Sports

ECB CALLS FOR A BOYCOTT OF THE CHAMPIONS TROPHY MATCH

by David Harris

The England and Wales Cricket Board, ECB, has called for a unified response to action against Afghanistan amid calls for the England men’s team to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match between the sides.

England are due to face Afghanistan in Lahore on February 26, but UK politicians want the team to refuse to play the 50-over match and take a stand against the Taliban regime’s assault on women’s rights.

A letter to the ECB, written by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, and signed by the likes of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, and former Labour leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock, urged England to boycott the match to “send a clear signal” that “such grotesque abuses will not be tolerated”.

Women’s participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and many of Afghanistan’s female players left the country for their own safety.

International Cricket Council regulations state full membership is conditional upon having women’s cricket teams and pathway structures in place.

However, Afghanistan’s men’s team have been allowed to participate in ICC tournaments seemingly without any sanctions.

In response to the letter signed by group of more than 160 politicians calling for a boycott, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said the governing body “is committed to finding a solution” which “upholds the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan”.

Sports

WEST INDIES LOSE FIRST ODI AGAINST ENGLAND

By David Harris

The West Indies suffered an embarrassing 238-run to England in the first One Day International (ODI) match at Edgbaston Thursday. Chasing a massive total of 401 to win the match, the West Indies were bowled out for 162 runs in 26.2 overs.

The chase was over before it began, the West Indies were stumbling at 79 for five wickets in the 15^th over as England’s bowlers dismantled the West Indies batsmen; Saqib Mahmood who captured three wickets for 32 runs ripped out the top-order; pacer Jamie Overton kept the lower-order batsmen in check with three wickets for 23 runs, and leg-spinner Ail Rashid picked up two wickets.

Fast bowler Jayden Seales batting at number 11 top scored with 29 not out, captain Shai Hope 25, and Keacy Carty 22 were the other batsmen that scored over 20 runs.

Earlier, England scored 400 (their second highest score in an ODI) after the West Indies won the toss and opted to field.

England’s batters launched a collective assault on the bowler –every batter from one to seven scored over 30 runs, but it was the Barbados-born Jacob Bethell that top scored with 82; the 21-year-old faced 53 balls and struck eight fours and five sixes, opener Ben Duckett made 60, newly appointed captain Harry Brooks got 58, and veteran batter Joe Root contributed 57.

Seales captured four wickets for 84 runs from nine expensive overs, while fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and Justin Greaves took two wickets apiece.

The second ODI in the three-match series will take place at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Sunday.

Sports

BARBADIAN GOLFER EMILY ODWIN IN US WOMEN’S OPEN TODAY

Article by David Harris

Barbadian golfer Emily Odwin will create history today, Thursday when she tees off in the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills Golf Course in Washington County, Wisconsin.

Odwin, 21, a junior at Southern Methodist University (SMU) will become the first Barbadian to play in a US Open golf tournament.

Odwin will play at the tournament as an amateur, she qualifies for the tournament after an outstanding performance at the prestigious Olympic Club Lake Course in San Franciso earlier this month; after delivering a composed and consistent showing across two 18-hole rounds to finish at three-under-par tying for first place with American Sarah Lim.

Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro who finished one behind Odwin and Lim also qualified for the Open.

Odwin, a former student of St Winfred’s School and Queen’s College grew up on the West Coast in St James, she loved to swim at the age of four. Odwin enjoyed all kind of sports and even got a brown belt in karate.

She became interested in golf after watching Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth on television with her father.

At the age of 11 Odwin began to focus her attention on golf, the competitive scene for sport was limited with few official tournaments, and even fewer competitions for girls to participate in. Odwin needed to find alternatives to push herself:

“As I got older and as I got better, it was tougher for me to find competition and I had to travel outwards. I started to come to the United States, or I had to go to Europe. When I was at home, I started having to play with boys a lot. I would have to play in their division off their tees. There are not a lot of girls playing golf in Barbados and there weren’t a lot of competitive opportunities back home”, Odwin told journalists in the United States.

Odwin is proud of her culture and plans to wear an embroidered flag of Barbados on her polo shirt at the US Open.

“I just want to inspire kids back home that golf is possible. You never know how far you can go until you try”, Odwin said.