Trinidad and Tobago head coach Terry Fenwick acknowledges fans in the stands during warmups before an international
friendly soccer match against the United States, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. Associated Press/
West Indies
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TASTES TRIUMPH Skerritt
By Azad Ali
Former West Indies Test Captain, Jason
Holder has been named as one of Wisden’s
five Cricketers-of-the-Year, further bolstering
his status as one of the world’s elite
players.
The 29-year-old was announced last week
on the prestigious list, joining Englishman
Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Darren Stevens,
along with Pakistani’s Mohammed
Rizwan, as the most influential players identified
by cricket’s most respected authoritative
voice.
Holder becomes the third West Indian
player in the last nine years to cop the award,
Caribbean L 34 ife, APRIL 23-29, 2021
joining teammates Shai Hope (2018) and
now retired stroke-maker, Marlon Samuels.
Holder, one of West Indies’ youngest ever
Test captains, has risen to become one of
the Caribbean side’s leading players and currently
sits on top of the International Cricket
Council’s Test all-rounder rankings.
The former Test captain, who was
replaced for the Bangladesh two-Test series
by Kraigg Braithwaite earlier this year, is
currently campaigning in the Indian Premier
League (IPL) for Sunrisers Hyderabad,
said he was delighted with the honor especially
after the “blood, sweat and tears” he
had left on the field.
West Indies’ Jason Holder. Action
Images via Reuters / Paul Childs
Continued from Page 33
Simmons said it was important
from a country standpoint to get better
wickets where “we can have Test
matches that will create a result.”
The Windies found themselves
frustrated on Good Friday when Sri
Lanka comfortably batted out the
final day of the second Test to earn
a draw.
Set an improbable target of 377
runs, Sri Lanka resumed the final
day on 29 without loss and lost only
two wickets, en-route to reaching 193
before the game was called off.
The first Test had taken a similar
direction with West Indies easily
batting out the final day after being
asked to get 375 for victory.
West Indies employed a fivepronged
attack for the series with
four fast bowlers and off-spinner Rahkeem
Cornwall being utilized.
Simmons said it was more the
tranquility of the pitch and not the
effectiveness of the bowling group,
that led to the drawn matches.
of West Indies cricket.”
The re-election of Skerritt and
Shallow was always on the cards
once their challengers Anand Sanasie
of the Guyana Cricket Board and
Barbados Cricket Association, Calvin
Hope, dropped out of the race a week
before the April 11 AGM, which was
postponed from March 28 due to a
lack of quorum.
The GCB and the BCA came under
heavy criticism from other territorial
boards — the Jamaica Cricket
Association, the Windwards Board,
the Leeward Islands Cricket Board
and the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket
Board — over their controversial
move.
Shallow, president of the Windward
Islands Cricket Board, said the
victory was one for the development
of West Indies cricket.
said.
On March 25, it said Trinidad and
Tobago tasted triumph again, as they
whipped Guyana 3-0 in their opening
Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying fixture,
adding that Fenwick “gushed over their
showing in Santo Domingo.”
“I’m obviously very pleased with
the result,” Fenwick told the Trinidad
and Tobago Football Association (TTFA)
media. “This is my players that want to
make … the football fans back home
in Trinidad proud of our performances.
Can’t say anything too high about them,
the performance was great.”
Wired868 said team captain, Khaleem
Hyland, “who was a commanding presence
in central midfield, was glad to have
something to celebrate — although his
stats were a bit off.”
“It is our first victory in 20 games,” it
quoted Hyland as saying. “So, we needed
to get back to that standard where we
belong.”
Wired868 said Trinidad and Tobago
were, “at times, unrecognizable from
the long-ball, kamikaze-press merchants
they were under Fenwick against the US
and in the practice games in Trinidad.
“Instead, they sometimes passed
through rather than over the opposing
midfield lines—a task made easier
by an unusually tame Guyana team—
and looked fairly composed in possession,
with Hyland, debutant Daniel Phillips
and the roving Joevin Jones having
much to do with that,” it said.
Still, Fenwick could point to fact that
Levi Garcia’s opening goal came from
regaining possession high up the field,
Sheldon Bateau scored off a set-piece and
forward Ryan Telfer grabbed a third from
a long ball, although it owed much to an
extraordinary error by Guyana goalkeeper
Akel Clarke, according to Wired868
said.
“We are working on a very high press,
from that high press it’s 100 miles per
hour and then we’ve got to slow it down
and be composed when we’re on the
ball,” Fenwick told Wired868. “I thought
our passing and movement was excellent.
When we were direct we were very
direct and got our goals, set plays worked
very well with the in-swinging free kick.
“… Obviously pleased, but this is just
the first of hopefully many,” he added.
“But again, one step at a time.”
Phelan M. Ebenhack, fi le
Continued from Page 33
WIPA’s President Wavell Hinds
and former player of Derbyshire
Phantoms. Action Images / Carl Recine
Continued from Page 33
Holder among Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year