ENGLAND'S cricket team were forced to stay inside their hotel in Trinidad & Tobago after a man was shot dead outside the building.
The England players and staff were told before they arrived in Port of Spain – the country's capital – that their Hyatt Regency hotel had been placed under high alert and they would not be able to leave.
This was due to 47-year-old Wendell Walker being shot dead on the road where their hotel is situated.
According to The Times, he was gunned down in his Mercedes-Benz after two men blocked his car and began shooting.
The Trinidad Express are reporting that a woman driver was also injured by the gunfire – which took place at around 12.50am.
The woman told police she crouched below her dashboard to shield from the shooting after the assailant pulled out a "long gun".
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After realising the Mercedes had crashed into her car, she drove to the Central Bank while the shooter was "still active".
Police, who have opened an investigation, told local reporters that Walker had previous charges, while the authorities also confirmed the incident was linked to gangs.
He was breathing when the police arrived, but died while receiving treatment at the Port of Spain General Hospital.
Investigators found 15 spent 9mm shells and 18 spent 5.56mm shells at the scene.
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Trinidad has the sixth-highest crime rate in the world, with the 2023 death toll now up to 550.
According to PA news agency, the England team will only be allowed out for cricketing reasons and for an arranged round of golf.
England are playing the final two of their five-match T20 series against the West Indies in Trinidad.
Trailing 2-1, they are preparing to play in the Caribbean island for the first time in 14 years.
The UK government's travel advice reads: "Gang-related attacks and shootings are increasing around the city centre of Port of Spain."
It is understood the T20 matches will go ahead as scheduled despite the shooting, with no change to England's security set-up.
Meanwhile, Harry Brook has urged England to complete a comeback series win over the West Indies – having won the third match to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Trinidad is co-hosting next year's T20 World Cup, so positive results in the region will breed confidence among Jos Buttler's side.
A 4-3 comeback victory over Pakistan prior to England's 2022 World Cup triumph proved to be the perfect preparation.
And Brook cited that experience ahead of the final two matches in Trinidad.
He said: "We’re a fair way away from the World Cup but these two games can make a big difference, especially getting the experience of these pitches and these crowds.
"We had it against Pakistan before the last T20 World Cup where we needed to win the last two games and we just tried to play them all like finals. We’ve got to do that for the rest of this series.
"We can take a lot of confidence from that win. You’ve got so much clarity chasing a big score like that, you know you’ve got to get out the blocks quickly."
England legend Freddie Flintoff, who is now a coach for the national side, was spotted smashing sixes into the stands during training in Trinidad ahead of the fourth T20.
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