Junior Sinclair won the Lasco Food Drink Emerging Player award at the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, but he made his T20 debut in 2022. He had to wait for his second game for the Guyana Amazon Warriors, against the Barbados Royals. to claim his first wicket. A muted celebration followed his claiming of the wicket of Rahkeem Cornwall. It was when he dismissed Kyle Mayers that we saw Sinclair celebrate with a remarkably athletic flip.
“That started back home,” Sinclair says. “Growing up in the countryside, in Berbice, we were always playing cricket in the streets, backyard cricket. It was a very competitive home with my brothers and family. When there was no school and you had free time, it was cricket. And so, we would go on the ball field to play cricket and when you finish you get tired, there is a lake nearby we would go and swim and you practice those flips there. And I thought why not try it in the CPL.”
A tall off-spinner, Sinclair is 22 and has performed well enough to make it into the West Indies Emerging team that took on Ireland in 50 over games recently, and he relished the chance to represent the region.
“I always wanted to put on that maroon. It was good, definitely a learning experience for me. I learned a lot, the coaching was very helpful. I was trying to get as much as I can while I was over there working with the coaches on all aspects of my game.”
Sinclair was just 12 years old when the first CPL match took place, and he has always wanted to be part of the Amazon Warriors setup, so getting to represent his home franchise is a dream come true.
“Growing up I was wanting to be a part of the Warriors team. I always want to be here, my style of game, and also the format. It is great that I could actually be a part of such a franchise and the CPL setup. The CPL gave me a call for the West Indies Emerging team earlier this month, so it has played a significant part.”
Having been a Warriors fan for so many years, Sinclair describes being part of the team that won the title in 2023 as “surreal.”
“Prior to me getting into this squad I was always looking forward to that championship moment for the Warriors. From the inception in 2013, Guyana was regarded as one of the most consistent franchises but never place hands on that trophy. To actually be a part of that team that won it for the first time, that was a dream come true. When I get home after the tournament, reflecting back on it, it was like “wow”, it's such a beautiful thing to actually be a part of that team.
“It is a very, very, friendly environment. Everybody is so loving and camaraderie between everybody. So, you know, it's very good. I enjoy every moment, every second of it.”
Sinclair is full of praise for everyone involved in the triumphant Warriors team, but he picks out the captain, Imran Tahir, as someone who has played a big part in this year’s success and in terms of helping him with his career.
“Imran Tahir is someone you can approach. We had a lot of talks and he asked me questions and he tried to pick my brain and see where I'm at and stuff like that. He has a very outgoing personality which I love. You could go up to him, he is like a father figure. He makes it so easy to chat to him. He's willing to share his knowledge and makes you feel welcome.”
Sinclair has been part of the Amazon Warriors squad as a Lasco Emerging Player and won the award for the best youngster at the 2023 tournament. He says the Emerging Player programme at the CPL is important to young cricketers like him. This ensures that there is a minimum of 30 appearances across the tournament for the 12 Emerging Players.
“It's very good, it gives us as youngsters a good platform to rub shoulders with senior guys in the region and international guys. You could pick their brain and try to implement stuff from their game into your game. As a youngster it is all about development and I saw that as a big step, a big part of my development, so I think it's very good inclusion. In my view it as a great opportunity. I saw it as an opportunity for me to showcase my talent.”
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ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Warm-Up matches confirmed
The official warm-up match fixtures for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 have been announced. Matches are scheduled to be played from Monday 27 May to Saturday 1 June across the USA and at two venues in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies.
The venues to host the 16 warm up matches are the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas; Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida and Queen’s Park Oval and Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
Warm-up fixtures will be 20 overs per side and will not carry international T20 status as teams will be allowed to field all members of their 15-player squad. In a change from the previous rights cycle, teams will now have the option of playing up to two warm-up matches depending on arrival time at the event.
The West Indies against Australia fixture at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday 30 May will be open to fans, tickets will be available at tickets.t20worldcup.com or box offices located at the National Cricket Centre and Queen’s Park Oval from 16 May.
Warm-up match schedule:
Monday 27 May
Canada v Nepal, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Oman v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
Namibia v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Tuesday 28 May
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Bangladesh v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Australia v Namibia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Wednesday 29 May
South Africa intra-squad, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Afghanistan v Oman, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 13h00
Thursday 30 May
Nepal v USA, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 10h30
Scotland v Uganda, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Netherlands v Canada, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, Texas 15h00
Namibia v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago 15h00
West Indies v Australia, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 19h00
Friday 31 May
Ireland v Sri Lanka, Broward County Stadium, Broward County, Florida 10h30
Scotland v Afghanistan, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago 10h30
Saturday 1 June
Bangladesh v India, Venue TBC USA
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IPL: Washout confirms SRH play-off place
Sunrisers Hyderabad are into the Indian Premier League play-offs despite their game against Gujarat Titans being abandoned without even doing the toss due to rain.
SRH move onto 15 points, with one game remaining, but are now ensured a top-four finish for the first time since 2020.
Their top-two hopes have taken a hit though – they have to beat Punjab Kings in their final game and hope Rajasthan Royals lose to Kolkata Knights Riders to finish second.
The Titans were already out of play-off contention after their previous game against KKR was also called off due to a heavy storm without hitting a ball. They finish their season currently third from bottom, though that could change depending on results in the final few matches.
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Bolt joined by multiple sports stars for first look at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador Usain Bolt got a first look at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium from the best seats in the house, along with cricket legends and New York sports icons.
The Jamaican sprint legend was joined in this special preview by USA cricketers Corey Anderson and Monak Patel along with cricket legend Sir Curtly Ambrose (West Indies), Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), and Liam Plunkett (England). Also present during this landmark event was a star-studded line-up of New York sports stars, including John Starks (NBA / New York Knicks), Elena Delle Donne (WNBA/USA), Bartolo Colon (MLB/New York Yankees-Mets), Victor Cruz (NFL/New York Giants), and Ibtihaj Muhammad (Fencing/USA).
To commemorate the occasion, the stars all signed a giant cricket bat, which will be present at the venue for all eight ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 matches hosted there between June 3-12. The event marks the official final countdown to the first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in New York, with Sri Lanka and South Africa set to clash in the venue's first match on June 3.
Bolt was confident the venue would provide an exciting and energetic cricket experience.
“Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, I’m very excited to be part of the T20 World Cup coming to the USA for the first time, co-hosting with the West Indies. Getting one of the sport’s biggest events into the USA is a big milestone and can provide a launching pad leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028," he said.
“The new stadium is going to be a fantastic place to watch from. It’s very enclosed and you feel very close to the action. I can imagine it will be full of energy when cricket fans get to Nassau County International Stadium next month," Bolt noted.
Brett Jones, CEO of T20 USA Inc. called the event a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA.
“Today was a fantastic celebration, showcasing a truly out of this world stadium. Having Usain and a host of New York sports stars and Olympic legends to experience it was fantastic and a fitting welcome to cricket in the USA," Jones said.
“Having Curtly Ambrose, Liam Plunkett, Shoaib Malik, Corey Anderson and Monak Patel here and seeing their response to the stadium and the playing surface was also pretty special. It gives us a real sense of what the fans can expect next month," he added.
The 34,000-seater temporary stadium is the first of its kind in international cricket, and is also believed to be the largest ever constructed in the United States.
Featured at the unveiling were extensive hospitality and media pavilions on the north and south ends of the venue, which join the east and west general admission stands. Among the new additions are the Cabana seats in the North pavilion along with the Corner Club seats with a private party area.
The stadium is one of the three venues in the USA for the upcoming mega-event. Florida and Texas will also host matches from the event.
The USA are co-hosts for the event alongside the West Indies, where 39 matches will be played across six venues. The Final will be held on 29 June in Barbados.
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