Sammy Seeks Better WIndies Player Deal

West Indies players will be thrown off the squad for the World Twenty20 if they do not agree to financial terms by Sunday’s deadline, according to the head of the region’s cricket board.

The hard-line stance comes in the wake of reports that the 15-man squad, upset at a huge pay cut, has rejected the contract offered by West Indies Cricket Board.

Cricinfo on Tuesday published a letter from Darren Sammy to the WICB in which the West Indies captain said the financial terms for the World Twenty20, which starts in India on 8 March, were unacceptable.

“We want to represent the West Indies but the financials on offer we can’t accept,” Sammy wrote.

WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead did not sound in a negotiating mood, however, when he spoke on Jamaican radio. “The WICB is committed to play in the tournament, let me say that first,” Muirhead said on Hitz 92fm.

“No one will leave the shores of the West Indies without signing a contract and if these players in particular choose not to sign, then I guess we’ll be left with no option but to substitute other players for them.”

Muirhead added that the board was not in a position to improve the remuneration package, negotiated with the players association nine months ago.

“They have had lots of time to digest and argue and do everything,” he said. “Five of the players were instrumental and were there at the onset, so at this point, I’m hoping that the players will sign and take advantage of the other benefits that are there.”

He said that players would receive half of any shirt sponsorship the board negotiates in addition to a portion of prize money.

Although West Indies cricket has fallen on hard times in the test format, it remains a major player in the shortest form of the game. West Indies won the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and are currently ranked second in the world. This year’s squad includes dashing batsmen Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard.

Sammy, who requested an urgent meeting before Sunday’s deadline, has proposed the players participate in the World Twenty20 under the same conditions as at previous tournaments.

He said players were facing a pay cut of nearly 80% and stood to earn only $21,000 apiece this year, compared to $135,000 at the last tournament.

The latest impasse between WICB and the players comes some 18 months after the premature end of West Indies’ tour of India because of a longstanding payment dispute.

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Renegade Gayle Ends Bash with Rant

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Chris Gayle has come out swinging in a long social media rant following the end of a controversial stint in the Big Bash League.

Gayle’s season with the Melbourne Renegades was embroiled in controversy surrounding his sideline interview with television reporter Mel McLaughlin.

The 36-year-old was fined $10,000 by the Renegades for his interview with McLaughlin, which he described as a “simple joke” but Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland deemed “completely out of line”.

During a 4 January match, Gayle asked McLaughlin if she wanted to go out for a drink before adding “don’t blush baby”.

On Tuesday, the powerful Jamaican fired a parting shot in an Instagram post aimed at “the haters” and those who failed to publicly defend him.

Former England Test player and BBL commentator Andrew Flintoff said Gayle had made himself “look like a bit of a chop” in a tweet following the interview with McLaughlin.

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Former Australian Test opener Chris Rogers said Gayle had set a bad example for the Sydney Thunder’s young players when the pair both played with the franchise, while allrounder Shane Watson said he expected the behaviour.

The West Indian ended his stint with the Renegades on Monday night when he equalled the world record for the fastest Twenty20 half-century, reaching the milestone from just 12 balls against the Adelaide Strikers.

In a video and audio media release issued by the Renegades on Tuesday, Gayle said he wanted to return to play again in the BBL.

“Definitely – I have always got a soft spot for Australia. And the fans here have been very supportive. They have been really, really tremendous,” he said.

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Windies Bashed by Lyon and O'Keefe

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Australian spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe took key wickets between the Sydney downpour to peg West Indies back to 207-6 at the end of a weather-disrupted opening day of the dead rubber third Test on Sunday.

More than two hours and 45 minutes of play were lost to rain in a stop-start day at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), where the tourists fell away in the early evening gloom after winning the toss and making a solid start. Denesh Ramdin, unbeaten on 23, and Carlos Brathwaite (35 not out) will resume on day two, weather permitting.

The hosts had rolled the dice on the twin spin attack at the SCG for the first time in a decade and got their reward when Lyon and O’Keefe got plenty of turn off a straw-coloured wicket. Off-spinner Lyon (2-68) produced a stunning delivery that pitched wide and turned in to take the bail off Jermaine Blackwood’s off stump for 10 and returned after the second rain break to remove danger man Kraigg Brathwaite for 85.

Left-arm orthodox spinner O’Keefe (1-42) then pitched in to have West Indies captain Jason Holder caught superbly at short leg by Joe Burns and claim his first test wicket on Australian soil. Trailing 2-0 in the three-match series after thumping defeats in Hobart and Melbourne, West Indies had started the day by building on their improved batting performance in the second Test.

After the early loss of opener Shai Hope (nine), Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo (33) looked in fine nick as they ushered the tourists to lunch at 92 for one. Australia’s bowlers emerged from the break re-energised, however, and James Pattinson got the breakthrough when Bravo’s miscued pull sent the ball flying to Usman Khawaja running in from the deep.

That broke a 91-run partnership and brought Marlon Samuels to the crease looking to break his run of eight test innings without getting to the 20-run mark. He failed in farcical fashion looking for a quick single that always looked like a gamble, left stranded when Brathwaite scuttled back to his crease as Peter Nevill broke the stumps.

After a long glare at his partner, Samuels headed back to the pavilion with four runs to his name and the rest of the players and umpires followed in his wake as heavy rain came down on the ground. Kraigg Brathwaite had brought up his eighth test half-century just before lunch by clipping all-rounder Mitchell Marsh past long leg for two runs off the 78th ball he faced.

He fell 15 runs shy off his fifth test century when Lyon got a little bit of extra bounce to a delivery which caught the opener’s glove and was snaffled up by Steve Smith at slip. “I think the spinners bowled well, it is just about trusting your defence and backing your shots and you can score,” said Brathwaite after play. “(But) on a first day pitch that spins like that, once we get a score above 300, we put ourselves in a good position.”

For Brathwaite and his teammates the SCG pitch had presented its challenges. “It’s good fun to bowl on for spinners,” spinner Nathan Lyon said after claiming his 100th test wicket in Australia. “It’s a big challenge for me, it’s spinning pretty big and it’s got decent bounce. So it’s a challenge for me to try and hit the stumps. I’m enjoying that challenge right now.”

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Windies Lloyd Accepts T20 Stars

West Indies chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd bears no ill will towards players opting to take part in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 tournament rather than playing Test cricket.

Windies stars Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo and Samuel Badree have put in a series of eye-catching performances in the Big Bash League this season, while the West Indies have struggled to compete with Australia in their three-Test series.

West Indies great Lloyd said on Friday he understood the motivation of those choosing to play the shorter format of the game to the longest. “You can’t fault them,” he said. “We’re from the islands and the point is, with the money that is being paid in these shorter games its obvious that players are looking towards their future and unfortunately we’re missing out. All those guys who we groomed have now left so were left with a vacuum and we now have to fill that.”

Lloyd said he believed the core of the side that trails Australia 2-0 ahead of the third and final Test starting at the SCG on Sunday had the potential to be competitive in the years to come. But the absence of those stars was hurting them badly. “That’s the situation we have, we have guys like Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Chris Gayle, Bravo and these fellas, they’ve retired from the longer form of the game,” he said. “Somebody like Russell surely we would have had a chat with him, but he has a problem with his knee and he’s just playing one day cricket.

“Lendl Simmons too would have been a nice guy to have in the middle there because he’s an opener he plays spin very well, he would have fitted in fine with our batting. But he’s not involved so we’ve got to look somewhere else. It’s a bit of a sad situation but I’m sure that our cricket will get better.”

Lloyd left the door open for Gayle, 36, to return from his effective retirement from Test cricket. “That’s up to him, you have to play in our four-day competition before you’re selected for the longer game,” Lloyd said. “So it’s entirely up to him to do so, if he chooses to play one-dayers then that’s his choice and we’ll have to choose accordingly.”

“But to play in the one-day game you have to play in the one-day competition and to play in the Test matches you have to play in the longer form of cricket at home.”

Australia Close to Windies Whitewash

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Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja scored half-centuries to crush a defiant West Indies fightback, pushing Australia’s lead to an imposing 459 runs at the close of day three of the second Test on Monday.

The pair’s composed 79-run stand tempered the West Indies’ cheer after their bowlers took early wickets in the wake of some doughty tail-end batting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

After Khawaja’s dismissal for 56, Smith and Mitchell Marsh guided Australia to 179 for three at stumps in glorious sunshine. Skipper Smith was unbeaten on 70 with all-rounder Marsh on 18.

Replying to Australia’s mammoth first innings declaration at 551-3, West Indies were bowled out for 271 on the stroke of tea, but not without frustrating the Australian bowlers for the first two sessions.

After resuming the day on 91-6, debutant fast bowler Carlos Brathwaite rode his luck to make a rousing 59 on debut, with Darren Bravo anchoring the tail with a patient 81.

Although trailing by 280 runs, the West Indies bowlers took heart from the defiant rearguard action and captain Jason Holder had opener Joe Burns caught in the slips for four.

After engaging in some heated exchanges with opener David Warner, Holder caught the pint-sized vice captain for 17 in the gully to give Brathwaite his first Test wicket and reduce the Australians to 46-2.

Brathwaite’s celebrations bowled his captain over but Khawaja, one of four first innings centurions for Australia, teamed up with Smith to put down the minor insurrection before he was caught behind attempting an audacious ramp shot.

It was a memorable day for Brathwaite, who was dismissed twice by paceman James Pattinson but reprieved by the television umpire.

He was bowled attempting an ugly heave on 13, then caught at long leg for 50, but was called back when replays showed Pattinson had over-stepped the crease on both occasions.

Australia are bidding to wrap up the series 2-0 with victory in Melbourne after winning the opener in Hobart.

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Windies Collapse Downunder - Second Test

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The West Indies batsmen crumbled late on Sunday to leave their team teetering at 91-6 and staring at another humiliating defeat at the close of day two of the second Test against Australia.

The dramatic collapse in the final session left the tourists 261 runs short of making the hosts bat again and came after centuries to Australia captain Steven Smith and Adam Voges drove the hosts to a mammoth first innings declaration at 551-3.

Darren Bravo was 13 not out, with debutant paceman Carlos Brathwaite on three, and their team in absolute disarray. Pacemen James Pattinson and Peter Siddle grabbed two wickets apiece along with spinner Nathan Lyon as the Caribbeans’ hopes of staving off a 2-0 series defeat appeared shot.

Openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika had negotiated a nervous hour to tea but their hard work was undone straight after the break by Lyon. In his first ball of the session, the offspinner dismissed Brathwaite for 17, the Barbadian prodding a straightforward catch to Joe Burns at short leg.

Chandrika held on for another half-hour but was out lbw for 25 off Pattinson after failing to play a shot. Pattinson needed only three more deliveries before grabbing his second wicket when Marlon Samuels was trapped lbw for a duck.

Jermaine Blackwood survived a contentious review decision after spooning a shot to Burns who claimed a low catch at short leg when on 18. Umpire Marais Erasmus called on the TV replay for guidance and third umpire Ian Gould issued a not out decision to the howling derision of fans.

Jamaican Blackwood then skipped down the wicket at Lyon to hoist him over the fence for six but was caught and bowled by the spinner four balls later after attempting the same gambit.

Denied by Gould, Burns hit back to secure the fifth wicket for Peter Siddle, leaping to his right to catch wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for a duck. Siddle bowled Jason Holder for a third duck next ball but was denied a second career hat-trick by a straight bat from Brathwaite.

West Indies had managed to prise only three wickets from nearly five sessions of cricket, but Australia’s bowlers managed six in the final two hours.

Smith, the ICC cricketer of the year, earlier raised his 13th Test century and walked off unbeaten on 134 after declaring before tea.

His untroubled 177-ball innings was his sixth Test ton for the year and put him on top of the leading run-scorers for 2015 ahead of England skipper Alastair Cook.

Voges was also unbeaten, his 106 off 166 balls the Western Australian’s fourth Test century since his debut at the age of 35 against the same opponents on tour in Roseau.

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Windies Suffer Burns and Khawaja

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Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns rewarded the Australian selectors’ faith with a pair of sparkling centuries as the hosts dominated a limp West Indies attack on the opening day of the second test on Saturday.

Having recovered from a hamstring strain, Khawaja celebrated his recall with a glittering 144, with Queensland team mate Burns making 128 in front of a festive Melbourne Cricket Ground crowd to drive Australia to 345-3 at stumps. The pair’s 258-run stand remained unbroken until well into the final session, with captain Steve Smith (32 not out) and Adam Voges (10) untested in negotiating the final overs.

Australia won the opener emphatically in Hobart and took a big stride toward sealing the three-match series with a game in hand after being sent in to bat by West Indies captain Jason Holder. Holder’s decision was a poor one in hindsight, with the MCG pitch flattening out in bright sunshine after rain held up play for an hour.

His players again failed to rally around their skipper, however, with the bowling tepid at best and fielding at times abysmal. Khawaja was dropped on 23 shortly after lunch after nicking a half-chance to the gully and spooned the simplest of chances to Marlon Samuels at cover to again be reprieved on 142.

He and Burns came together early in the morning session after opener David Warner was dismissed for a quickfire 23 and they erased any lingering confidence in the Caribbeans who were thrashed by an innings and 212 runs in Hobart. Unbeaten at tea, Burns and Khawaja ramped up their attack straight in the final session and raced to reach their centuries.

Burns made his ton and second test century first with a punch for three through point. Khawaja followed two balls later, scrambling for a single presented by a misfield. The pair ploughed on steadily to guide Australia past 250, with the West Indies bowlers’ hopes seemingly fixed on the batsmen suffering a lapse in concentration rather than succumbing to any sustained pressure.

As it happened, Burns duly delivered after the drinks break, getting stumped after charging down the wicket at part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite. Khawaja appeared to succumbed to fatigue rather than the bowler’s guile as he tickled Taylor down the leg-side to be caught behind.

After a run of modest scores, Burns was widely tipped to make way for the returning Khawaja but it was middle order batter Shaun Marsh making way for the stylish left-hander. “It was just a nice feeling to make a 100 for Australia on Boxing Day,” Burns told reporters. “Certainly something to savour ... Hopefully we can go on and win the Test match and win the series.”

West Indian Kraigg Brathwaite said it was a “decent day” for the tourists. “Obviously (they have to) try to be build some pressure to not let them score so freely,” said the spinner.

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Pattinson Five Thumps Windies

Paceman James Pattinson took five for 27 to fire Australia to a thumping first Test victory 

over West Indies by an innings and 121 runs with more than two days to spare at Hobart on Saturday.

Australia enforced the follow-on after dismissing the tourists for 223 inside the first five overs of the third day at Bellerive Oval, and completed the rout by skittling West Indies for 148 in their second innings.

It was Australia’s second largest victory in 114 Tests against the Caribbean islanders and gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in a three-match series, which concludes with Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia, who could return to the top of the Test rankings with a 3-0 series sweep, made 583 for four declared in their first innings on the back of a world record fourth wicket stand of 449 between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh.

Darren Bravo scored a fine 108 in the first innings and Kraigg Brathwaite notched 94 in the second but questions will continue to be asked about the long-term future of West Indies Test cricket after an otherwise hapless display.

Despite the poverty of the opposition, Australia will take positives from the match-turning performance from their inexperienced middle order, as well as from Pattinson’s fiery and productive spell in eight overs on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood (4-45) took the lead as the hosts wrapped up West Indies’ innings with only 16 runs added to their overnight tally of 207-6 on a chilly morning in Tasmania.

It was Pattinson, playing his first Test in 18 months in place of the injured Mitchell Starc, who provided the spearhead after Steve Smith had become the first Australia skipper in six years to enforce the follow-on on home soil.

Opener Rajendra Chandrika lasted just three balls before departing with his third duck in four Test innings before Bravo (4) earned the questionable distinction of being dismissed twice in the same session.

Two overs later and Pattinson sent back Marlon Samuels (3) and Jermaine Blackwood (0) in successive balls, giving Australia a hat-trick chance for the second time in one day.

Pattinson was unable to convert and it was all-rounder Mitchell Marsh who next took advantage of the feeble batting, having Denesh Ramdin caught for four off his first delivery.

Jason Holder put on 30 with Brathwaite before Pattinson returned to claim his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests, the West Indies skipper flicking his 32nd delivery down the leg side and into the gloves of Peter Nevill for 17.

Nevill was again in action to dismiss Kemar Roach (3) off Hazlewood and the right-arm paceman got his sixth wicket of the match when Jerome Taylor holed out in the deep for 12.

Brathwaite was the final wicket to fall, bowled by Hazlewood (3-33), as West Indies pace bowler Shannon Gabriel did not bat in either innings after injuring his ankle on day one.

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Windies Focused for Australia XI - Sir Curtly

The first of a three-Test series starts in Hobart on Thursdaywith West Indies going into the game after a 2-0 series defeat against Sri Lanka and 10-wicket hammering in their only tour match – against a Cricket Australia XI that featured six first-class debutants.

Sir Curtly Ambrose, who is with the squad as a bowling consultant, says the players should not take notice of the negative press they are receiving.

“We’re going to be focused. We’re not going to worry about what has been said about us not being a good team or not going to compete,” Ambrose said. “When we perform and beat Australia, then the reporters will have to change their tune.

“We played against Australia not so long ago in the Caribbean and even though we lost 2-0 there were moments or periods when we had them on the back foot and had their backs against the wall. And we never really finished them off. So we believe we can compete and not only compete but we believe we can beat them. Not just to compete but to win and being the underdogs, sometimes it’s good to be that way.

“They have to beat us because Australians and cricket in general expect them to steamroll us. So they’re the ones who are under pressure, not us. And we’re going to put up a good show.”

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