Cricket in the West Indies
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In the sport of
The
Domestic competitions organised across the whole of the West Indies include the
).Cricket is also played in other Caribbean territories such as the
are affiliate members. As such, these territories do not form part of the West Indies for cricketing purposes, and field their own separate national teams.Originally introduced to the West Indies by British soldiers, cricket's popularity spread to the black population and it is traditionally considered one of the most popular team sport in the West Indies and a major part of West Indian culture, although others sports such as association football and basketball have challenged its popularity since the 1990s. Major international cricket competitions hosted by the West Indies include the 2007 World Cup , the 2010 World Twenty20, and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
History
Origin
Cricket originally spread to the West Indies via the
Expansion of cricket
During the period of colonial rule, cricket began to be played by the black population of the British West Indies. This adoption was a consequence of constant positive reinforcement from their masters for participating in activities that were familiar such as cricket, and abstaining from those that were perceived as taboo. Eventually, slaves were granted permission to play with military officers (who at one point only played cricket amongst themselves) in restricted roles. Foremost, they were allowed to prepare the wicket before matches, although some were permitted to bowl or retrieve batted balls.[3]
As official cricket clubs began to form, some black players were given the opportunity to play for white-majority clubs. However, many cricket clubs remained exclusively white, which led black players to establish their own clubs that would only allow other blacks to join. Clubs such as the Barbados Cricket Committee (BCC), which was established in the late nineteenth century, adhered to the policy of an all-white team, while Jamaica's Melbourne Cricket Club was composed of only professional black cricketeers.[2] The first inter-island competition took place in 1865 between Demerara and Barbados, at the Garrison Savannah.[4] However, these matches were at first "organized and played almost exclusively by whites."[2] Over time, integrated matches became increasingly more common, as integrated cricket teams competed at first in an attempt to prove their dominance over the other teams of other colonies. Some segregation still existed, for instance the fact that black players were often excluded "from clubhouse refreshment breaks during and after the game".[2] Gradually, blacks began to be employed on professional teams, marking the start of full racial integration in the sport.[2]
The English were eager to promote cricket throughout the British Empire, and on 31 May 1926 the West Indian Cricket Board, along with their
Societal impact
Cricket has traditionally been the most popular sport in the West Indies, both before and after independence.[1] The inclusion of black players into West Indian cricket teams marked a moment of racial integration in West Indian society. Talented black players helped to overturn existing attitudes of white superiority.[5] Cricket helped to serve a dual purpose for the West Indies- before slavery was abolished in 1833, cricket was considered as a constructive pastime for blacks. In that same time period, it was also considered a way for the whites to exhibit their loyalty to the Crown.[6]
Two noteworthy West Indian cricketers are
Governing body
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies. It was originally formed in the early 1920s as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control (and is still sometimes referred by that name), but changed its name in 1996. The Board has its headquarters in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
The WICB has been a full member of the
Domestic competition
The West Indies' major domestic competitions are the Regional Four Day Competition (
Other domestic competitions include the TCL Under-19 West Indies Challenge (three-day competition), TCL Under-19 West Indies Challenge Limited Overs Series (one-day limited overs competition), CLICO West Indies Under-15 competition and the WIWCF Women's Senior Tournament. One prominent former competition (not originally organized by the WICB) was the Inter-Colonial Tournament.[10]
In the case of the Regional Four Day Competition and the NAGICO Super50 (and formerly in the case of the Caribbean Twenty20) the following first-class domestic teams participate:
- Barbados cricket team
- Guyana cricket team
- Jamaica cricket team
- Leeward Islands cricket team
- Trinidad and Tobago cricket team
- Windward Islands cricket team
For the NAGICO Super50, the following domestic teams still participate:
For the TCL Under-19 West Indies Challenge (both the three-day and limited overs competitions) it is the Under-19 squads for these teams which participate, while for the CLICO Under-15 West Indies tournament it is the Under-15 squads for these teams which participate. In the 2004 TCL Under-19 Challenge the Under-19
In the
In the Caribbean Premier League there are franchise teams competing, with each franchise currently representing one of the six traditional cricketing territories in the West Indies:
- Patriots – representing St Kitts and Nevis and the rest of the Leeward Islands
- Royals – representing Barbados
- Amazon Warriors – representing Guyana
- Tallawahs – representing Jamaica
- Zouks– representing St. Lucia and the rest of the Windward Islands
- Knight Riders – representing Trinidad and Tobago
In December 2022, the CWI introduced a new first-class cricket competition, called Headley Weekes Tri-Series.[11]
Representative teams
The West Indies cricket team, also known colloquially as The Windies or The West Indies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of the West Indies.
The "Windies" is one of the twelve elite international teams that play at the
The West Indies women's cricket team made its Test debut in 1976 and its ODI debut in 1979.
References
- ^ a b Malcolm, p. 77.
- ^ a b c d e Malcolm, p. ???
- ^ Malcolm, p. 78
- ISBN 978-1-84537-561-4.
- ^ a b Malcolm, p. 83.
- ^ Malcolm, p. 78.
- ^ Cricinfo (2 January 2009). "ICC and FICA launch Cricket Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ "West Indies in England, 1976". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ "Records / West Indies / Test matches / Best bowling figures in a match". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ ESPN CricInfo http://www.espncricinfo.com/caribbean-premier-league-2013/content/story/663757.html
- ^ "CWI announces 2023 West Indies Championship Schedule and new four-day Tri-Series". Barbados Today. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
Bibliography
- Bird, Lester B. (March 3, 2012), "The farce we call West Indies cricket", Caribbean News Now, retrieved June 27, 2012
- Malcolm, Dominic (2012), Globalizing Cricket: Codification, Colonization and Contemporary Identities, London: Bloomsbury, ISBN 9781849665278
External links
- West Indies Cricket Forum – News and Discussion
- WindiesFans.com Portal site for West Indies cricket fans
- West Indies Cricket Board
- West Indies vs Zimbabwe Cricket Series 2007
- CaribbeanCricket.com Independent news/discussion site on West Indies cricket
- Westindies Cricketers
- Global Style Cricket West Indies News and Discussion