies – Worldwide Sports News

May 27, 2025

Roland Butcher: ‘West Indies are struggling – we’ve not hit rock bottom yet’

The Barbados-born former England player on being jettisoned as a West Indies selector, the risks of their new cricket structure and his thwarted football dreams

After West Indies secured a one-day series draw against Ireland on Sunday their captain, Shai Hope, was asked about the team’s imminent visit to England. “We played them at the end of last year and we won that series so we know they’re going to be coming at us even harder this time,” he said. “We’re looking forward to it. We know they’re going to be a tough, tough opponent but we’re always ready to play anyone.”

Roland Butcher, child of Barbados, once of England and more recently a West Indies selector, has a less optimistic outlook: “We’re struggling, and the struggle is not over. We haven’t hit rock bottom yet.” The concentration of power across all three formats in the hands of one coach and selector – Daren Sammy – is what Butcher fears “is going to finally push us to the bottom”.

May 16, 2025

IPL resumes after Kashmir conflict with English players facing ODI overlap

Bethell, Salt and Livingstone back in action for RCB
Starc and Curran among those opting to stay back home

Only eight days after the competition was suspended amid mounting hostilities along India’s border with Pakistan the Indian Premier League returns on Saturday, with most of the foreign players who scattered across the globe in the 48 hours after the competition collapsed now back in the country, their pursuit of runs and wickets having been temporarily replaced by the rapid accumulation of air miles.

The plug was in effect pulled on the tournament 10.1 overs into a game between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on 8 May, when as rockets landed only 80km to the west the floodlights went out, fans were told to leave and players rushed back to their hotel. That match has been rescheduled for 24 May in Jaipur; all the remaining games are to be played in only six venues, with Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata joining Dharamsala in being cut from the schedule.

April 3, 2025

Carl Hooper’s life in sport: from West Indies to Australia via county cricket

The West Indies batter on his effortless style, playing with his idols and how leadership brought out the best in him

By Wisden Cricket Monthly

Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Carl Hooper, 58, played 102 Test matches for the West Indies between 1987 and 2003, scoring nearly 6,000 runs, taking 114 wickets with his wily off-spin and captaining the side in 22 of those appearances. Known as one of the most stylish, if not necessarily most consistent, batters of the era, he also played 227 ODIs and had five prolific seasons with Kent, making 22 first-class centuries in 85 matches for the club.

Hooper returned to the county game with Lancashire in 2003 and is one of only three players to have scored a first-class century against all 18 first-class counties. “He was so talented, yet he didn’t understand just how good he was,” wrote Brian Lara of his former teammate. “People would ask why he didn’t do full justice to his brilliance, and you know what, there is no clear reason for it.”

January 27, 2025

West Indies skittle Pakistan for first away Test win against rivals since 1990

West Indies (win by 120 runs) 163 & 244; Pakistan 154 & 133
Jomel Warrican named player of match and series

West Indies secured their first Test win in Pakistan since 1990 after beating the hosts by 120 runs in the second match in Multan on Monday to ensure the series ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan needed 178 to win and sweep the two-match series after being reduced to 76-4 at stumps on the second day but lost two quick wickets when Saud Shakeel (13) and Kashif Ali (1) were removed cheaply by Kevin Sinclair and Jomel Warrican.

January 23, 2025

Jomel Warrican worships at cricket’s most unfashionable altar – remember the name | Jonathan Liew

Why am I writing about the fifth most famous spinner from the West Indies? Because it matters for Test cricket

There was a lovely moment after the Trinidad Test a couple of years back. With the final day’s play between India and West Indies washed out and the match drawn, Ravindra Jadeja and Jomel Warrican went up to the top of the covered stand to chat spin bowling.

And, you know, really chat about it. The dirty, under-the-counter stuff. Alignment, shoulder positions, approach angles, how to maintain efficiency of momentum into the delivery stride. The stuff that, to those uninitiated in the art and argot of left-arm red-ball spin bowling, might barely even register as English. Just two master craftsmen talking about their arcane, esoteric and very possibly dying craft.

January 7, 2025

West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket

Talks ongoing on dividing sport into two divisions
Lloyd: ‘I think it will be terrible for some countries’

The West Indies great Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides.

According to a report in the Melbourne Age, India, Australia and England are in talks to divide Test cricket into two divisions to allow cricket’s “Big Three” to play each other more often. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Indian chairman, Jay Shah, will meet representatives of the Australian and English boards this month, the report added.

November 17, 2024November 17, 2024

West Indies v England: fifth men’s T20 cricket international – match abandoned

England’s final match of their West Indies tour was abandoned after heavy rain meaning Jos Buttler’s side won the five-game series 3-1

1st over: West Indies 6-0 (Lewis 5, Hope 0) Evin Lewis nearly perishes second ball! He opts to pull a lifter that’s too far outside off and thick-edges it over first slip, where not even Jamie Overton can reach it. He gets four for that, followed by a single for another false shot, also a pull – a leading edge that squirts into the covers. And then he gets away with a third edge as a failed swish sends the ball into the ground before it goes through to Phil Salt. Archer, as so often lately, is looking good without getting his just deserts.

The players are out there, under grey skies. Jofra Archer has the new ball.