Cricket

West Indies have bolstered their T20I squad with the return of key players Akeal Hosein, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, and Andre Russell for the upcoming series against England. The quartet missed the previous T20I fixtures in Sri Lanka due to personal reasons, but Hetmyer was recalled for the ODIs against England.The squad remains largely unchanged from the one that lost 2-1 to Sri Lanka, with Alick Athanaze, Andre Fletcher, and Shamar Springer making way for Terrance Hinds, Matthew Forde, and Romario Shepherd. Hinds retains his place despite being uncapped, while Forde provides cover for Alzarri Joseph, who received a two-match suspension for walking off the field in the third ODI.West Indies head coach Daren Sammy expressed confidence in the selected squad, stating, "The T20 team is our most settled team with lots of experienced players. However, the difficulty will be picking the eleven, as every single player is challenging for a spot. As we face a very good England team, I am confident that the selected squad will continue to play a brand of cricket that allows us to win games and this 'Rivalry' series."After the two matches in Barbados, the teams will move to St Lucia for the remaining three games. West Indies are expected to confirm their squad for those matches in due course.

USA opener Steven Taylor is set to face his childhood heroes, the West Indies, in a T20 World Cup 2024 clash on Friday night in Barbados. Taylor, born in Florida to Jamaican parents, will be singing David Rudder's "Rally Round The West Indies" as he lines up against the team he grew up supporting.Despite being raised on America's south-east coast, Taylor's West Indian heritage has always been a strong part of his identity. He expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing against the West Indies, saying, "It will be a wonderful feeling. I'm representing my parents, my Jamaican heritage. At the end of the day, I might be born American, but I speak more Jamaican than I speak American sometimes."Taylor's confidence stems from his belief that USA can beat West Indies. He recalled their close encounter in the 50-over World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe last year, where USA lost by just 39 runs. "We gave them a fight at the end of the day and we know that we have a chance of beating them once we play good cricket on the day," he said.Taylor's familiarity with some of the West Indies players, including his former Barbados Tridents teammate Akeal Hosein, adds an extra layer of intrigue to the match. "He's a good friend of mine," Taylor said of Hosein. "I know most of his tricks so for sure I'll be hunting him, first ball."Despite their opening defeat to South Africa in the Super Eight, Taylor remains optimistic about USA's chances. He praised Andries Gous' unbeaten 80 and the team's comeback with the ball. "I would say we're playing good cricket and the team is gelling well together," he said. "At the end of the day, we know that we're going to be the underdogs for all teams that we play against in the Super Eights. So, we're just here to play good cricket and if we go in, we win; if we lose, we lose."

West Indies' dominance in the T20 World Cup was on full display as they crushed Uganda by a resounding 134 runs, thanks to a masterful bowling performance by left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein.Opting to bat first, West Indies posted a competitive 173/5, led by Johnson Charles' aggressive 44 and Andre Russell's late blitz of 30 not out. Brandon King (13) provided an early spark, while Nicholas Pooran's quickfire 22 injected momentum into the innings.Uganda's bowlers, led by skipper Brian Masaba (2/31) and Alpesh Ramjani (2/28), showed moments of control, but Russell's explosive hitting in the final overs ensured a challenging target.Uganda's chase never gained traction, as Akeal Hosein's spin bowling proved devastating. His career-best figures of 5/11 decimated the Ugandan batting lineup, restricting them to a paltry 39 runs in 12 overs – the joint-lowest total in men's T20 World Cup history.Hosein's impact was immediate, dismissing Roger Mukasa with the second ball of the innings. He then removed Alpesh Amjani and Riazar Ali Shah in quick succession, leaving Uganda reeling at 8/3 inside the powerplay.The Ugandan batsmen struggled to read Hosein's deliveries, succumbing to his relentless pressure. He returned in his final over to claim two more wickets, completing his maiden five-wicket haul and etching his name in the record books with the best bowling figures by a West Indian bowler in T20 World Cup history.This emphatic victory significantly bolsters West Indies' net run rate to a healthy 3.574, strengthening their position in Group C and bolstering their chances of securing a top-two finish.