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The WICB has taken legal advice in response to calls for a forensic audit, claiming that it could carry the “suggestion of wrongdoing”. Terming the calls to carry out the forensic audit by six former board officials as “serious allegations”, the WICB has said that it is consulting Anthony Astaphan, a senior counsel in Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”The Board has been advised that in a number of instances the call for a forensic audit carries the suggestion of wrong doing and misappropriation of WICB funds by present members of the WICB,” the WICB said in a media release, issued on Thursday. “Additionally, it suggests the auditors are either incompetent or complicit. These allegations are completely false, and seriously damaging to the reputation of the WICB, its members, and auditors.”The WICB has therefore decided that these are serious allegations and has referred the matter to Senior Counsel, Anthony Astaphan of Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”Last week six former WICB officials – Ken Gordon, Pat Rousseau, Anthony Deyal, Charles Wilkin, Bruce Aanensen and Imran Khan – claimed that the current board administration under Dave Cameron has seemingly become “untouchable”, and not doing anything would lead to the “inevitable demise” of cricket in the Caribbean. As a remedy, the six men urged CARICOM to conduct a forensic audit to save West Indies cricket from “absolute and total downfall”.The WICB said the six men had ignored the facts. “These calls for a forensic audit by the former officials are without any basis in fact, and importantly, notwithstanding, that these former officials are aware that the WICB has for many years retained internal and external auditors.”As it pointed out last week, the WICB repeated once again today that the board’s internal and external audits are done and authorised by a pair of global consultants – PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG respectively. The release also noted that all the WICB accounts are published by or available from the WICB on all its platforms, including the board’s website where the reports are available.The WICB said that the allegations “appear triggered not by fact or evidence but an emotional reaction” to its response to the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket. Members of the sub-committee have repeatedly suggested the dissolution of WICB as a starting point to bring back Caribbean cricket to its glory days.

ScorecardDarren Stevens made his 30th first-class hundred, two years after his 29th•Getty Images

For the professional, this is the most stressful time of the year. With every other press release a “thanks but no thanks” to a player deemed unworthy of further employment, the reminder to observers is a stark one. For all the love in the game, this is when careers and dreams are taken out the back and laid to rest. So today at Bristol, as Gloucestershire toiled amid the weight of Kent’s middle order, who finished day two with a 125-run first innings lead, with six wickets still in hand, some light shone through the August darkness.Darren Stevens, at 40 years of age, secured his first hundred of a demanding season which could well be his last for Kent. His deal is set to expire at the end of the year and, as of yet, Stevens has yet to see anything resembling a new contract and is keen to sort something soon. Perhaps the most surprising element in this period is that he has had to speak openly about his situation. Usually his performances do the brunt of the negotiations for him.But this year, things have not come as easy. Going into this match, he had scored only 365 runs and taken 26 wickets in the Championship. As ever with a player being in the latter years of his career, he now has to convince the powers-that-be that this is simply a dip in form rather than a terminal decline. In an interview with BBC Radio Kent, he spoke of his belief that he still has the physical capacity to cope at this level. He even relayed a conversation he had with physios at the club who assured him that, if he looked after himself, he could eke out another two years. All he wants is one more.There is a nobleness to Stevens and the 12 seasons he has spent at Kent so far. Even then, there’s a savagery that underpins it all, allowing him to fall neatly in the intersection of the venn diagram of “stalwart” and “cult hero”. Rarely do the two intertwine as neatly as they do when discussing Stevens. He is the senior pro and the thrill giver; the wily old head and the untameable showstopper. He lives long in the memories of his enemies. Essex fans are sick of the sight of him, convinced he saves his best work for their “derby” clashes with Kent. His previous championship hundred came against them in June 2014.Perhaps the only regret he may have is that his spectacular feats have come solely within the confines of county cricket. Much of his batting has played out in front of sparse crowds unable the muster the ovation and awe that he deserves. It can at times feel like Stevens is operating in a manner too thrilling for such mundane settings, as if he’s popping out in a tank to pick up some fags from the off-licence.Another selling point Stevens was keen to push was his desire to help out the younger members of the team, who are starting to realise their potential. There is every chance that, if any playing deal were to present itself, it may also feature a coaching element, much like Glenn Chapple (Lancashire) and Vikram Solanki (Surrey) took on as their playing careers wound down.It was fitting, then, that Stevens put on his latest masterpiece with Sam Billings at the other end. Billings, one of the poster boys for this very un-English awakening in English batting, where hand-eye and wrists are king and queen, has often spoken of Stevens’ influence on his career. Even now, with Billings on his way to becoming a global T20 superstar, he talks of Stevens’ ball-striking ability with the adulation of a kid hanging around the player’s balcony for a selfie. Their currently unbeaten partnership of 205 for the fifth wicket has come at a rate of five an over, from a potentially precarious starting point of 140 for 4.Having trailed Billings by some distance, as the youngster’s exuberance allowed him a sedate start, with just six from his first 24 balls, Stevens stirred upon entering the forties. He reached 52 off his 70th delivery, before another boundary from the 71st took him level with Billings, for the first time. From then on, master and apprentice traded blows, as Gloucestershire were left powerless to stop the one-upmanship playing out in front of them. Every Stevens drive through extra cover was matched by a Billings sweep – orthodox and reverse – as Gareth Roderick did what he could to stem the run flow.Once Stevens was able to negotiate most of the strike, he made his way to 93. The manner in which he would then bring up his hundred was a nod to both sides of the Stevens coin.Some at the Bristol County Ground, who had already decided he would try and get there with a big shot, wondered which stand he’d pepper to bring up three figures. Even the Gloucestershire fielders seemed to brace themselves for the big finish. Instead, Stevens went early, catching the field unaware, who had yet to be deployed in key areas. A glorious pick-up over long on off Jack Taylor took him to 99 The field did not bother converging for the one, which was taken into the leg side – Stevens squeezing the life out of his right fist as he completed the single.”To be honest, it’s been a bit of a nightmare really,” he admitted at stumps. “It was nice to get the 30th of my career, too. I’ve been waiting for about two and a half years for that.”In the short-term, he reckons that Kent need to bat half of tomorrow, further strengthening their position, before the push for the final 10 wickets begins. For now, that is what concerns him.

Test cricket is “big-man cricket” and West Indies cannot use their youth and inexperience as a crutch to deflect against poor performances, according to Marlon Samuels. Two days before the second Test against India at Sabina Park, Samuels said the young players will have to keep earning their places with their performances.”Well, first and foremost, I’m not going to be here to tell you that it’s a young team,” Samuels said. “For me to say that is like finding excuses for the team. It’s a Test team, and Test cricket is big-man cricket, and the players should know that by now.”They are here, playing Test cricket. So we all have to step up to the plate, and put up a very good challenge against the Indians. The Indians are a very good team, a very good unit, so what we want to try and build right now is a team spirit, and build a stronger unit in order [to move forward]. Yes, we have new players coming in, but they still have to deliver. At the end of the day, you have to do that to keep your job here.”A string of impressive limited-overs performances won Samuels West Indies’ Cricketer of the Year award, but his Test form has been poor in recent months. Before scoring a half-century in the second innings of the first Test in Antigua, he had failed to pass 20 in his 10 Test innings.”You make a half-century, it’s a milestone,” he said. “You have to cherish it, but at the end of the day I always want more. I haven’t been getting the runs that I’m looking for in the Test arena, but I’ve been making up in the shorter versions, so it augurs well that I’m doing well for the team as well. It’s just, I need to start focusing more and putting in some big performances, so the team can benefit from my performances.”Samuels looked forward to another Test in front of his home crowd at Sabina Park, and said he wanted to show them “what they have been seeing over the years – me coming out here, playing shots and just enjoying myself in the middle”. But his main aim, he said, was to help West Indies bounce back from their innings defeat in Antigua.”It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “Not too many sportsmen get to play in front of their home crowd. I’ve got the opportunity more than one time, so I cherish it, playing in front of a Jamaican crowd. As I said, it’s a great opportunity, not only for me, but for the team to make a turnaround and come here and play some positive cricket and put up, not just a challenge, but a fight.”According to some media reports, Samuels has been considering Test-match retirement, and Jeffrey Dujon, the former West Indies wicketkeeper who is part of the TV commentary team for this series, had suggested on air that this might be his last Test series. Samuels did not reveal his plans, and said his only focus, for now, was to do well in this series.”Jeffrey Dujon can say anything,” Samuels said. “But what I say is, I’m here to focus on the Test series and put my best foot forward, and make a significant contribution, so that whatever I do, the team can benefit from it. So that’s my ultimate goal and that’s my focus at the moment.”

Former Pakistan batsman Mudassar Nazar, who took charge as director of Pakistan’s national cricket academy on Thursday, has said he chose to return to the role to “fix the broken cycle of development”. Nazar was NCA director between 2006 and 2008, before he quit to join the ICC Academy as a coach, a role he fulfilled for the last eight years. Nazar will head the NCA for the next three years.”I might have been away from Pakistan cricket but, in the last eight years, I have always been the true ambassador of the NCA,” Nazar, who is also part of the PCB’s cricket committee, said. “I was approached many times in the past but it didn’t work out, but my eyes have always been here. We all know the system was made and it was broken, and now they intend to revive it and I realised that now they are serious and [will] work towards development. So I am here.”The cycle of development is very important and, due to many reasons, it easily disintegrated twice in the last 14 years, which has cost [Pakistan cricket] five to ten years. I don’t know what the reasons were. They may be financial or whatever the circumstances were, but now my biggest task is revive this cycle and make a plan to speed up this process of development so that we can cover up the lost time.”Nazar, 60, played 76 Tests and 122 ODIs between 1976 and 1989. Before he served as NCA director in 2006, he was also a coach at the academy between January 2001 and October 2002, under the tenure of then PCB chairman Tauqir Zia. After Nazar’s departure in 2008, a number of directors were appointed to the NCA but the academy became largely defunct. The development phase was put on hold as the academy struggled to fill coaching roles for all skills. The regional academies were also gradually terminated due to lack of funds, and the Lahore terror attack in 2009, in which Sri Lankan players were injured, was another setback for cricket in the country.”I will be reviving the NCA as it was earlier, and there is no rocket science in it,” Nazar said, about his plans to correct the system. “The plan is there, as the academies will have their role from top to bottom. It will similarly will be expanded from the NCA to the regional academies, age group [cricket] will come under development, the A team will be developed with emerging players and all the 16 regional academies will start functioning from August 1. So this cycle will be alive and running in due course.”One of the players to train at the NCA during Nazar’s two-year stint was fast bowler Mohammad Amir and Nazar is credited with helping the bowler recover from three stress fractures to the back in the early phase of his career. Nazar coached the Pakistan team in 1993 and 2001, and was also Kenya coach in 2005. During his time with Kenyan cricket he also served as director of the Nairobi Cricket Academy.

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum believes his ex-teammate Lou Vincent should been shown clemency by the ECB after helping the authorities with a “rare and critical” insight into the “pernicious influence” of match-fixing in cricket.In July 2014, Vincent was banned for life by the ECB after admitting to having breached the anti-corruption code. Vincent released a statement saying, “My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat.”In October last year, Vincent was one of the three key witnesses, along with his ex-wife Eleanor Riley and McCullum, who gave evidence in the perjury trial against the former New Zealand allrounder Chris Cairns at Southwark Crown Court. After lengthy deliberations in a nine-week trial, the jury acquitted Cairns of perjury and perverting the course of justice. Justice Sweeney, the presiding judge, had told the jury to treat Vincent’s evidence with care, given his self-confessed reputation as a match-fixer.However, McCullum said that, while he could not condone in the slightest Vincent’s fixing activities, he admired the courage that Vincent had shown in standing up as a witness in the Cairns trial and shining light on the murky world of match-fixing in cricket.”I played with Lou for a number of seasons. As will have become apparent during the course of his testimony in the Cairns’ trial, Lou has his demons,” McCullum said while delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture on Monday at Lord’s.”He was always a vulnerable character; there are many similar characters who play the game. While loathing the fixing activities Lou took part in, I have nothing but admiration for him for the way in which he accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged guilt. I also think he demonstrated remarkable courage in giving evidence against Cairns.”The insight that Lou was able to provide into the dark and sinister world of match-fixing was, I think, invaluable. It would have been very easy for Lou to say nothing – to refuse to co-operate – but instead he laid his soul bare at considerable personal cost.”If the anti-corruption units wanted to encourage vulnerable players like Vincent to report approaches in the future, McCullum believes that such players need to believe they will be treated with leniency if they dare to speak out.In particular, McCullum sympathised with Vincent’s predicament after receiving 11 life bans from the ECB that forbid his involvement in the game at any level.”Perhaps the worst part is that Lou is unable to go to a cricket ground anywhere in the world. He can never watch his children play at any level. I struggle with the severity of this when a player has co-operated fully and accepted responsibility.”While it was reported that Lou had agreed to the 11 life bans, I suspect that sitting in New Zealand without a dollar to his name, he was unable to do anything else. In the criminal law in New Zealand a defendant is given some clemency for co-operation and entering a guilty plea. It seems to me that Lou did not receive any such acknowledgement but, rather, had the book thrown at him.”I raise this issue because if we are to expect players to feel able to come forward and confess all, then there has to be some recognition of this,” McCullum added.”Many of the players who become involved in match-fixing in the way that Lou did will be weak or vulnerable; it is well known that the people who seek to engage players in this way will look for players of a similar disposition. If players co-operate with the authorities and provide the game with a rare and critical insight into the workings of this pernicious influence, then there must surely be something that can be done beyond giving them the maximum ban available.”I have no doubt that the ECB’s severe punishment of Lou has robbed the game of a golden opportunity to have him provide education to players, something I feel could have made a difference in the future. Further, it ignored his extreme vulnerability in a callous way.”Unless players can have confidence in the authorities and their processes, then I am sorry to say that the game will be the loser. Similarly, it is vital that players found guilty of offences having acknowledged wrongdoing are shown a degree of clemency – failing which there seems to be very little incentive for them to come forward.”

New Zealand stand-in captain Mitchell Santner was all praise for Zakary Foulkes, who bagged the best figures for a New Zealand bowler on Test debut. Foulkes, one of three debutants in the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, picked up match figures of 9 for 75 as New Zealand eased to a record-breaking innings win on the third afternoon.”We’ve seen a little bit in the white ball stuff recently, but to do it in a Test match on debut is pretty special,” Santner said of Foulkes’ feat. “He was obviously going for that ten-for, I think he bowled a ten-over spell there, which is credit to him as well to be able to bowl ten overs in a row. But he’s probably loved Zimbabwe more than some others.”Foulkes was added to the squad after Nathan Smith was ruled out due to an abdominal strain he suffered in the first Test. Foulkes, who has played one ODI and 13 T20Is, can swing the ball away and into the right-handers, which, according to Santner, is a rare quality.Related

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“Someone kind of swinging into the right-hander is, you don’t see that often,” Santner said. “So I guess [he’s] another addition to our attack with the guys moving the ball away. “He was outstanding. When the lefties come on, he looks pretty tough to play and to get nine in the game on debut is a pretty good effort.”Foulkes has mostly been playing white-ball cricket recently, and while his debut felt a “little bit rushed”, he explained how he adapted to the red-ball grind.”It still hasn’t really kicked in to be honest,” Foulkes said after his nine-for. “It’s all happened pretty quickly. It was awesome to be out there with the guys.”It was all a little bit rushed. I’ve been on a white-ball diet so the prospect of bowling a few more overs and stuff, I definitely felt a bit sore on day two. Thankfully, we didn’t have to bowl on day two, which was nice. It was cool to get back into red-ball cricket.”While Foulkes was the star of the second Test, fellow debutants Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher also did their bit. Duffy collected two wickets and scored handy runs as a nightwatcher at No. 3 while Fisher steamed in and claimed two wickets. The trio complemented Matt Henry well, who finished with 7 for 56 for the game and was named Player of the Series.Matt Henry was named player of the series•Zimbabwe Cricket

“It’s been really cool,” Foulkes said. “Duff’s [Duffy] sort of taken me under his wing, which is nice. We’ve played a little bit together for the BlackCaps, which is cool. And then Fisher, yeah, it’s awesome to see what he’s done in the last few years. He was bowling pretty quick in the nets the other day, which wasn’t too nice. But it was awesome to see both those guys get a crack and do so well.”Growing up, it was always Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Tim Southee. It’s awesome to be sharing the pitch with them now. I’ve played a handful of games with them for Canterbury and a lot of trainings and stuff. So it’s awesome to be a part of this team with them.”While New Zealand posted big wins in both matches, Santner felt Zimbabwe put them under pressure on the bowling-friendly surfaces. He also heaped praise on the four-pronged pace attack for making light work of Zimbabwe in both innings.”We were challenged at times throughout the game and I guess we kind of got through those periods and we cashed in,” Santner said. “The way we bowled, especially in the first innings, it was probably a little bit there, but to get Zimbabwe for 120 [125] in that first innings and then we could really cash in with the bat.”The score looks like it was a very one-sided affair, but throughout this game, even the first, there were periods where we were under pressure, Zimbabwe were on top. If you can kind of weather those storms and kind of get through it, you’ll put yourself in a better position.”The last time we were here in 2016, I remember it [pitches] being a lot flatter, a little bit slow and kind of a lot of hard work to get wickets. I think the first Test was potentially a little bit soft underfoot and it really did a lot. Then this Test, our bowlers were able to extract a little bit of seam movement and a bit of swing which made it pretty tough.”The way they were able to kind of hang and hang on a length for a long time made it challenging for the Zim batters for sure.”

Matt Short has been ruled out of the T20I series in West Indies due to a side strain while captain Mitchell Marsh confirmed he is unlikely to return to bowling ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.Short pulled up sore after training in Jamaica and given the condensed nature of the series it has been decided he will return home. However, the injury is described as “minor” and he is expected to be available to face South Africa in the Top End next month.Related

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Earlier this year Short picked up a quad injury during the Champions Trophy which ruled him out of the semi-final against India. Short has so far played 14 T20Is and is seen as a strong chance to feature in next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.His absence has opened the door for an unexpected opportunity for Jake Fraser-McGurk who was only recently added to the squad as a replacement for injured quick Spencer Johnson. Fraser-McGurk’s call-up came largely to act as wicketkeeping cover for Josh Inglis. He will now open alongside Marsh for the opening match at Sabina Park.Meanwhile, Marsh confirmed he will play as a specialist batter over the coming months. He has not bowled since the Test series against India late last year and has only been used once in white-ball internationals since March 2024.”Currently the bowling’s offline and we’ll just see where that gets to,” Marsh said. “But looking forward to just playing as a batsman for the moment.”Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are sitting out the West Indies series, while Cummins and Starc will also miss the South Africa matches in August, with Marsh confirming that various combinations of teams will be tried in the lead-up to the World Cup.”First and foremost, it’s always ‘we’re representing Australia, we’re here to win the series’ and culturally, that’s how we want to go about it,” he said. “There will be guys that get opportunities. We’ve obviously got a few guys missing for this series [for] a well-earned rest. We’ll see guys bat in different positions and get opportunities in certain positions.”Tim David will miss the opening match against West Indies as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury picked up at the IPL but it is hoped he will be available for the second game on Tuesday.

Yorkshire have signed Northamptonshire seamer Jack White on a two-year contract after activating a clause in his contract allowing him to move to a Division One club.White, 32, only made his debut in 2020 but has built a strong record, particularly in red-ball cricket where he has taken 114 wickets 25.18.”I’m incredibly honoured and extremely excited to begin this new chapter with Yorkshire,” White said. “Headingley is a special place to play and having had discussions with the coach and the leaders of the club I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my game and playing my part in achieving success for Yorkshire.”Yorkshire finished second in Division Two last season, securing a return to the top flight for the first time since 2022.Gavin Hamilton, general manager of cricket for Yorkshire, said: “We’re delighted Jack has committed his future to Yorkshire. He is a brilliant addition to the team – offering up another dimension to our bowling attack.”He’s someone who puts in the hard work and came into the professional game at a later stage of his development. He is the kind of player and person who will continue to add to our dressing room, and we look forward to working with him at the club.”Northamptonshire said they were “disappointed” to lose White, who was under contract until the end of the 2025 season.”While it is a real shame that Jack has decided to move elsewhere, everyone would like to thank him for his efforts in a Northamptonshire shirt and we wish him the best moving forward,” chief executive, Ray Payne, added.

Shakib Al Hasan could be in line to play one County Championship game next month with Surrey working on a deal to bring him in, before he leaves for Bangladesh’s tour of India. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has reportedly issued him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the match, set to be played from September 9, against Somerset in Taunton. Surrey will be without all of their England players as that round coincides with the end of the ongoing Sri Lanka Test series and the start of the Australia white-ball series.From London, Shakib will fly to Chennai where Bangladesh play their first Test against India from September 19. Bangladesh are set to play two Tests and three T20Is against India, before their home series against South Africa in October. Shakib is currently playing in the Test series in Pakistan.A former member of parliament in Bangladesh’s previous government, Shakib is among 147 people against whom charges have been filed in connection with an alleged murder during the protests in Bangladesh in early August. At that time, Shakib was out of the country, playing in the Global T20 Canada.Related

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The BCB had said that Shakib can continue playing for Bangladesh since the investigation is in its nascent stages. “It’s an FIR (first information report), there are a lot of legal procedures left to prove someone guilty following the filing of FIR,” new BCB chief Faruque Ahmed told the Dhaka-based the on Tuesday. “At this moment there is no bar on Shakib to continue playing. We have responded to the legal notice served to us and we have said the same thing (no bar on Shakib playing in the UK) there too.”ESPNcricinfo has learned the ECB has the right to withhold Shakib’s registration to play in their domestic system even if he is granted a UK visa.Bangladesh’s Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said on Wednesday it was unlikely for Shakib to be arrested.”This is a matter for the police administration,” Nazrul told reporters in Dhaka. “We have tried to say as much as we can. Filing a case does not mean an arrest. I believe our Ministry of Home Affairs will take steps to ensure that no one becomes overly enthusiastic about making an arrest. I hope Shakib will not be arrested. As far as I know, our police force has been given certain instructions.”Bangladesh posted a historic win against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi, with Shakib taking three important wickets on the fifth day. He is also part of the second Test, whose first day, on Friday, was washed out due to rain.

So India and South Africa it is. How many times have they met in ICC finals? Or a knockout match?

This will be the first time that the two teams meet in the final of a men’s ICC tournament. India and South Africa did meet in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, which India won.

Can they be called the two best teams in this tournament?

Well, one can say that the two most in-form teams have made it to the final. Both India and South Africa are unbeaten in the tournament, and both teams topped their respective groups in the group stage and the Super Eight, although South Africa have an extra win under their belt given India’s washout against Canada.Whoever wins the final will be the first team to win a men’s T20 World Cup unbeaten.

Which team has taken the tougher route?

South Africa registered wins over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Nepal in the group stage before beating USA and England in the Super Eight. They faced West Indies in their final Super Eight match, knowing that a defeat would knock them out, but eked out a three-wicket win in a tight contest that was shortened by rain.Related

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After a string of narrow victories, South Africa hammered Afghanistan by nine wickets in the semi-final to march into the final.India, meanwhile, began their campaign with wins over Ireland, Pakistan and USA. Their perfect record in the group stage was marred by rain, as their game against Canada in Lauderhill was washed out. India started the Super Eight stage with big wins against Afghanistan and Bangladesh and capped it off by beating Australia.In the semi-final, India put in another comprehensive performance to down England by 68 runs.In terms of opposition, it could be argued that India faced tougher teams, having to overcome Pakistan, Australia and then England in the semi-final, but South Africa were seriously tested in most games but still found a way.

Okay, so why is this final a big deal for South Africa?

Well, it is a historic occasion for South Africa because it is the first time they will be competing in the final of a men’s World Cup, ODI or T20. In fact, apart from winning the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998, South Africa have not made the final of any ICC men’s tournament.They have come close on many occasions, reaching the semi-finals in five ODI World Cups (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023) and two T20 World Cups (2009 and 2014) before this year, but for the first time they have got to within one win of the title.

And why is it important for India?

While India won the first ever T20 World Cup, in 2007, they are without a World Cup title since 2011 and their last ICC silverware was the 2013 Champions Trophy. They have come close since, reaching the final of the T20 World Cup in 2014, and the semi-finals in 2016 and 2022, as well as the semi-finals of the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups. They also finished runners-up in the two World Test Championship finals – in 2021 and 2023. Last year, they were unbeaten en route to the final in a home ODI World Cup, but faced heartbreak in the final. Less than 12 months later, they have a chance to heal some of those wounds and end their barren run in global events.

When was the last time a World Cup was held in the West Indies?

The 2010 T20 World Cup was the last one hosted by the West Indies. That year’s final, between England and Australia, was also played at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

So what do we know about the pitch and conditions?

Well, this will be the ninth match of the tournament at the venue. The first game here went to a Super Over, but there haven’t been any close contests here since.The teams batting first won three of the next four completed matches at the venue, and Scotland had raced to 90 for no loss in 10 overs against England before that game was called off. The last two matches in Bridgetown had West Indies and England bowling USA out cheaply and completing comfortable chases.South Africa haven’t played here this tournament, but India have had one game here – a 47-run win over Afghanistan.

Wind, is that going to be a factor?

It could be windy, with wind gusts predicted at 35 kmph from the east, going up to 45 kmph. But it probably won’t have as much of an influence as it did in Gros Islet when India took on Australia.

The India-England semi-final was affected by rain. What’s the Barbados weather forecast looking like for the final?

According to AccuWeather, there are some showers expected, so we may face interruptions. There is a roughly 50% chance of precipitation in the morning between 4am and 9am, but that comes down to roughly 30% between 10am (the scheduled toss time) and 1pm, when it goes up again to roughly 50%. There will be 190 minutes of extra time allotted on Saturday to try and complete the game. Both teams need to bat at least 10 overs for a winner to be declared.

So there is a reserve day?

Yes, the final does have a reserve day. The match will only go into Sunday if at least 10 overs each is not possible on Saturday even with extra time. The game, if already underway, will pick up from where it left off on Saturday, not start from scratch.Like match day, the scheduled start of play on the reserve day is 10.30am local time. There are some showers forecast for Sunday too, though the forecast for match hours is relatively better (about 20% chance of rain) than what’s expected overnight and later in the day.

What happens if we can’t get a result even after the reserve day?

If the weather prevents the match from being completed even on the reserve day, both teams shall be declared joint-winners.

And what happens if it’s a tie?

A Super Over will decide the result, and if that also ends in a tie, there will be another Super Over and so on until a result is achieved.If the Super Over is abandoned because of poor weather after a tied game, the two teams will be declared joint winners.