United States midfi elder Christian Pulisic (10) kicks the ball past Jamaica midfi elder Andre Lewis (4) during the
second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifi nal soccer match Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. The
United States won 3-1. Associated Press / Mark Zaleski
By Azad Ali
Fast bowling legend Sir Curtly
Ambrose says Chris Gayle should bow
out gracefully after this World Cup and
move forward instead of saying that
he would play “maybe a Test match
against India” which is his plan after
the World Cup.
Ambrose has criticized the idea of
Gayle returning for a farewell Test later
this year against India, contending the
veteran’s lack of fitness ruled him out
of contention for the longest format.
Gayle, 39, announced he would retire
from One-Day Internationals (ODIs)
following the ongoing World Cup but
had a change of heart recently, saying
he would play a Test match against
India and then he would definitely play
the ODIs.
Sir Curtly said while Gayle had
enjoyed a stellar career, the time had
come to move on.
“Let me tell you something, one
word; nonsense,” Sir Curtly on BBC’s
Test match special broadcast.
“He hasn’t played a Test match for
five years, he can barely make it an
ODI… I mean a Test match is five days,
six hours every day — it’s grueling.
Caribbean L 36 ife, July 12–18, 2019 BQ
What kind of message would it send
to one of the opening batsmen?” Sir
Curtly said.
The former fast bowler said Gayle
has done extremely well for West Indies
in world cricket… “but you must bow
out. Move forward.”
Gayle played the last of his 105 Tests
five years ago but has never announced
his retirement from the longest format
of the game.
He has scored 7,214 runs at an
average of 42 with 15 centuries and is
only one of four players in history to
score two triple centuries.
West Indies
in the event.
A win at the start of the competition
against Pakistan by Captain Jason
Holder’s men had captured the
imagination of the cricketing world.
But a string of six defeats brought
embarrassment to the team and the
win over Afghanistan only reminded
them they are at the bottom of world
cricket.
After scoring 311 for six off their
50 overs, mainly due to Shai Hope 77
(who was dropped on 5), Evin Lewis
and Nicholas Pooran’s 58 each and
captain Holder’s 45, their bowlers lost
their plan before they bowled out
Afghanistan out of 288 at Headingley,
Leeds,
At one point it looked like
Afghanistan would have pulled off
their fourth win in five matches
against the West Indies, as Rahamut
Shah and Ikram Alikil put on a score
of 133 in 25 overs after the first wicket
fell at 5.
It was only when Alikil fell for 86 off
93 balls with eight fours that the West
Indies finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The early dismissal of Chris Gayle
for 7 in his final World Cup hampered
their chances of posting a bigger
score.
Gayle-making his record-tying 295
ODI appearance for the West Indies-
had bowling figures of 1-28 off his
six overs to make up for his batting
failure.
He had needed 18 runs to top Brian
Lara’s (10,348) as West Indies leading
scorer in ODIs, but scored only 7.
WOW.”
Lara, who is nicknamed “The
Prince of Port of Spain,” has been
widely acknowledged as one of the
greatest batsmen of all time.
He was awarded Trinidad and
Tobago’s highest national award, the
Trinity Cross (later changed to the
Order of the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago) in 2013.
The legendary batsman holds the
record for the highest individual
score in first-class cricket, with 501
not out for Warwickshire against
Durham at Edgbaston, England, in
l994 and the record for the highest
individual score in a Test innings
after scoring 400 not out against
England at Antigua in 2004.
Lara was appointed honorary
member of the Order of Australia on
Nov. 27, 2009.
On September 2012, he was
inducted to the ICC’s Hall of Fame at
the awards ceremony held in Colombo,
Sri Lanka as a 2012-13 season
inductee along with Australians Glen
McGrath and former England women
all-rounder Enid Bakewell.
Americans have won a team record 10
straight Gold Cup matches.
“We’ve already started preparing, already
started watching them the last couple of
days,’’ U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said.
“It’s a good team, quality players, good
team concept, a lot of intensity that they
play with. They can hurt teams. Having
said that, they’re also vulnerable, and we’ll
plan to be able to hurt them as well.”
McKennie put the U.S. ahead in the
ninth minute with his third international
goal. The game was halted in the 16th
minute for 1 hour, 28 minutes because of
a lightning storm.
“I haven’t really dealt with something
like that since like youth soccer,’’ Pulisic
said. ``It was strange. We tried to keep
ourselves going, and in the end, everything
worked out.’’
Pulisic made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute
and Shamar Nicholson cut the deficit in
the 69th. Pulisic got his second goal in
the 87th, giving the 20-year-old 13 goals
in 30 international appearances. Nine of
Pulisic’s 12 international goals have come
in competitive matches.
Nicholson’s goal was the first against
the U.S. in the tournament and ended
a 482-minute scoreless streak by the
American defense.
“I’m really disappointed that we
conceded a goal in this tournament, but
it’s a learning moment and something
that looking back on it now, I’m glad we
did because the guys had to dig deep,”
Berhalter said.
Jamaica was trying to reach its third
straight Gold Cup final following losses
to Mexico in 2015 and the U.S in 2017.
The Reggae Boyz could not contain
Pulisic and McKennie, a pair of 20-yearold
midfielders.
“I think we lost the game in the center
of the park tonight,” Jamaica coach
Theodore Whitmore said.
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UNITED STATES DEFEAT JAMAICA
Brian Lara
Ambrose: Gayle should bow out of Test cricket
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