Racketlon growing in popularity with Olympic aspirations
By GORDON KERR – Squash Mad Correspondent

Racketlon combines the four ‘biggest’ racket sports in the world: Table Tennis, Badminton, Squash and Tennis. Administered by the Federation of International Racketlon (FIR), this amateur portmanteau sport is well organised and campaigning confidently for Olympic inclusion.

The four sports are played in ascending order of racket weight/head size. A hybrid scoring system applies to each; one game to 21 points but the winner must be two points clear. Serve oscillates every two points and the players change ends (except in squash where they just take a breather) when the leading player reaches 11 points. Close matches last approximately one hour.

There is a pan-European tournament circuit, and the London Open event was held last weekend at the sumptuous Roehampton Club, formerly better known as a polo club frequented by statesmen such as Lloyd George and Winston Churchill.

Two personal friends were playing. A brief explanation. Having retired from serious amateur Real Tennis competitions in 2000, I returned to squash at Southgate.

The committee asked me to play for the club’s third team in order to keep a watchful eye – particularly at away matches – on a promising 16-year-old, Alison Waters. They were worried that overly competitive adult male players would try and knock her off the ball.

Far from being miffed at playing ‘down’ in the thirds, I thoroughly enjoyed the season and managed to engineer most of the schedules such that we did not play simultaneously; I therefore watched most of Alison’s matches.

The committee needn’t have worried; she was already such a deft mover that the one or two ignorant opponents she came across failed to unsettle her; she nimbly stepped away from every potential collision. There were hardly any let calls in her entire season.

At the end of the season the good news came through that she had been selected to join the elite England set-up under the then Squash Rackets Association. We started playing and training together on Saturdays.

Fourteen years later, having switched clubs to Oakleigh Park, I started playing regularly with another promising junior, David Bennett. David, today just 17 years old, is ranked in the top ten juniors in the world at Racketlon, having won two European Under-16 junior team titles representing Great Britain. When I learned that both David and Alison were playing at Roehampton on Saturday, I willingly tore up my Ashes cricket ticket and went to watch.

I was not to be disappointed. David had entered both the Under-21 event and the Advanced Men’s B category. His first opponent was an experienced Swiss, Beat Ladner, who confided to me in the warm-up that David had last year beaten his son in a different junior event, so he was out to restore family pride.

The table tennis was nip and tuck, but Ladner edged it 22-20. At badminton, David’s agility and reflexes were too much for the slower Swiss gentleman, 21- 14. Next was squash, and I am personally acutely aware of how good David has become.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

He is so mobile that I feel I have to win each point about three times. The intelligent Ladner employed the sensible tactic of going for outrageous winners, and did well to score five points; one or two were flukes off the frame. Tennis was, however, a mere formality; David quickly secured the single point he needed.

Alison was next. She had drawn Racketlon’s world ranked number two, Zuzanna Severinova of the Czech Republic.

In our brief warm-up chat, Alison revealed that she had been surprised the previous day by the quality of table tennis play. Partnering Roehampton squash pro Paul Lindsay, they were frequently foxed by the degree and direction of spin.

A modest crowd watched as Alison showed what a quick learner she was, dealing well with the attacking play of Severinova and counter-attacking herself. Alison actually had three game balls before going down 23-25.

The badminton was a legitimate high-class ladies’ match at which Severinova’s greater experience was matched by Alison’s reaction speed and athletic lunging, notably catching the 21-year-old Czech with measured counter-drops off wonderful low retrievals at the front.

Next was the squash. 21-0 to Alison. What a brutal and perfect sport squash is, where winning a single point is a major success for the weaker player if there is a marked distinction in playing standard. And squash is the only non-Olympic sport of the four! Such was her lead that Alison needed only five points at tennis to pull off a remarkable upset.

I was not there on the Sunday, but the well organised FIR published this report.

In summary, Alison reached the final after a narrow win over Kim Hay, where she lost to the impressive German, Amke Fischer.

David Bennett, encouraged throughout by his mother Joanna, (herself a good squash player, in fact a former Middlesex County Under-16 team mate of Alison), reached the finals of both events, losing to the top seed Luke Griffiths in the Under-21 event, and to Matthew Davidson in the Men’s B competition.

Pictures courtesy of Gordon Kerr and UK Racketlon

Squash On Fire to host World Teams in Washington DC
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

Tickets for the 2019 World Squash Federation (WSF) Men’s World Team Squash Championship – which is being staged in the United States for the first time in the event’s 50-year history this December – have gone on sale via the tournament website.

Hosted in Washington, D.C. at the capital’s premier squash facility, Squash On Fire, the 2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship will take place between December 15-21 when 23 nations comprising the world’s leading male squash players will battle it out for the prestigious biennial World Squash Federation championship title. 

Buy tickets here.

Reigning champions Egypt will return to defend their crown, alongside Hong Kong China and former champions England and Australia and many more. Team USA will also compete on their home turf, having appeared at the Men’s World Team Championship every tournament since 1973 and who recently enjoyed a highly-successful Pan American Games campaign, winning gold medals in the men’s doubles and men’s team event in Lima, Peru.

“The Men’s World Team Squash Championship is one of the most highly-anticipated tournaments that the sport has to offer,” said Squash On Fire co-founder Philippe Lanier.

“We’re thrilled to bring the world’s top male players to Washington, D.C. for what promises to be a spectacular week of competition. Squash On Fire is no stranger to hosting major squash tournaments and we’re excited to welcome all athletes, coaches and spectators to our club. We urge squash fans to pick up their tickets now to guarantee a front row seat to see all the action.”

Tickets for the 2019 WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship start at $20 for General Admission, and VIP packages which include access to the VIP Lounge or Premium courtside tables are available starting at $50.

For more information on the tournament, follow the event on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or visit www.worldteamsquashdc.com 

Picture courtesy of Squash On Fire and ToC

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is close to agreeing a lucrative deal with Trabzonspor after arriving in Turkey to undertake the formalities of a transfer, sources have told ESPN FC.

The 29-year-old free agent, who was courted by Fenerbahce earlier this summer, has been assessing the options available to him with clubs from La Liga, MLS and Qatar interested in signing him.

- Luck Index 2019: Man City unlucky, Man United lucky?
- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!

Trabzonspor have put the best proposal together, offering him a two-year contract understood to be worth just under £3 million per year.

There could be an option for a further 12 months, with Sturridge's representatives -- including his uncle and manager Dean Sturridge -- having met with the club's vice-president Sertac Guven last week.

If all goes as planned, the Super Lig side expect to announce the signing of the England international this week, with fans sharing clips of themselves doing the Sturridge dance on social media in an effort to convince the forward to complete the move.

Sturridge was released from Liverpool when his contract expired at the end of June, saying goodbye on a high after the Champions League final triumph against Tottenham in Madrid.

He scored 67 goals for the club in 160 appearances following his £12m transfer from Chelsea in January 2013.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said the attacker "earned the right to be considered a modern-day great" at Anfield, adding "he came while we were trying to rebuild and re-establish ourselves. Some of the goals he has scored for us were so, so, so important."

Manchester United have "utterly condemned" the racist abuse aimed at Paul Pogba after the midfielder missed a penalty against Wolves, branding it "disgusting."

Pogba saw a second half-spot kick saved by Rui Patricio as United were held to a 1-1 draw at Molineux.

- Luck Index 2019: Man City unlucky, Man United lucky?
- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!

The midfielder stepped up ahead of Marcus Rashford -- who was successful from the spot against Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season, prompting a small minority of fans to send racist abuse to him on Twitter.

United have launched an investigation into the incidents in a bid to identify the supporters responsible and have promised to take "the strongest course of action" against any supporter found to be involved.

A statement issued by the club on Tuesday read: "Everyone at Manchester United is disgusted by the racial abuse aimed at Paul Pogba and we utterly condemn it.

"The individuals who expressed these views do not represent the values of our great club and it is encouraging to see the vast majority of our fans condemn this on social media also.

"Manchester United has zero tolerance of any form of racism or discrimination and a long-standing commitment to campaigning against it through our #AllRedAllEqual initiative.

"We will work to identify the few involved in these incidents and take the strongest course of action available to us. We also encourage social media companies to take action in these cases."

United defender Harry Maguire added: "Disgusting. Social media need to do something about it. Every account that is opened should be verified by a passport/driving licence. Stop these pathetic trolls making numerous accounts to abuse people."

Speaking after the game, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended Pogba's decision to overrule Rashford and take the penalty himself.

Pogba, who has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this summer, has missed from the spot four times in the last year while Rashford was on target against Chelsea and in the final minute of the dramatic Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain last season.

There are many candidates for when the stretch run of the season begins in Major League Soccer.

Maybe it's when the final full month of the regular season begins. (This year, that's September.) Maybe it's when rosters freeze and teams can't make any more additions to their squads (coming Aug. 30). Maybe it's when the schedules finally sync up and everyone is on the same number of games played (no idea).

Or, maybe it's when the first team officially qualifies for the postseason. If that's the marker, then the stretch run is starting really early this season -- LAFC's win on Saturday put it in the playoff field, locking in the first of 14 teams that will vie for MLS Cup. We always say it's never too early to start a stretch run. It's the only kind of run we really like.

Previous rankings: Week 23 | Week 22 | Week 21 | Week 20 | Week 19 | Week 18 | Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (18 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Wednesday vs. San Jose, 10:30 p.m. ET

And the beat goes on. The league's best team is also the first team to qualify for the playoffs with nine games to spare in the regular season. Special recognition is due to Carlos Vela, who broke the single-season goals-plus-assists record with his 64th-minute goal. LAFC calls him "El Rey." We call him "The Vela-ciraptor." It'll grow on you.

- ESPN Major League Soccer fantasy: Sign up now!
- MLS standings, fixtures and statistics
- Ibra unveils LA Galaxy 'reinforcements': The Simpsons!

2. Atlanta United (14-3-9)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Friday at Orlando, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET

There's making a statement, and there's MAKING A STATEMENT. Atlanta's Campeones Cup win over Club America doesn't impact its standings in the rankings, but coupled with the win on the road in Portland, the reigning champs are demanding our attention and respect.

3. Philadelphia Union (13-6-8)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Saturday vs. D.C. United, stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET

That's not the type of loss that a team aiming for a No. 1 seed is supposed to take. It's even worse that the Union couldn't find a way back into the game with a man advantage for the entire second half. Philly is good enough to ensure it's a blip but not good enough to take bouncing back for granted.

4. Minnesota United (12-6-8)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Thursday at Sporting Kansas City, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9:30 p.m. ET

It was a loony week in Minnesota. (Sorry.) United followed up a narrow win over Colorado with a dramatic draw against Orlando. It would've have felt like two points dropped at home, but a late VAR decision to overturn a penalty for Orlando made the point feel like a fortunate one.

5. San Jose Earthquakes (11-5-9)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Wednesday at LAFC, 10:30 p.m. ET

After Saturday's loss in Kansas City, the Quakes are winless in three straight games. That's their longest run without a win since the disastrous four-game losing streak to start the season. No one thinks San Jose is regressing to the March version, but the second-half drop-off does throw up red flags.

6. New York City FC (11-8-5)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Wednesday vs. Columbus, stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET

Good team beats bad team in emphatic fashion, jumps into third place in the process. NYCFC will attempt to do the "Ohio two-step" when it faces Columbus at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday -- a new thing we just made up that consists off beating two Ohio-based teams in the span of five days.

7. New England Revolution (9-8-9)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Friday vs. Chicago, stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET

Nothing wrong with back-to-back draws on the road in Seattle and New Jersey for the Revs. New England showed plenty of moxie overturning a deficit on Saturday in Harrison, and new signing Gustavo Bou continues to show his worth after joining the new-and-more-ambitious Revolution.

8. Portland Timbers (11-4-10)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Friday vs. Seattle, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET

Two wins and a loss to start the season-defining 10-game homestand have the Timbers primed for the stretch run and the chase for the playoffs. There's really no reason to doubt that they'll get there, but it's an open question if Portland can squeeze enough points to get a home playoff game.

9. Seattle Sounders (11-7-8)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Friday at Portland, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET

A single solitary point from trips to Utah and Southern California this week for the Sounders, who look a little rickety at a time of the season when they are traditionally at their hottest. Friday's match at Portland is going to have implications well beyond the usual Cascadia Cup conflict.

10. New York Red Bulls (11-5-10)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: Wednesday at D.C. United, 8 p.m. ET

Who are these Red Bulls? The playoff spot looks relatively secure, but there's not enough to imagine this will be the season they break the MLS Cup curse. Saturday's draw against New England summed it up: a mediocre result in front of a mediocre crowd for a team solidly in the mediocre zone.

11. LA Galaxy (13-2-11)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Sunday at LAFC, 10:30 p.m. ET

Quick poll: Do you believe in the Galaxy? Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to be Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but LA's weird draw against Seattle -- in a game in which it went down a man but was the better team and "dropped" two points thanks to a fiasco at the back -- led to a lot of head-shaking around these parts.

12. Orlando City (9-7-11)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Friday vs. Atlanta, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET

This is the moment. This is what that coaching change last year was all about. This is where the Lions wanted to be after four years of failing to get to the playoffs. In with a shout, tied on points for seventh and with a chance to take a massive step forward if they can beat the hated Five Stripes on Friday night. Cue dramatic music.

13. FC Dallas (10-7-10)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Sunday vs. Houston, 8 p.m. ET

Who the hell scheduled FC Dallas for games in LA on Wednesday night and Montreal on Saturday? Hopefully the team is closing in on diamond status, free upgrades and a second bag of complimentary peanuts while flying coach across the continent.

14. Chicago Fire (8-9-11)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Friday at New England, stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET

One bad, one good for Chicago, which now has wins in three of its past four matches. Raise your hand if you picked the Fire for "MLS team most likely to put together a torrid late summer and threaten to steal a playoff spot." Put your hands down, you big fat liars.

15. Real Salt Lake (12-4-9)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Colorado, stream live on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET

The gap in the West was embodied by RSL's two matches this week: On their best day, at home against a slightly weakened Sounders team, Real Salt Lake scored a big win. At home against LAFC's best available team, RSL was comprehensively outplayed in a 2-0 loss -- the first of Freddy Juarez's tenure as interim head coach.

16. D.C. United (10-9-8)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Wednesday vs. Red Bulls, 8 p.m. ET

D.C. United outshot Vancouver 24-8 but still lost at BC Place. And Wayne Rooney was angry. That's not what you want. Not at all.

17. Sporting Kansas City (8-7-11)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Thursday vs. Minnesota, watch live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 9:30 p.m. ET

The comeback win over San Jose on Saturday feels like a Band-Aid on a gaping wound for Sporting, which is still languishing six points back of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Remember: This is a team that hasn't missed the playoffs since 2010.

18. Colorado Rapids (7-6-13)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Saturday at RSL, stream live on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET

If two teams with little hope of making the playoffs earn a point from a match played in mid-August, does it make a sound ... er ... does it matter? The answer, of course, is 42.

19. Columbus Crew (7-6-14)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Wednesday at NYCFC, stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET

Once upon a time, TFC was the Crew's supposed "rival" thanks to "connection" between Ontario and Ohio through a flower that grows in both regions (seriously). Now that Columbus has a real rival down the road in Cincinnati, the draw with Toronto is nothing but an appetizer for next weekend's main course.

20. Toronto FC (9-7-10)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday vs. Montreal, stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET

Jozy Altidore saved the Reds a point in Columbus, but the fact that he needed to, and that Toronto is chasing games against an also-ran with the season on the line, is extremely troubling for Greg Vanney and his team.

21. Montreal Impact (10-4-13)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Saturday at Toronto, stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET

Somehow the Impact are still in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference even after wasting a three-goal lead and drawing at home against FC Dallas. They don't deserve to be. Get it together, everyone else in the Eastern Conference. Sheesh.

22. Vancouver Whitecaps (6-9-12)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Saturday at San Jose, stream live on ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET

Outshot, outplayed, but not outscored. The Caps now have multiple wins in a month for the second time all season, though the big news in B.C. this week was an organizational shake-up that ousted Bob Lenarduzzi as club president.

23. Houston Dynamo (9-4-13)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Sunday at FC Dallas, 8 p.m. ET

A hearty welcome to the MLS coaching ranks to Davy Arnaud, who was one hell of a pro during his run as a player. It's not an easy job Arnaud takes on in the Bayou City, and we can only hope he gets a fair shake to earn the permanent position.

24. FC Cincinnati (5-3-18)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Sunday vs. Columbus, 6 p.m. ET

"I think we could've had a result, but there's no use saying that when you lose 1-4," FCC head coach Ron Jans said after his first match at Nippert Stadium on Saturday. Indeed, Ron. Indeed.

New Zealand women's captain Amy Satterthwaite will be taking an indefinite break from cricket as she prepares to have her first child with her wife and team-mate Lea Tahuhu. A New Zealand Cricket statement said Satterthwaite will return to the game "when the time is right", but she will continue to be contracted under the newly introduced Women's Master Agreement.

"Lea and I are overjoyed to share the news that I'm expecting our first child early in the new year," Satterthwaite was quoted as saying in the NZC statement. "It is a special time in our lives and we can't wait for this new chapter.

"I am very lucky to have great support from NZC with regard to taking a break from the game to have a family. I feel I still have a lot to give to the game and look forward to working my way back with an eye on the 2021 ICC Women's World Cup held in New Zealand."

The board's CEO, David White, said, "As soon as the Women's Master Agreement (already agreed in principle) is signed off and confirmed, Amy will be announced as one of our contracted White Ferns for the 2019-20 year. As such, she will be the first player to benefit from the new pregnancy leave provisions included in the new agreement.

"This means she'll be paid her full retainer throughout and, although possibly fulfilling some off-field contractual obligations, will not be required to train or play."

Satterthwaite said she would look to take up mentoring duties during her leave of absence, sharing her experiences as a senior player with the rest of the squad: "I look forward to being involved with the White Ferns squad where possible and offering support and knowledge in a mentoring capacity."

A wider pool of contracted players, extending to the domestic level for the first time, and a significant pay hike for centrally contracted New Zealand women players were among the key features of the Women's Master Agreement that was announced earlier this month.

Of the many repercussions stemming from the awful blow suffered by Steven Smith during the Lord's Test, one of the most visible was the arrival of a stem guard on the back of the helmet of Australia's vice-captain Travis Head.

Having tried the neck guards in the wake of his team-mate Phillip Hughes' death in November 2014, Head had then elected not to use them for comfort reasons - much as Smith had done - but between innings of the Lord's Test sought out the team doctor Richard Saw for a neck guard to clip on for extra protection.

This meant that three of the Australian batsmen in the middle on day five - Head, Tim Paine and Pat Cummins - were wearing the neck guards, reflecting a shift from optional towards the mandatory standard that Cricket Australia is expecting to introduce in the next 12 months. Undoubtedly, the sight of Smith sprawled on the Lord's turf will be a strong encouragement for others to add it to their games before they are compelled to do so.

"I didn't usually [wear one]. I guess with the conditions in Australia you can sway out the way, the bounce is quite true," Head said. "I think what we have seen at Lord's with the slope there was a lot of balls following batters and going down the slope. I wore it yesterday and probably will wear it for the rest of the series I guess. The wickets are a little bit slower and you can get some that do different things, so it is not as true bounce. I guess, as you've seen with Steve getting hit, you can get yourself into tricky positions.

"So, I think it'll become mandatory, it is becoming mandatory next year with CA so I may as well get used to it now and then start putting them on. It is something I have played around with. I thought they were going to come in earlier so I trialled them as one of those things. They probably weren't as comfortable [but] I didn't really feel the difference yesterday. It is one of those things as batters, things that are working and not working and I might have worn them and missed out a couple of times and they go back into the kit. But the doc carries them around, so there's a box to whack them on and a few blokes did."

Asked whether there was any team rule about their use, Head said stem guards were currently in the same category as arm guards: something worn by some and not others. "It is each to their own. I guess it is like me with my arm guard," he said. "There is no reason it came up but I can save myself a broken arm if I get hit.

"We feel that the way we played at Edgbaston and most of the week this week [at Lord's], we can compete and play some really good cricket." Travis Head on the mood in the Australia change room

"So, again, there are a lot of guys wearing them; all of the bowlers are wearing them now, so it is the same thing: trying to protect yourself from injury. I want to play every single game I can. Anything that can help or that can stop something happening, I take it it into account. It is up to individuals."

In partnership with Marnus Labuschagne, Head was able to grind out the innings Australia required to escape Lord's with a draw and a 1-0 Ashes series lead, but it was a match notable for testing him in numerous ways. He never looked comfortable in the first innings before being pinned lbw on the crease by Stuart Broad from around the wicket. And even in the second innings, Head might well have been out several times to Jack Leach's left-arm spin, and was also dropped in the slips by Jason Roy with nearly 20 overs of the match still remaining.

"Yeah, I didn't start too well in the first innings," Head said. "Credit to them, they bowled quite well. I was a little bit disappointed with the way that I got out but those are the things I am working on and haven't [shown up] much in the last 12 months. Getting stuck on the crease now and then is disappointing, but I'll learn from it. In the second innings it was a bit more like I was at Edgbaston and, hopefully, I can continue to produce that and be nice and positive.

"I had the faith of JL [coach Justin Langer] and Painey to keep pushing the game and being positive and I think that's the way I play best. When aiming for a draw I was still quite positive in moments when I shouldn't have been but again, my best way to defend is sometimes to attack and sometimes it works and sometimes not. It's about picking the right moments I think, and making sure I am doing what's best for the team.

"So it is about making sure I pick up length quickly and I am really sharp. I think the process is really good and I was able to show that with how I played [on day five]."

Head reflected that the Australians were very much looking for victory when day five began, only to be frustrated into lowering their expectations by Ben Stokes' century. "We were quite confident going into the day that we could win it," he said. "But then Ben batted extremely well and put them into a fantastic position.

"So, it was about getting out of the game and out of the day and we were able to do that. There are still a lot of positives to take from the week, which is nice. I think the mood around the group since that moment is better and better and stronger and stronger. We feel that the way we played at Edgbaston and most of the week this week, we can compete and play some really good cricket."

Jason Holder was the biggest winner at the West Indies Players' Association/Cricket West Indies annual awards night held on August 19 in Antigua, scooping up the Player of the Year as well as the Test Player of the Year awards. Shai Hope was named the ODI Player of the Year for a second successive time while seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul was recognised as the T20 Player of the Year.

Allrounder Deandra Dottin also won big, securing the women's T20 and ODI Player of the Year awards. Meanwhile, 22-year-old tearaway Oshane Thomas was named the Emerging Player of the Year. Performances between April 2018 and March 2019 were taken into consideration.

In February this year, Holder became the first West Indies player to become the top-ranked Test allrounder since Sir Garry Sobers in 1974 and claimed 778 rating points, the highest by any West Indies bowler since Courtney Walsh in 2001.

And in January, Holder had made an unbeaten 202 - the third-highest score batting at No. 8 or lower in Test cricket - against England in front of his home crowd in Barbados. All told, Holder hit 565 runs in eight Test matches and claimed 40 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls, during the period.

Hope amassed 757 runs in 15 innings in ODI cricket at an average of 63.08, including three hundreds and three fifties, during the period.

After being plucked out of the CPL, Thomas made his international debut for West Indies in Guwahati in 2018 and added a cutting edge to the seam attack, the highlight being the maiden five-for against England in Gros Islet.

Six months after becoming the No. 1 allrounder in women's T20Is, Dottin dominated the awards for women, taking back the Women's Player of the Year award. In ODIs during the period, Dottin made 207 runs in six innings in addition to taking 15 wickets with the ball. In T20Is, she bagged figures of 5 for 5 - her best in this format.

Offspin-bowling allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who recently broke into West Indies' Test squad, was named the Championship Player of the Year, while star allrounder Andre Russell was adjudged Caribbean T20 Player of the Year.

Nineteen-year-old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop, who was snapped up by Barbados Tridents in the CPL draft in May, won the Under-19 Player of the Year award.