Cricket

England's Twenty20 International (T20I) series triumph over the West Indies in St Lucia marks a significant milestone for the team. After a rain-delayed start, England emerged victorious in a tense match, securing their first white-ball series win in the Caribbean since 2019.The West Indies' innings began with a shaky start, losing five wickets for just 37 runs. However, a resilient half-century from captain Rovman Powell (51) and a valuable contribution from Romario Shepherd (28) helped the team recover, setting a target of 146 runs for England.England's chase faced early setbacks with the dismissals of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell. Sam Curran (41) and Liam Livingstone (39) steadied the innings, guiding England towards the target. Despite losing wickets at crucial moments, England managed to reach the target with just four balls to spare.Saqib Mahmood was England's standout bowler, claiming three wickets for 17 runs. The victory is a positive sign for England after disappointing performances in the 2023 ODI World Cup and this year's T20 World Cup.The series has also witnessed a trend of the team winning the coin toss going on to win the match. This has been the case in all three One Day Internationals and the first two Twenty20 Internationals.With two more T20 matches remaining in St Lucia this weekend, England will aim to complete a series sweep and continue their momentum ahead of the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia.

Test Cricket in the Caribbean: A Cause for ConcernFormer West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has raised concerns over the dwindling interest in Test cricket in the Caribbean region. He fears that the rapid rise of T20 cricket and the preference of players for this shorter format may lead to a talent drain to the United States.Sarwan believes that the number of first-class matches played per season, which currently stands at a mere five, should be increased to a minimum of ten to provide players with more opportunities to hone their skills in the traditional format. He also highlights the scarcity of proper cricketing infrastructure in the region.The lack of emphasis on Test cricket and the temptation of lucrative T20 franchise leagues are affecting the format that Sarwan cherishes. He anticipates a significant departure of Caribbean players to the United States, where cricket has gained momentum following the hosting of the T20 World Cup and its inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics program.Sarwan believes that a quick resolution to the challenges faced by Test cricket is unlikely to be found in the near future. He suggests that the ICC may need to intervene to limit the number of T20 tournaments played around the world.Despite the challenges, Sarwan remains optimistic about the future of Caribbean cricket. He sees potential in young talents like Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph and Trinidadian batsman Nicholas Pooran. He also admires the skills of South African Hashim Amla and Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.