March 19th 2007 by HAYDN GILL in Jamaica Compliments of the Barbados Nation news

THE EVENTS of the past few days have demonstrated there are no predictable results in Cricket World Cup 2007.

As West Indies prepare to face Zimbabwe at Sabina Park today, they would have sat back and taken note of what Ireland did to Pakistan and what Bangladesh did to India on Saturday.

The shock results have thrown the notion through the window that the majority of group stage matches were going to be predictable with results in favour of the eight leading international nations against the fledgling countries.

Against that background, West Indies captain Brian Lara is not under-estimating either Zimbabwe or Ireland.

"It's going to be very competitive. Zimbabwe and Ireland have shown they cannot be taken lightly," Lara said yesterday.

"We're going to play the game with the same gusto like we had against Pakistan. A win tomorrow [today] will put us into the second stage, but it doesn't mean we have any points as yet.

"We've got a very important two games left and we're going to take each game one at a time." < Read more >

March 13th 2007 Compliments of the Barbados Nation News by HAYDN GILL in Jamaica

THE REHEARSALS and warm-ups are over. Today it is serious business. And following yesterday's final practice session at Kensington Park in Jamaica, Brian Lara and his men geared themselves mentally for their first mission of Cricket World Cup 2007 – beat the Pakistanis in today's lead-off first-round match of the tourney. Here (from left) Lara, Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard and Daren Powell going through a final exercise routine. (Picture by Brooks LaTouche Photography.) < Read more >

November 2006 Compliments of the Nation News West Indies' Chris Gayle holding the man-of-the-match trophy in the ICC Champions Trophy cricket tournament semi-final against South Africa in Jaipur, India. Gayle scored a brilliant 133 not out, as West Indies easily won by six wickets. (AP Picture)

October 2006 West Indies wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh taking a ride on a camel after the team held a training session in Jaipur yesterday. He and other teammates took the opportunity to take in a bit of Indian culture as they prepare to face South Africa in the second semi-final of the International Cricket Council's Champions Trophy. Compliments of the Nation News

Published on: 9/16/06. Compliments of the Nation News West Indies captain Brian Lara (left) and teammates Ramnaresh Sarwan (right) and Runako Morton (12th man) walk off the field after rain stopped play in their One-Day match against India in Kuala Lumpur Thursday. Lara was 27 not out, and Sarwan 37 not out, when the match was called off, and the regional side declared winners by the Duckworth/Lewis system. (AP Picture)

Kensington Oval in Barbados is taking shape for the 2007 International Cricket Council World Cup, key officials went on a three-hour tour of the historic ground. What they saw was a lush green outfield, a "square" taking shape and a spanking new Garfield Sobers Player Pavilion. Soil and agronomy specialists also carried out tests on the pitch and field. Here, a look at the new pavilion with the nets in the foreground. Inset, Courtney Browne (centre), the cricket operations manager for Barbados, does a turf test accompanied by Winston Reid (left), of the Barbados Local Organising Committee, and Francis Lopez, of the event's sports agronomy team. (Picture by Philip Spooner.Compliments of the Nation News)

Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament

Compliments of the Nation News by HAYDN GILL in Antigua July 2006

Barbados, the first of the regional powerhouses to make an appearance in the Stanford 20/20 Tournament, started their quest toward the US$1 million jackpot with a 38-run victory over unproven Anguilla under the lights here last night

It could have been more convincing, but it was good enough before an almost packed Stanford Cricket Ground that took on a wonderful festive atmosphere. < Read more >

Compliments of the Nation News by Philip Spooner in Antigua A West Indies dream team has been brought to board, with Allen Stanford pushing the new Stanford 20/20 cricket project aimed at re-energising the game in the region.

	The galaxy of stars - Sir Garry Sobers, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Everton Weekes, Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Wes Hall, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop comprise the board of directors for the US$28 million project.
They will advise Stanford on matters related to the game and how to implement player-friendly programmes. < Read more > Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd (right) being congratulated by billionaire Allen Stanford after Lloyd gave a speech in Antigua, in October 200,5 endorsing the new US$28 million (BDS$56 million) cricket plan.

Date January 25, 2006

BERMUDA, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands were the first countries to receive the initial drawdown of US$100 000 each as the Stanford 20/20 Tournament got rolling.

Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire behind the US$28 million project, began his visits and dissemination of funds to the 19 nations participating in the tournament which will climax in Antigua in September.

The winning side will pocket US$1 million. < Read more >

Allen Stanford (centre) handing over the sponsorship cheque to Jackie Hendriks (fourth right), president of the Jamaica Cricket Association. Other members of the Jamaica Cricket Board look on. Compliments of the Nation News

Sir Viv Richards interview

Date December 25, 2005 Compliments of the Nation News by PHILIP SPOONER

SIR EVERTON WEEKES wants to see Brian Lara go back to the top and leading the
West Indies cricket team, but Sir Vivian Richards isn't sure who should get the job.
When Sir Everton, a West Indies cricket legend, made this disclosure last week in Trinidad, it stunned some observers.
Sir Viv Richards, another West Indies cricket legend, does not necessarily disagree
with Sir Everton, but he's not as positive that Lara's return to the helm would solve the problems facing the Windies.
In an interview from Antigua, Sir Viv said the situation was so dire he was not sure which member of the team he would pick.
"I don't know. I don't know . . . It's a really tough one . . . I just don't know," was Sir Viv's initial reply.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul has struggled in the job since he took it up earlier this year.
He replaced Lara who was sacked by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Read more

Reproduced compliments of The Nation News

JULY 2005

	Barbados has decided to back Clive Lloyd for the post of vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) ahead of next month's annual general meeting. Stephen Alleyne, president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), said Barbados was the second country to support Lloyd, who was first nominated by his native Guyana. The annual general meeting of the WICB will be held in St Maarten on August 6 and 7, where the president and vice-president will be elected. Ken Gordon, the former media manager from Trinidad has been nominated unopposed for the post of president, while Lloyd, a former West Indies captain, will be running against incumbent Val Banks for vice-president. < Read more >
Compliments of the Nation News JUNE 2005 Thank you, 'SHEP': David Shepherd bade farewell to the Test arena with a special gift yesterday. Brian Lara (right) presented the highly-respected English umpire with the bat he used to crack centuries in the two Digicel Tests against Pakistan and Sabina Park and Kensington Oval. It carried the inscription: "Thanks for the service, the memories and the professionalism."
MAY 2005 Brian Lara's excellent form in 2004 earned him three awards to help him dominate the First Citizens Bank WIPA 2004 Awards Function, which was held at the Jamaica Pegasus. Lara, who has been in prime form in 2004, a form which has extended to 2005, won the Test Cricketer of the Year, the 2004 International Cricketer of the Year and a special award for his record breaking 400 not out against England at the Antigua Recreation ground. Lara scored 1178 runs at 58.90, in twelve test matches, with three hundreds and four fifties. < Read more>
	In front of his adoring hometown fans in Trinidad, Brian Charles Lara got redemption with a glorious unbeaten hundred that dominated the opening day of the second Digicel cricket Test against South Africa at Queen’s Park Oval in May 2005.
SHIV CHANDERPAUL and his new-look West Indies team fought like tigers at Bourda, but somehow South Africa were able to claw their way out of trouble and draw the opening Test of the Digicel series. World-class allrounder Jacques Kallis was the backbone of the South African batting with an undefeated face-saving hundred that placed him in the 7 000-run club.

Caribbean Cricket

Sporting islands

On a mostly unrewarding last day, one of the few breakthroughs for the home team was the clear LBW decision part-time spinner Narsingh Deonarine earned against Jacques Rudolph.
IT’S FINAL … It’s The Final ... It’s Barbados. by Haydn Gill World Cup Barbados chief executive officer Stephen Alleyne (right), Prime Minister Owen Arthur (centre) and Sir Garfield Sobers showing their delight after Barbados was awarded the 2007 World Cup final.

. < Read more >

The Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies is to remain true to its name.

The eight hosting venues, chosen by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and announced at a media conference was beamed live back to the Caribbean through CMC radio and television, are all West Indian.

The only two extra-regional bids among the 12 submitted, from Broward County in the American state of Florida and from Bermuda, were unsuccessful. < Read more >

Ex West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara has faced immense and intense pressure and criticism from all quarters since the West Indies defeat by England in the third test at Kensington Oval.

But the captain has vowed he will not raise the white flag, that he will soldier on amidst the personal and team battles.

“The next five days are very important in terms of my future as captain,” he said prior to the match. “No captain, no team, wants to go down for the first time in their history as losing all their Test matches at home.”

But he had travelled the same rocky path before and he k the way out.

AS he did five years ago, Brian Lara, this Easter week end, once more transformed a situation of deep personal and team crisis into one of critical revival and triumph at the scene of his most celebrated innings.

Lara, the modern game’s greatest exponent of batsmanship took the burden of all his West Indian people on his shoulders and transformed despair into a triumph.

Ex - West Indies

(Picture by Brooks LaTouche Photography.)

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)

Extracts from the Nation News

Learn more about Lara and Caribbean cricket