Dane Paterson seeks Nottinghamshire Kolpak deal despite COVID-19 uncertainty

South Africa seamer made Test debut against England in January but was overlooked for one-day squads

Firdose Moonda06-Apr-2020Dane Paterson, the seamer who made his Test debut for South Africa in the 2019-20 summer, has ended his career in his home country and intends to play professionally in England from this season.Paterson could be left in limbo, however, after an interview to confirm his Kolpak deal with Nottinghamshire, scheduled for March 23, was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, amid great uncertainty around the fate of the English summer.ALSO READ: PCA backs move to two overseas players as Brexit pushes Kolpak window shutWhen Kolpak deals become invalid, which is due to happen when the UK leaves the European Union on December 31, Paterson will continue playing in England as an overseas professional, although it is unclear if counties will still be able to accommodate foreign players. Despite the uncertainty over the start of the cricket season in the UK, Paterson has not been re-contracted to his local domestic franchise, the Cobras.Paterson’s decision caught Cricket South Africa off guard, especially given that acting director of cricket Graeme Smith had been in communication with the ECB and the CEO of the Cobras’ franchise, Nabeal Dien, while Paterson was weighing up his options.Paterson was approached by Notts in late February, at which point Dien took the news to Smith, who made contact with ECB chief Tom Harrison. Upon learning that Kolpak deals will cease to exist at the end of 2020, Smith relayed the information to Dien and was then informed Paterson had changed his mind and would remain in South Africa.ALSO READ: England players volunteer salary reduction amid season uncertaintySince then, however, Paterson has had another rethink and decided to pursue his opportunity in England, forcing Smith to remove Paterson from South Africa’s winter training squad. “It surprises me that he made that decision, given all the information he had,” Smith said.However, Ashwell Prince, Paterson’s coach at the Cobras, was sympathetic to the choice his former player had made.”When a player gets to over 30, especially as a bowler, they don’t have that many years left in you,” Prince said.
“I’m sure these guys sit down and calculate what realistic opportunities will they have of playing for the Proteas and if not, they will consider other options. I think this is probably how this came about.”Paterson debuted at Port Elizabeth in January and played in two of the four Tests against England this summer. However, he was overlooked for the one-day leg of the summer against England and Australia, despite already having four ODI and eight T20 caps, a fact which Prince believes may also have forced his hand.”It is disappointing but the player is also asking themselves, ‘if I just played for the Proteas a few weeks ago, why am I not in any one-day squads, any T20 squads?’. He might be thinking maybe he only played in that Test because so many guys were injured. KG [Rabada] was suspended, [Lungi] Ngidi was unfit or injured and then the one-day squads come out, the T20 squads come out and he didn’t feature in any of them.”South Africa endured a torrid home season, losing the Test series 1-3 to England and winning only one out of the five series they played, an ODI rubber against Australia. While their Test campaign was blighted by the absence of Ngidi, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Rabada’s suspension, their limited-overs squads were experimental as they sought to cast the selection net widely.Smith explained that the team management is in the process of working through long-term plans for players, including Paterson, who was among the 40 players earmarked for intense training camps. Although those sessions have yet to get underway, with the country currently on the 11th day of a 21-day lockdown, Paterson will no longer be part of them.Paterson is the fourth player to attempt to take up a Kolpak deal ahead of the 2020 summer. Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, who have both retired from international cricket, were due to begin deals with Surrey and Somerset respectively while Farhaan Behardien ended his Titans’ career and signed with Durham.Dwaine Pretorius would have been the fifth after he, like Paterson, was courted by Nottinghamshire but Pretorius did not follow through with the deal after discussions with CSA. Pretorius also made his Test debut in the series against England and has since been awarded a national contract.An insider told ESPNcricinfo that Pretorius had not been guaranteed game-time or a central contract as an incentive to stay in South Africa but was provided with reassurance that he was in the selectors’ plans across all three formats. The same cannot be said of Paterson, who was only considered for Tests this summer and who the same source believes “still has quite a lot of work to do on his own game”.

PCB accepts UAE players' apologies

The three players had been handed eight-week suspensions in December, for their tweets criticising the facilities at the Southend Stadium in Karachi during the Emerging Teams’ Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2019Three UAE cricketers – Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza and Rameez Shahzad – who were suspended last month, were asked by the Emirates Cricket Board to issue formal apologies to the Pakistan Cricket Board for criticising ground facilities in Karachi during the Emerging Teams Cup. In a statement, the Emirates board confirmed that the apologies had been “received and accepted” by the PCB.The players had each been handed eight-week suspensions from international cricket for violating the ‘Player’s Code of Conduct’ and requirements for the use of social media. The players had tweeted criticising the ground facilities in Karachi after rain wiped out their hopes of a semi-final spot in the Emerging Teams Cup. They had also been fined and the Emirates Cricket Board has said the collected fines will be donated to a Karachi-based charity. The three players, although unavailable for selection, have been training alongside the national squad, which is preparing for the upcoming series against Nepal.”Following the recent disciplinary sanctions imposed on three of its professional players, Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has today confirmed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received and accepted formal apologies made to them by the players,” a statement by ECB said. “As a gesture of good will, ECB will donate the fines imposed on the players to a Karachi-based charity. All three players continue their training and, although ineligible for selection, are currently involved in an intense training programme alongside players that will represent the UAE in the upcoming UAE v Nepal series.”In December, the UAE captain Mustafa, left-arm spinner Raza and middle-order batsman Rameez had taken to Twitter to express their frustration after their match against Hong Kong was abandoned due to rain, wiping out their hopes of a semi-final spot.In a match played at the Southend Stadium in Karachi, UAE had restricted Hong Kong to 87 for 4 in 31 overs before a spell of rain lasting about half an hour interrupted play. However, the venue had inadequate tarpaulin covers to protect the pitch, and water leaked onto the square. Despite several hours of using sponges, the ground staff failed to dry the pitch. As a result, the match was abandoned, with the teams sharing points. A win would have boosted UAE’s prospects of playing the semi-final.The PCB, however, has not made a statement and on the fitness of the venue for future games. ESPNcricinfo understands the Pakistan board is aiming to host women’s international games at the venue in the near future.

Bangladesh A clinch series in curtailed match

Andy Balbirnie’s swift 83 was in vain as Bangladesh A chased down a target of 171 with four balls to spare in a match that was reduced to 20 overs a side

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Andy Balbirnie goes for the sweep•Getty Images/Sportsfile

Bangladesh A clinched the one-day series against Ireland A with a four-wicket win in the fourth game in Cox’s Bazar. The match was a 20-over per side affair – both teams agreed to a shortened fourth match as they did not want to play three one-dayers in as many days. The final match of the series, on October 26, will be a 50-over match.The home side strode towards the 171-run target through a quick third-wicket stand between captain Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Al-Amin. They added 58 runs in just 5.2 overs, with Shanto’s 26-ball 47 including four boundaries and three sixes.After Shanto’s dismissal in the tenth over, Al-Amin took Bangladesh A within ten runs of victory, before he was dismissed for 67 off 40 balls. He struck eight fours and two sixes. Barry McCarthy took two wickets while there was one each for Andrew McBrine, Peter Chase, Stuart Thompson and Simi Singh.Earlier, Andy Balbirnie’s quickfire 83 took Ireland to a competitive 170 for 7. Balbirnie struck seven fours and four sixes in his 51-ball innings. He added 65 runs for the fourth wicket with Sean Terry, who made a run-a-ball 28. Pace bowler Imran Ali Enam took three wickets while Mahedi Hasan, Abu Hider and Abul Hasan took one each.

Bresnan, Hodd keep Yorkshire challenge alive

Tim Bresnan made an unbeaten 72 to keep Yorkshire’s Championship hopes alive, as Nick Compton’s dropped catch cost Middlesex

George Dobell at Lord's21-Sep-2016
ScorecardHe may have scored two Test centuries and played a part in England series victories in India and South Africa but, around these parts at least, Nick Compton is in danger of being remembered as the man who dropped the 2016 Specsavers County Championship.Had Compton, in the slips, held on to the relatively straightforward chance offered by Andy Hodd on 22 off Steven Finn, Yorkshire would have been 87 for 5 and in danger of seeing their relatively long tail exposed. One of the runners in this three-horse race may well have fallen away.Instead, the chance went down and Hodd, in partnership with the wonderfully resolute Tim Bresnan, added 116 for Yorkshire’s fifth wicket to keep their side in the game. The extent of the dent put into Middlesex’s Championship aspirations remains to be seen but it may well be that Compton has inadvertently done his former club, Somerset, a huge favour. A future in ‘He should have gone to Specsavers’ adverts is unlikely to provide much consolation.Such a reputation would be harsh, of course. Compton played crucial roles in two recent victories against Durham and Nottinghamshire and may yet have a defining contribution to make here. But when title races become as tight as this – and this one is beautifully, breathlessly tight – the importance of such moments is magnified.The concern for both these teams is that their excellence – and this has been a terrific game of tough, high-quality cricket albeit one marked by some significant dropped catches – is in danger of cancelling each other out. While Somerset do battle with a foe currently boasting the resilience of a butterfly, these two teams are bashing each other into a double knockout.For victory alone is unlikely to be enough for Yorkshire. With Somerset seemingly on course for victory at Taunton, Yorkshire need to not only win but win with a minimum of four batting bonus points. They therefore have to score 350 (or more) within the first 110 overs of their first innings here. With 115 more runs required from 41 more overs and three bowlers with modest batting pretensions to come, much remains required of the two batsmen who will resume in the morning.That Yorkshire remain in the race at all is largely due to Bresnan. Having bowled with skill and persistence to help squeeze the life out of the Middlesex batting, he then produced his highest score of the campaign – and his fifth half-century – to take his side within sight of first-innings parity.It’s hard to imagine Bresnan pulling out of a game like this due to weariness or lack of focus. Indeed, you imagine he may well report for duty with an arm hanging by a thread or nursing a nasty attack of the bubonic plague. While there were some murmurs ahead of the game that he was a little high at No. 5 in the batting line-up, he justified his promotion with a mature innings featuring much patient defence and some fine shot selection.Six of his seven fours came on the off-side – a couple of meaty drives, a couple of beefy cuts and a well-judged reverse sweep the most memorable of them – with one laced through midwicket. Reflecting the improvement in his batting, he took his career average above 30 for the first time during the course of this innings and, if he makes the 100 his side probably requires, it will stay there.He came to the crease with the three batsmen above him in the order having failed to contribute a run. Toby Roland-Jones, comfortably the pick of the Middlesex seamers, had defeated Alex Lees with a full ball and drawn edges from hard-handed prods by Gary Ballance and Andrew Gale. By the time the previously fluent Adam Lyth played on in Steven Finn’s first over, perhaps slightly surprised by the pace of a fuller delivery, Yorkshire were 53 for 4 and in danger of seeing their challenge fall away.Had Compton been able to cling on to the chance offered by Hodd – instead he seemed to go at it with hard hands – Middlesex may have taken an unassailable advantage in this match. But, as the sun came out and the ball softened, so batting started to look a little easier and the teams go into day three with the game all but even.Hodd played Ollie Rayner especially well. Refusing to let him settle, he scored at almost a run-a-ball off him, hitting him off his line with reverse sweeps and punishing him if he dropped short. Even after he departed, beaten by a full one from Roland-Jones that he tried to force, Rayner was unable to gain much purchase from the dry-looking square and was twice thrashed for sixes – one drive, one pulled – by David Willey. Though Willey also departed before the close, Azeem Rafiq gave Bresnan good support to keep Yorkshire’s hopes just about alive. Still, 350 looks some way distant.”We just tried to take the game situation – and the table situation – out of it,” Bresnan said. “We tried to focus on little goals: ten runs at a time. They bowled really well at us for a little spell and made it really tough for us. But cricket is about little battles and we managed to overcome that challenge and kick on.”With the clientele we’ve got in dressing room we never say never. We’ve managed to win from some unbelievable positions this season and if we can get up to 350 we’ll be in a good position. We’ve got 40-odd overs left to get 350, which should be plenty of time. We’ll just take it in tens.”Yorkshire’s bowlers were little short of magnificent in the morning session. While Jack Brooks, as accurate and whole-hearted as ever, finished with career-best figures of 6 for 65, he would be the first to admit he was the beneficiary of a sustained performance by all five seamers that never allowed Middlesex to score at even 2.5 an over. It was relentless in the way Test bowlers tend to be relentless: building pressure; forcing batsmen to earn every run. Even with little help from the pitch or the overhead conditions, they were so disciplined that Middlesex were never able to get away from them. Yorkshire aren’t giving up on their status as champions without a hell of a fight.Eventually that pressure showed. Nick Gubbins, perhaps mindful of Middlesex’s sluggish run-rate and keen to gain at least a third batting bonus point, was drawn into a loose drive that ended his fine innings, before James Franklin edged a good one that demanded a stroke. Unsure whether to go for a third batting point or deny Yorkshire a third bowling point, Middlesex blocked for a while only to then give it away when Tim Murtagh slogged to mid-off with just 20 balls left before the cut-off. It may yet prove to be crucial. In all, Middlesex were able to add only 62 runs for the loss of five wickets in 26.3 overs in the morning session. Without Gubbins’ century – and the dropped catch that allowed him a life on 22 – they would have had no answer to Yorkshire’s fine attack.”We’re in a dogfight, but we’re hanging in there,” Brooks said. “We didn’t let them get away and we’re still in there fighting. Bressy has worked his way up from eight to five with his batting and he’s probably been our best bowler in this game as well after coming in as fifth seamer. It shows what a world-class bowler he is.”The equation for Middlesex is, at least, simple. If they win this match, the Championship is theirs. The winning bit is far from guaranteed, though.”It’s nicely poised,” Roland-Jones said in understated fashion afterwards. “We’re trying to treat it as if it’s any other game when it’s obviously an experience you want to be part of and it’s quite high pressure.”You try not to pay too much attention [to what has been happening at Taunton], but of course you see it there. Our attitude coming into the game was to win it. If you come into the last game and dangle the carrot that if you win it you win the Championship, you take that. It’s not a bad place to be.”It will probably be no consolation to any of the sides that fall short – and truly, all three deserve better than disappointment – but the quality and intensity of this encounter reflects wonderfully well on English cricket. Perhaps familiarity has invited a certain complacency (if not contempt) to England’s first-class competition but if we still value developing Test players we will tinker no further with this great competition. The 9000 or so spectators who have attended over the first two days know this already; it’s a shame not all those inhabiting the ECB offices just beside the Nursery Ground share their enthusiasm.

No regrets for family-first Haddin

Brad Haddin has said he has no regrets about the way his Test career ended, when he was not reinstated after stepping down from the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter

Brydon Coverdale09-Sep-20151:21

‘Really only hoped for a few games at SCG’ – Haddin

Brad Haddin has said he has no regrets about the way his Test career ended, when he was not reinstated after stepping down from the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter. That decision effectively spelled the end of Haddin’s days as an Australia player, and on Wednesday he confirmed that he was now officially retired from international cricket.While it was fully expected that Haddin, 37, would depart after the Ashes tour, it had appeared likely when the campaign began that he would remain the incumbent gloveman throughout. However, he withdrew from the second Test at Lord’s to be with his four-year-old daughter Mia, who was receiving treatment in a London hospital.Mia had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when she was only 17 months old, and Haddin had missed the 2012 tour of the West Indies to remain home with his family at the time. In announcing his retirement at the SCG, Haddin said he had no regrets about his decisions and knew that he was unlikely to be recalled after standing down during the Ashes.”I’m not dirty … I’m no different to any other parent in Australia,” Haddin told reporters in Sydney. “Everyone puts their family first and I have no regrets about doing that.”To me, it wasn’t a choice. I remember saying to [wife] Karina at the hospital that I’ll never play again. She said there was still three Tests to go but cricket is a big business/sport and I’d put myself in a position where I was vulnerable because I walked away. I could live with that because I was needed somewhere else and it was a place that was far more important for me.”My family needed me at that time and the reality is I was unable to take the field for Australia with the 100% focus I needed. I understood the consequences that went with my decision; I put myself in a position to lose my spot and I don’t regret that, not one bit. I wouldn’t change one thing because I don’t regret one thing that happened.”Haddin’s wife Karina and children Mia and Zac were at the press conference at the SCG on Wednesday, and Haddin said Mia’s health was heading in the right direction.”Mia needed surgery [in Sydney] a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “She had some internal bleeds … but everything is going in the right direction. She’s a normal four-year-old girl and the surgery will allow for her to enjoy a better quality of life.”Haddin’s retirement means he will finish his career with 66 Tests to his name, along with 3266 runs at 32.98 and 270 dismissals. That places him fourth on the Australian Test wicketkeeping tally, behind Adam Gilchrist, Ian Healy and Rod Marsh.His successor, Peter Nevill, played well on debut at Lord’s, and Haddin said it was apparent when the team headed to Derby for a tour match ahead of the third Test that the selectors were leaning towards retaining Nevill. Haddin said he spoke to national selector Rod Marsh to ensure that Nevill was given enough of a chance in Derby to prepare properly for the Test.”I’ve been in cricket long enough to know when you’re about to be dropped because people start talking to you differently,” Haddin said. “I remember saying to ‘Nev’, ‘I’m not playing in this third Test, you’re in’ and he said ‘no, no’ but I said I’d ask Rod because we needed to sort it out. Pete hadn’t kept much in England and I thought if he was playing in the Test he’d need to get used to the conditions.”What was meant to happen was Rod said we’d share the keeping in that match and I said ‘Rod, I’ve been around for 15 years, if you want me to go out and give you the energy, the perfect keeping game, I’ll go and do that but if you know what’s going to happen cut the bullshit and tell us – don’t play one off against the other because you know after 15 years what I can do’.”In the end I made the call. I’m not there to muck around, we were there to play for Australia and we had to prepare the best we could and that meant Nev had to keep. My thought was we were halfway through an Ashes series and this idea about one of us keeping for the first 30 overs when they knew what the decision was, well I thought let’s get on with it, you’ve made your decision and that’s how it unfolded.”Haddin said now was the perfect time to retire from internationals and first-class cricket, although he will play on for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League. The Sixers confirmed in a press release on Wednesday that Haddin was still a key member of their squad for this summer.”I’ve only ever wanted to play at the SCG. It’s great to be here today to make my announcement,” Haddin said. “I came to the realisation after Lord’s. I’ve had a privileged run, but I lost the hunger on the Ashes tour. It was an easy decision to retire.”

Thakor ruled out of U-19 tour

Shiv Thakor, the Leicestershire allrounder, has been ruled out of the England Under-19 tour of South Africa with a broken finger

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2013Shiv Thakor, the Leicestershire allrounder, has been ruled out of the England Under-19 tour of South Africa where he was captain after sustaining a broken finger in the opening match of the trip.He is expected to be out of action for six weeks after suffering the blow against a Western Cape Invitation XI. In the first innings of that match he made 30 then took 2 for 11 but did not bat in the second innings.Oli Stone, the Northamptonshire player, will replace Thakor as captain for the remainder of the tour and Thomas Alsop, from Hampshire, has been named as the replacement batsman. Alsop is part of the Under-17 squad and trained with the U-19s at Loughborough before the tour.Jamie Overton, the Somerset bowler, will be added to the squad for the one-day series next month after being released from the England Performance Squad fast bowling programme.The two-match Test series begins on January 27 in Cape Town.

Hodge, McDonald power Renegades to win

Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald buried Sydney Sixers in an avalanche of big hits to set up Melbourne Renegades’ second successive win, moving them into the top half of the Big Bash League table for the first time

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2012
ScorecardAndrew McDonald hit seven sixes and no fours in his 60•Getty Images

Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald buried Sydney Sixers in an avalanche of big hits to set up Melbourne Renegades’ second successive win, moving them into the top half of the Big Bash League table for the first time.Chasing a challenging 162 to win, the Renegades were given a power-packed start by Aaron Finch who clubbed Brett Lee for a six over square leg in the first over, en route to 25 off 15 balls. Glenn Maxwell failed at No. 3, bringing McDonald to the crease in the fifth over, and thereafter the innings steadied itself before taking off in style.No boundaries were scored in the six overs following Maxwell’s exit, as the asking-rate mounted to leave the Renegades needing 97 off the last 10 overs. McDonald had nudged his way to 10 off 18 balls by then, while Hodge was on 25 off 24. The scene rapidly changed colours thereafter, with McDonald signalling the end of the cease-fire by launching Stuart MacGill over long-on for two sixes in the 11th over.A six each came in the next two overs, before Hodge plundered Lee for three fours in the 14th over, reducing the equation to 51 off six overs. Hodge proceeded to thump Dominic Thornely for two more sixes in the next over, before McDonald turned his guns on Steve Smith, slugging him for three sixes. The ferocity of the assault meant that Renegades were home with 14 balls to spare. In all, McDonald hit seven sixesin 60 off 37 balls, while Hodge cleared the ropes three times in his 72.The Sixers would have expected a closer contest after hustling their way to 161 in the first half of the game. Dwayne Bravo’s early exit was overcome by a chirpy 46-run stand between Michael Lumb and Nic Maddinson. As is his wont, Shahid Afridi produced the breach, getting Maddinson stumped for 29. Smith kept the momentum going, but Shane Harwood removed him just as he began to look dangerous. The closing flourish came from Moises Henriques, who hit three fours and a six in 40 off 31 balls, but his fireworks fizzled in front of the fusillade that was to follow.

Hand injury puts Gambhir in doubt

Gautam Gambhir is not a sure starter for the crucial Boxing Day Test in Durban. He was hit on his left hand, around the knuckles area, and it has swollen a bit

Sidharth Monga in Durban25-Dec-2010Gautam Gambhir is not a sure starter for the crucial Boxing Day Test in Durban. He was hit around the knuckles of his left hand in the first Test, and it has swollen a bit. He had batted in the nets all three days of India’s training leading into the Test. What is a concerning bit of news for India, though, is that the swelling seems to have grown on the match eve, and Gambhir spent a long time in the nets sitting on an ice box, with an icepack on his left hand.If Gambhir doesn’t make it, M Vijay will be his natural replacement. Looking at the contingency, India chose to give Vijay a long hit in the nets on the eve of the match. Vijay has done well in the past as a back-up opener, even when he has been called up on short notice. His last effort as replacement opener was 139 against Australia in Bangalore, which contributed to India’s 2-0 series win. For somebody who always gets called up on short notice, Vijay has a healthy average of 42.41 in eight Tests. If he gets picked, though, this will be Vijay’s biggest Test, on a green, rock-solid pitch, with overhead conditions likely to contribute to swing and seam movement.India trail 1-0, and South Africa are looking to close out this series before they enter the next year.

ECB denies reports of Gibson move

The England and Wales Cricket Board has denied reports that Ottis Gibson, England’s bowling coach, is to resign his role and take up a position as coach of the West Indies

Cricinfo staff23-Jan-2010The England and Wales Cricket Board has denied reports that Ottis Gibson,
England’s bowling coach, is to resign his role and take up a position as coach of the West Indies.This was in response to a report on the Radio Jamaica website which claimed that the station had been “reliably informed” that Gibson “is set to arrive in time to take up the job before South Africa’s tour of the Caribbean in May.” The report also stated that David Williams, the current West Indies coach who took over on an interim basis after John Dyson’s exit, is to be Gibson’s deputy.But an ECB spokesman told :”We are certainly not aware of this and no deal has been agreed.”Gibson, 40, played two Tests and 15 one-day internationals for West Indies before his nomadic career took him to Glamorgan, Staffordshire, and three South African provincial sides. Frustrated by niggling injuries, he took up coaching and found work with the ECB before returning to the game with Leicestershire in 2004. He then moved to Durham for two successful seasons before his retirement in 2007, and was named as England’s bowling coach for the tour of Sri Lanka that autumn. He was credited for playing a major part in England’s Ashes success last summer.

CWI calls for emergency meeting with legends after 'deeply hurting' loss

CWI president admits the players and fans will have several “sleepless nights” following the 3-0 defeat to Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2025Cricket West Indies (CWI) has extended invitations to three former players – Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards – to take part in an emergency meeting following West Indies’ 3-0 series loss at home to Australia. The West Indies greats will join Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw on the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee to review the team’s “deeply disappointing” performances over the past few weeks.West Indies folded quickly in the first two Tests too, but they saved the biggest ignominy for the very last, folding for 27 in 14.3 overs in Kingston. The total was just one run better than New Zealand’s Test-record low of 26 in 1955 but it was 20 runs short of West Indies’ previous worst total of 47. It was the first time in Test history a team recorded seven ducks in an innings and the six runs made collectively by West Indies’ top-six batters was the lowest in any innings in Test history.Related

  • After 27 all out, West Indies come face to face with deepening Test crisis

  • Ten days in the Caribbean: WI batters hit new lows, questions remain around Australia's top three

  • 'Heartbreaking' and 'embarrassing' – Chase laments West Indies batting woes

  • Starc six-for, Boland hat-trick consign West Indies to 27 all-out and 0-3 defeat

  • Stats – WI post second-lowest Test total; Starc takes five in 15 balls

Dr Kishore Shallow, the president of CWI, said that the entire West Indies cricket community will have several “sleepless nights” following the losses, but called for patience as they look to “rebuild and start investing in the next generation”.”Like every West Indian cricket fan, I felt the pain of our recent Test defeat to Australia,” he said. “There will be some sleepless nights ahead for many of us, including the players, who I know feel this loss just as heavily. But while disappointment is natural, we must not allow this moment to define our journey. We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricket a force in the world.”Progress is rarely straightforward. It takes time, perseverance, and belief, especially in our most difficult moments. The road ahead will test us, but I have faith in the talent and commitment of our players when they apply themselves. We have already seen encouraging signs, particularly with the ball. Our batters are keen, but now must be even more deliberate as they work to improve.”Shallow said the involvement of Lara, Richards and Lloyd wasn’t purely “ceremonial”, and that they would be actively involved in West Indies’ “next phase of cricket development”.”These are men who helped define our golden eras, and their perspectives will be invaluable. We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.”Consistent with my message over the last weeks, this is a moment that calls for collaboration, not division. We need everyone on board: fans, players, coaches, legends, and administrators, if we are to truly move forward. There is much work to be done. But we must do it with purpose, and we must do it together.”West Indies will next take on Australia in a five-match T20I series starting July 21, before hosting Pakistan for a white-ball series in August.

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