分类： sports

A significant leadership crisis is emerging within West Indies cricket as former CWI Director Wilford ‘Billy’ Heaven intensifies his campaign to remove Daren Sammy from his head coach position. This development follows the team’s elimination during the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this month, despite a promising start that saw them top Group C with a perfect record, including a victory against eventual semi-finalists England.

The Caribbean squad’s campaign ended with losses to tournament co-hosts India, who would ultimately claim the championship by defeating New Zealand in the final, and a strong South African side. Sammy, who previously captained the West Indies to T20 World Cup victories in both 2012 and 2016, assumed coaching responsibilities for the white-ball teams in 2023 before becoming head coach across all formats in 2025.

Heaven, who previously served as Jamaica Cricket Association president, presented a scathing assessment of Sammy’s qualifications in a written statement to the Jamaica Observer. “My position is clear: Sammy is not qualified to be the head coach of the WI team in any of the formats,” Heaven asserted, calling for immediate termination of his appointment.

The former cricket administrator identified critical shortcomings in team composition and tactical execution under pressure as primary factors in the World Cup disappointment. Heaven emphasized that the squad possessed sufficient talent and experience, with many players having competed in the Indian Premier League and thus familiar with subcontinental conditions.

Despite these calls for immediate change, CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow indicated that organizational changes remain unlikely before Sammy’s contract expires following the 2027 ODI World Cup. Dr. Shallow confirmed that Cricket West Indies will conduct a comprehensive performance assessment, stating, “We are still continuing to have conversations. We plan to have a conversation, as is normal after these major tournaments, where we’ll have an assessment done and see what went wrong.”

Heaven dismissed positive reviews of the team’s overall performance, noting that while the West Indies remain among the most decorated teams in T20 history, they should reasonably expect to compete for semi-final positions rather than celebrating advancement past preliminary stages. “When the tournament reached its most competitive phase,” Heaven observed, “the team was unable to sustain the level required to challenge the leading sides.”

The critic pointed to evident gaps in tactical execution, bowling penetration, and batting composure during crucial matches, noting that occasional flashes of dominance were overshadowed by decisive defeats against stronger opponents. Heaven concluded that the true benchmark for West Indies cricket should remain “consistent competitiveness deep into the latter stages of global tournaments.”

In a display of emerging track and field excellence, young Barbadian athletes Aniya Nurse and Jahkye Brewster are redefining sprint standards while pursuing legendary milestones at the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletic Championships (BSSAC).

Aniya Nurse, representing St Michael School, delivered an electrifying performance during the Dasani Frank Blackman and Sada Williams zone competitions that initially appeared to shatter one of Barbados’ most enduring athletic records. The rising star clocked a remarkable 11.41 seconds in the Under-20 girls’ 100m event, seemingly surpassing Yolande Straughn’s 41-year-old record of 11.64 seconds established in 1985. However, the exceptional time was ultimately invalidated due to an excessive tailwind measuring 5.4m/s, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 2.0m/s.

Despite this setback, Nurse’s 2026 season has demonstrated consistent excellence with repeated performances in the 11.5-second range, including an official personal best of 11.53 seconds. The versatile athlete further showcased her capabilities by establishing a new zonal record in the 200m with a dominant time of 24.03 seconds during the championship’s final day.

In exclusive comments to Barbados TODAY, Nurse revealed her ambitious objectives: “My races so far have been pretty good. I really wanted to focus on execution and form, and I believe I achieved that. My goals for BSSAC this year are to finish healthy and to break the 100m record.” Her aspirations extend beyond national competitions to include medal contention at the upcoming CARIFTA Games and ultimately competing at the World Under-20 Championships and Olympic level.

Parallel achievements emerged in the boys’ division where Jahkye Brewster of Lodge School has dominated Under-20 sprint events. Training under coaches Glen Williams and Juquan Beckles at Extreme Velocity, Brewster has exhibited significant progression throughout the season, culminating in a personal best of 10.56 seconds at the AAB National Junior Championships.

At the zonal level, Brewster commanded both sprint events, securing victories in the 100m (10.77 seconds) and 200m (22.00 seconds) with the fastest qualifying times. Following last year’s narrow miss at CARIFTA sprint finals, where he nonetheless contributed to Barbados’ bronze medal in the Under-17 boys’ 4x400m relay, Brewster now targets record-breaking performances and international recognition.

The determined athlete stated: “I would really like to break the 200m record. The races I ran were satisfactory, though somewhat affected by wind conditions. This year at CARIFTA, I intend to reach the finals and earn a medal. My ultimate ambitions include becoming a professional athlete and competing in the Olympics.”

Bushy Park Motorsports Facility in St Philip is set to assume an unprecedented operational role for the 2026 edition of the Caribbean’s premier motorsport event, BCIC Rally Barbados. Event organizers have designated the venue as the comprehensive Central Service Park throughout the entire competition period, spanning from the Friday night floodlit SuperSpecial stage through the Sunday afternoon finale.

This expansion marks a significant evolution in the facility’s decade-long partnership with the Barbados Rally Club. For the tenth consecutive year, Bushy Park will serve as ‘Rally Central,’ providing secure storage and technical servicing capabilities for nearly 50 international teams and their vehicles. The increased participation necessitated infrastructure enhancements, with additional tentage erected in pit lanes to accommodate the 50% growth in competing vehicles witnessed during the previous year’s event.

Event Director Neil Barnard expressed enthusiasm about the venue’s enhanced responsibilities: ‘Bushy Park represents the optimal choice to consolidate multiple rally activities this season. It will function as an efficient operational base for competitors and organizers while simultaneously delivering an engaging spectator experience. The collaboration with the Bushy Park team has been exceptionally productive.’

The expanded programming includes the fifth annual Auto & Rally Show on May 23rd, offering enthusiasts exclusive access to view all 125 anticipated vehicles—a record participation number—in a single location. This family-oriented event will feature live interviews with rally personalities, test drives coordinated with local automotive importers, culinary offerings, and dedicated children’s activities. Technical scrutineering procedures will follow a predetermined schedule in the days preceding the First Citizens King of the Hill qualifier on May 24th.