Roland Butcher: ‘West Indies are struggling – we've not hit rock bottom yet'
'England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years.' Roland Butcher rings the bell before the second Test match between the two sides.
'England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years.' Roland Butcher rings the bell before the second Test match between the two sides. Photograph: Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Getty Images
After West Indies secured a one-day series draw against Ireland on Sunday their captain, Shai Hope, was asked about the team's imminent visit to England. 'We played them at the end of last year and we won that series so we know they're going to be coming at us even harder this time,' he said. 'We're looking forward to it. We know they're going to be a tough, tough opponent but we're always ready to play anyone.'
Roland Butcher, child of Barbados, once of England and more recently a West Indies selector, has a less optimistic outlook: 'We're struggling, and the struggle is not over. We haven't hit rock bottom yet.' The concentration of power across all three formats in the hands of one coach and selector – Daren Sammy – is what Butcher fears 'is going to finally push us to the bottom'.
Advertisement
Related: Jimmy Anderson: 'I know my body has got a certain amount of deliveries left in it'
Butcher's knowledge of Caribbean cricket is broad and deep, with 15 years as head coach of the University of the West Indies sports academy, one serving on the national team's selection panel alongside another familiar name in Desmond Haynes, and many commentating on matches around the region. He was appointed as a selector in December 2022 but dismissed a year later, with full control of the team eventually handed to Sammy, who picks and also coaches the senior side across all formats as of April this year.
'In Desmond and myself you've got over 100 years of experience at the highest level, still capable, still wanting to contribute,' Butcher says. 'I've moved on and Desmond has moved on as well, but we've got this knowledge, we want to help and they're struggling.
'It was a very left-field change, and not a change that I agree with. Not because I'm no longer a selector, it's just not suitable for somewhere like the West Indies. In 2023, they had the best run they've had for 25 years in terms of results and for some reason they decided to make Daren the only selector and coach. I mean, madness. And it's going to be tested already because they're over here and then in a couple of weeks Australia is arriving for a Test series. I mean, how can you coach three teams? How can you be the only selector for three teams? It's just absolute madness.
Advertisement
England and Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the upcoming Metro Bank One-Day Internationals against the West Indies due to a right hamstring strain.
Atkinson sustained the injury during England's Rothesay Test victory over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge last week. He will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the England medical team. No replacement will be added to the ODI squad.
England, led by captain Harry Brook, will contest three ODIs with the series getting underway with the opening match on Thursday 29 May at Edgbaston.
ODI squad:
Harry Brook (Yorkshire) – Captain
Tom Banton (Somerset)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Brydon Carse (Durham)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Tom Hartley (Lancashire)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Jamie Overton (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Luke Wood (Lancashire)
Metro Bank ODIs
1st ODI: England v West Indies, Thursday 29 May 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham
2nd ODI: England v West Indies, Sunday 1 June 2025, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
3rd ODI: England v West Indies, Tuesday 3 June 2025, Kia Oval, London
'What they've done is they've said the chairmen of selectors in the territories – so in Barbados or in Trinidad – now becomes a talent scout as well. But there's no selection process for them. The selector in Barbados, he's a man in a full-time job. When does Sammy watch regional cricket? Desmond Haynes and myself, that's all we did, watch cricket, all over the place. I was a youth selector as well so I'd be at the regional tournaments, under‑15, under-17, under-19, and I got to see all the young talent coming through. The talent scouts can't do that. And they didn't just get rid of the senior men's selectors. The youth selectors as well, they changed that.'
Advertisement
In Butcher's year as a selector, the West Indies men's side won 51% of their games, the only time this century they have won the majority of their matches across all formats in a calendar year. 'When I left, I said to Desmond: 'We were a success.' There's no other West Indian selector that has left and can say they were a success, they were always let go because the team failed,' he says. 'We were a success. So that will always stay with me. The powers that be, they wanted to move to a different situation. But we were a success and we were on the right path. There's no question about that. They can't take that away.'
West Indies have been affected by the proliferation of lucrative franchise leagues and their habit of distracting – or just taking – international players. 'But I think England have started to experience what West Indies have experienced for the last 10 years,' Butcher says.
'I don't think many countries looked at what was happening with West Indies and ever thought: 'You know what, this'll happen to us too.' For the last 10 years, West Indies teams have been weakened by domestic leagues and everybody was sitting back saying: 'Oh, West Indies, they're mercenaries.' They didn't think it would come home to roost.'
After a winter in Barbados, Butcher is settling back in to life in England before a summer of commentary and promoting his new book, Breaking Barriers. It certainly doesn't want for interesting stories: being brought up in poverty by his grandmother on Barbados's east coast, being uprooted to join his parents in Stevenage, hoovering up trophies in a wonderful Middlesex side, becoming England's first black player before having his international ambitions crushed by a serious eye injury, and going into and swiftly giving up on cricket coaching. 'I found the English system too rigid. It was all from a book. I didn't feel confident enough that I would be allowed to do what I thought should happen.' He turned instead to football, met a then-unknown Brendan Rodgers while studying for his Uefa B licence and was recruited by him to join Reading's academy, before being left behind when Rodgers was headhunted by Chelsea and from there launched on a stellar coaching career.
Advertisement
'If he hadn't gone I think I would have stuck it longer,' Butcher says. 'What pushed me out eventually was the fact that I knew John Barnes very well and he was having it really tough. He couldn't get interviews, couldn't get shortlisted, couldn't get nothing. So after Brendan left, it dawned on me if guys of that level are struggling to make it professionally, it's gonna be tough for me.'
Now 71, Butcher has no intention of drifting away from cricket. He is very active as the president of Barbados Royals girls cricket club, the region's first all-female club, and a patron of the Ace Programme, the British charity trying to drive engagement in the sport among underrepresented communities. 'While I'm still capable physically and mentally to do something, I think I've got a lot to offer. I'm a cricket man and cricket has been my life.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
34 minutes ago
- Forbes
Cristiano Ronaldo Ends Germany's UEFA Nations League Run
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his winner against Germany in the UEFA Nations League. (Photo by ... More Christina Pahnke - sampics/Corbis via Getty Images) There will be no first trophy contested by Germany in the Julian Nagelsmann era on Sunday after Germany lost 2-1 to Portugal in the semifinal of the UEFA Nations League. While Florian Wirtz (48') opened the scoring for Germany in front of 70,000 fans at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Portugal managed to strike back in the form of Francisco Conceicao (63') and Cristiano Ronaldo (68'). The semifinal of the UEFA Nations League was also the 100th cap of Germany captain Joshua Kimmich. According to Transfermarkt, the 30-year-old becomes just the 14th German men's national team player to reach this milestone. It is an incredible milestone for Kimmich. But it also comes with a bitter note. Among the list of players who have played 100 games or more, Kimmich is the only one to have never won a World Cup for his country. Indeed, the only trophy Kimmich has won with Germany is the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. With that in mind, the UEFA Nations League would hardly have been a compensation for generation Kimmich. But winning the title would have gone a long way toward improving Germany's chances at future tournaments. After all, wins in games against top teams like Portugal improve the FIFA coefficient standings and increase the chance of an easier group at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. "That was one of our worst games,' Kimmich said after the game. 'It was an absolutely deserved defeat. We weren't good enough with or without the ball. After going 1-0 up, we showed nothing at all. We must learn from that. If we don't bring energy, we can't compete against top European teams." While the result was disappointing for Germany, it was the first win for Cristiano Ronaldo against Die Nationalmannschaft. The Portuguese striker had lost the five previous games against Germany, and now, at the tender age of 40 years and 119 days, he has finally slayed his demon. Indeed, the legendary Portuguese striker secured the win with a tap-in goal in the second half. Great for Ronaldo and Portugal, but for Germany, it underlined significant weaknesses in the backline without Real Madrid center-back Antonio Rüdiger. 'We made two massive tactical mistakes ahead of the goals,' Nagelsmann said. 'That is why we lost the game.' Nagelsmann also admitted that his changes didn't have the desired impact. 'Their substitutions worked better.' The back-three of Waldemar Anton, Robin Koch, and Jonathan Tah struggled whenever Portugal quickly broke forward. Even before Portugal turned around the result, the quick wingers Pedro Neto and Trincao overran the backline at times. The winner, too, easily tapped home by Ronaldo, was a complete capitulation by Germany's defense. Florian Wirtz gave Germany the lead. But his goal wasn't enough. (Photo by Kevin Voigt/GettyImages) Portugal was closer to the third goal than Germany was to the equalizer. It was only thanks to Marc-André ter Stegen's brilliant double save in the second half that Germany was in it until the very end of the game. Meanwhile, in the attack, Germany struggled to create many good chances in the first half. At least Portugal, too, struggled to produce much. The Portuguese only woke up after a brilliant moment by Wirtz that gave Germany the lead. That goal highlighted why Liverpool is currently in advanced talks to sign Wirtz from Leverkusen. Those talks are progressing well, despite both sides still being significantly apart in the negotiations. Be that as it may, Liverpool will also find out that games can't be won by Wirtz alone. The problem is that it seemed to be Germany's strategy. Aside from the 22-year-old, Germany lacked brilliant moments, or rather, Wirtz's congenial partner and one-on-one specialist, Jamal Musiala. 'The key is that we have to give 100%,' Nagelsmann said when asked about Germany's depth. 'When we do that, we are better even. But if we don't take on one-on-one situations all the time, then we would lose to an amateur team. If players don't give everything, then you will struggle against top nations. We didn't give 100%. That's why we didn't win.' So, what then is the major takeaway from this game? While Germany has closed the gap to the top nations, there are still some significant weaknesses in Nagelsmann's squad. The backline at times lacks speed and depth beyond Rüdiger and Tah. In the attack, promising players are coming, but without Musiala, this team lacks the special extra. Furthermore, certain players have also highlighted that their time in the national team might have come to an end. Leroy Sané was industrious in the first half, but his inability to shoot with both feet hurt him and his team overall. Serge Gnabry came on in the second half and failed to impress. Finally, Niclas Füllkrug had zero impact. In other words, losing this Nations League semifinal isn't the end of the world. But only if Nagelsmann draws the correct conclusions from the game.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How the Steel and Aluminum Tariff Hike Will Hit Consumers
A US Steel logo is seen on a vehicle loaded with rolls of steel during a visit by the U.S. President to U.S. Steel - Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, May 30, 2025 Credit - Saul Loeb—AFP via Getty Images Canned foods, cars, houses, and a range of other goods could soon get more expensive as businesses face a newly doubled tariff rate of 50% for steel and aluminum imports. President Donald Trump described the increase, which raised the levies from the 25% rate announced in February beginning on Wednesday, as an effort to 'further secure the steel industry in the United States' during a Friday rally at a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Penn.—once the heart of the domestic steel industry. But while American steel industry groups have hailed the tariff hike, economic experts have sounded alarms, saying it could further disrupt the already-volatile global supply chain and put more strain on businesses—and Americans' wallets. 'Consumers will have to pay the price,' says Virginia Tech economics professor David Beiri. 'The continued uncertainty that is created by the government is poisoning business plans.' The United States is highly reliant on steel imports, bringing in more of the material from abroad than any other country in the world, according to the International Trade Administration. More than 26 million metric tons of steel were imported last year, most of which came from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and China. 'We are equally dependent on aluminum,' says Jonathan Colehower, managing director at consulting company UST. The domestic steel industry has voiced support for the increased tariffs, saying they will help it weather increased competition from foreign steel manufacturers. 'Chinese steel exports to the world have more than doubled since 2020, surging to 118 million MT in 2024—more than total North American steel production,' the American Iron and Steel Institute, one of several trade associations representing the American steel industry, said in a statement after Trump announced the higher rate. 'This tariff action will help prevent new surges in imports that would injure American steel producers and their workers.' But experts worry about the industry's ability to meet increased demand as businesses, facing the additional import costs, seek cheaper alternatives for their products. While the U.S. once dominated the steel industry, the boom has died down in the last century. 'With domestic capacity not necessarily being able to produce what we might need…there is going to be a transitory effect,' says Beiri, referring to the adjustment period the steel industry will have to navigate as the supply chain changes. Colehower says the domestic steel supply may tighten as a result of the increased tariffs, which could cause domestic prices to rise amid high demand. 'There's absolutely no way it's going to be able to make up the difference immediately,' he says of the domestic steel industry. The Aluminum Association, a trade group that represents both U.S.-based and foreign companies, said it supports tariff-free Canadian aluminum, pointing to the American aluminum industry's reliance on the country's northern neighbor. 'Aluminum is a critical material for our economy and national defense – used in everything from cars to beverage cans to fighter jets. Today, the United States is investing significantly and will need both smelted and recycled aluminum to meet growing demand,' the association said. 'In the years if not decades it will take to build new U.S. smelter capacity, our metal needs must be met by importing.' Steel and aluminum are used in various products, from beer cans and office supplies to automobiles—the prices for all of which are likely to rise as a result of the doubled import taxes. The Can Manufacturers Institute, the trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry, opposed the tariff increase in a statement after Trump announced the coming change in the rate, saying it would 'further increase the cost of canned goods at the grocery store.' The can manufacturing industry imports nearly 80% of its tin-mill steel from foreign countries. 'Doubling steel tariffs will inflate domestic canned food prices, and it plays into the hands of China and other foreign canned food producers, which are more than happy to undercut American farmers and food producers,' the trade association said. Beer companies and other beverage businesses are also set to be impacted. The real estate and construction industries, both of which use steel to build homes, warehouses, and other structures will be footing a bigger bill, as well, Colehower says. He predicts businesses such as Lowe's and Home Depot, the latter of which vowed before the tariff hike that it would not be increasing the cost of its goods, will be severely affected. Farm equipment and transportation vehicles, including cars, bicycles, and others, will also likely cost more as a result of the new tariff rate, Colehower says. Some companies could seek to adjust their business models in the face of increased costs. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, for instance, said in February that the company would consider making more beverages in plastic bottles to offset aluminum price hikes under the tariffs announced that month. Negotiations over the tariffs are ongoing between the U.S. and its trading partners, several of which have expressed ire at the increased import taxes. Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, called the steel tariffs a 'direct attack on Canadian workers.' A European Commission official on Friday said the decision 'adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.' The U.K. has been spared from the tariff hike; Mexico announced Wednesday that it plans to ask for a similar exemption. Canada, Mexico, and the European Union were previously exempt from steel and aluminum tariffs Trump imposed during his first term in 2016, but are subject to the current levies. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Germany and Portugal name starting XIs for Nations League semi-final
Germany and Portugal name starting XIs for Nations League semi-final Germany and Portugal have named their starting lineups for Wednesday's Nations League semi-final clash. Here's how the two nations line up at the Allianz Arena. Portugal: Diogo Costa, Rúben Dias, Ronaldo, Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Gonçalo Inácio, João Neves, Francisco Trincão, Rúben Neves, Pedro Neto, Nuno Mendes Advertisement Will Julian Nagelsmann's Germany or Roberto Martínez's Portugal become the first side to reach the 2024/25 Nations League final? 📸 Alex Grimm - 2025 Getty Images
