Here are this month’s WI Wickets’ Laurels & Darts. As a
reminder, laurels are awarded to those whose activities
within the governing past month have been deserving of
the highest kudos. Conversely, darts are thrown at those whose
conduct has been most unbecoming. Five laurels are awarded
each month, but only three darts are thrown.
JUNE LAURELS:
Nicholas Pooran for his outstanding batting for
the West Indies during the Zimbabwe 2023 ICC World Cup
Qualifier. Pooran notched scores of 43, 115, 34 and 114 not out
in the West Indies; four Preliminary Round matches against the
USA, Nepal, Zimbabwe and the Netherlands. Pooran was by far
the West Indies’ most consistently outstanding batsman during
the tournaments Preliminary Rounds.
Alzarri Joseph for becoming the fastest West Indies
bowler to claim 100 ODI wickets. Joseph finally reached the
landmark during the West Indies final Preliminary Round match
against the Netherlands at the ICC 2023 Cup Zimbabwe
Qualifier, which was his 60th ODI match in West Indies colours.
The record was previously held by the former West Indies
speedster, not world renowned cricket television commentator
Ian Bishop who had reached the landmark in his 61st ODI.
Joseph’s feat could have come a lot sooner had his
unsupportive teammates held the catches that were offered off
of his bowling during the preceding Qualifier match against hosts
Zimbabwe. No fewer that three catches, most very simple, off
of Joseph’s bowling by Zimbabwe’s batsmen.
West Indies Women’s Cricket Captain Hayley Matthews for leading from the front by scoring a superb century,
109 off just 107 balls, against Ireland in the opening encounter
of the three-match ODI series being played between the two
teams. Matthews’ outstanding innings led the hosts West Indies
to a 59run victory and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It was
Matthew’s fourth ODI ton in West Indies maroon colours.
Former West Indies Women’s cricket captain,
all-rounder Stafanie Taylor for playing her 150th ODI. The
Wednesday, June 28 second ODI between hosts West Indies and
Ireland was Taylor’s 150th appearance in matches played in the 50-
over format.
Since debuting in 2008 as a 17-year-old Taylor has gone on
to score 5422 ODI runs, becoming in the process the format’s third
highest run-scorer. She will also forever remain famous for having led
the West Indies team to victory at the 2016 ICC Women’s World
Cup.
Former West Indies and Trinidad & Tobago captain and
opening batsman Darren Ganga for his demonstrated courage in
publicly criticizing his country’s National Selectors! Ganga publicly
voiced his dissatisfaction over the Selectors’ inclusion of the
36-year-old Dave Mohammed in the Trinidad & Tobago National
Franchise squad for this year’s Cricket West Indies Regional Super50
Tournament to be held this coming October. Ganga suggested that
Mohammed’s places should have been given to a much younger
player with a potentially brighter future
JUNE DARTS!
The International Cricket Council (ICC) for its gross neglect in not including the Decision Review System
(DRS) during the Preliminary Rounds of the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier currently being played in
Zimbabwe! The standard of umpiring was demonstratively poor, to such an extent as to have seriously affected
the eventual outcomes of some matches. DRS was thankfully introduced for the tournament’s Super Six stage,
the top two teams from which will qualify for the 2o23 ICC ODI World Cup to be held in India, this coming
October-November.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for its petty-political, vindictive decision to decline sanctioning of the
Berbice Cricket Board’s (BC) 2023 Speaker’s Championships. The non-sanction is just the most recent example
of the GCB’s continued attempts to stymie the BCB’s outstandingly progressive activities. Which have long since become a source of embarrassment given the GCB’s abject failure to implement any similarly worthy initiatives towards the further meaningful development of Guyana’s cricket!
The West Indies Men’s cricket team for its insipid and pathetic displays against both Zimbabwe and
the Netherlands during the ongoing ICC 2o23 ICC World Cup Qualifier! Eventual losses in both matches, from
positions, of superiority have left the West Indies in the embarrassing position of almost certainly not being
among the tournament’s top two teams which will progress to the India-hosted ICC 2023 ODI World Cup this
coming October-November. If and when the two-time former champions West Indies do fail to qualify for the
2023 World Cup it will be for the very first time in the tournament’s 48-year history!