Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dr Kishore Shallow has commended the performance of the regional men’s team in 2024, despite recent losses to Bangladesh and England.
He spoke to the players in the locker room following a 3-0 T20 International series defeat against the visiting Bangladesh team at Arnos Vale in St Vincent & the Grenadines last Thursday.
“I’m sure everyone here probably did not finish the way we had planned to– meaning we would have all preferred to finish with a series win, at least a final win this evening, but it doesn’t always go that way. And that’s just the nature of sport,” said Shallow.
“But I just wanted to really thank everyone for their hard work throughout the entire year. I think certainly by all the calculations and measurements, you would say that the teams, our teams are improving–certainly the white-ball teams. We have come a mighty long way.”
Since the appointment of Daren Sammy as head coach in mid-2023, the Men in Maroon have shown notable improvements in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The West Indies have played 28 ODIs, securing 15 victories and winning four of seven bilateral series. In T20Is, the West Indies have also performed well, moving from their number nine ranking to number four.
Building on these successes, Sammy has been appointed as the head coach for the West Indies men’s team across all formats, effective from April 2025. This decision reflects the confidence in his leadership to further elevate West Indies cricket.
Despite these victories, a disappointing showing at this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil, and the Caribbean side still languishing at the bottom of the Test and ODI rankings have highlighted room for improvement in regional cricket.
“We still have a long way to go,” Shallow continued. “I mean, the journey has been quite an interesting one. By the support we have seen in St Vincent, there’s absolutely no doubt that people are extremely passionate about West Indies cricket and are rallying behind [the players],” he said. “With that sort of enthusiasm, excitement, and interest from the people, we just have to keep committed and know that every time we step on the field, we’re representing millions of people in the Caribbean.”
Looking forward, Shallow added: “Our eyes are on those next World Cups coming up, whether it is T20 or 50-overs, that’s the mission. We’re extremely proud of how we have been able to work together and represent the people of the Caribbean. So let us continue that in 2025.”
