WINDIES NEED A MORE EXPERIENCED LINE-UP

West Indies put up a good fight and lost their three-test series against Australia 2-0. And while many continue to deride the team about losing to the number-four ranked team in the world, the reality is that this team has shown signs of improvement. Critics will have to acknowledge that all the tests went well into the final day and there were periods, long periods too, when the West Indies were either in the ascendancy over or at the very least, on par with the Australians.

However, several things will have to change for the improvement to continue.

Throughout the entire series the West Indies were competitive but were let down by their inconsistency in the batting, especially at the top of the order. Kieran Powell, Kraigg Braithwaite and Adrian Barath failed to consistently provide the team with solid starts. Barath is a talented player but a series of loose shots cost him his wicket each time which put the middle order under pressure. Braithwaite hardly gave the scorers any work and Powell may have been asked to do too much as while he possesses some talent he also suffers from technical weaknesses and never seemed to be able to converts starts into anything noteworthy. Who can forget that leave alone that saw him get out first ball?

With that being said, the selectors need to seriously reconsider their policy of having so much inexperience at the top of the order where the success of an inning usually depends on a very solid start. Serious consideration needed to have been given to bringing in someone like Devon Smith, who while not the most prolific opener, would almost certainly have given the West Indies better starts. It goes without saying that 30s and 50s are certainly much better than zeros.

The failure of the opening batsmen put added pressure on players like Darren Bravo, who while struggling for form, would have been better served by his openers if he didn’t have to be opening himself. He, too, needs to develop patience and address his shot selection. Several times throughout the series he got starts only to throw his wicket away. Such is his talent however, that he had the third best average (36.80) of the specialist batsmen in the series. Only new world number one Shivnarine Chanderpaul (86.50) and Matthew Wage (39.60) were better in the averages.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the number-one batsman in the world. Nuff said.

Wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh kept well on difficult pitches but again did not deliver with the bat.

There are a lot of people for whom Darren Sammy can do no right but he did a good job containing the Australian batsmen during the series. He also did a good job as captain of this team and the players are clearly behind him and his batting improved during the series. His 61 in the final test as his team stared defeat in the face, caused a few Australian hearts to flutter. That being said, his catching has to improve. He dropped a few sitters that could have had an impact on the game.

The bowling while good, was not consistent enough. There were several occasions in which the West Indies had Australia on the ropes only to let them off the hook and let them back into the game. Kemar Roach and Shane Shillingford were outstanding as the leading wicket takers during the Test series. Fidel Edwards bowled well without much success and Narsingh Deanorine filled in admirably with the ball taking nine wickets. Together though, they managed to bowl the Australians out consistently except for a couple of occasions. Sammy, too, provided a few timely breakthroughs.

Former West Indies wicket-keeper Jeffrey Dujon has suggested that the players – after being in the field for some time – might be susceptible to mental fatigue. I don’t disagree but in addition I think the team lacks the killer instinct. That is something they are going to have to learn to develop if they are to punch on an equal basis as the top teams in the world.

Frustrated fans will only feel better when the West Indies start winning again but what those fans have to realize is that the process of change is not as simple as switching on a light switch. The team has been losing for more than a decade and losing, like winning, becomes a habit. What we have here now is a situation where this young crop of players has not been poisoned by the losing culture, which is why I believe the selectors have gone with the youngsters. However, a better option is balancing the youth with some experience.

Word is that players like Sarwan and Gayle, are a bad influence on the younger players but the process of phasing them out cannot be instant. It has to be gradual because the youngsters can learn valuable things from them. For example, had Gayle been involved in this series perhaps the outcome of the first Test, when the West Indies collapsed in the second innings after being toe-to-toe with the Australians in the first innings, may very well have been different. And had Chanderpaul had greater support in the middle order, West Indies may very well have won the series, or at least tied it.

Going forward the selectors need to look at a greater balance between youth and experience which I feel would position the team to take advantage of chinks in their opponents armour. The tour of England might provide a clearer picture of what needs to be done, as the inexperience might turn out to prove embarrassing in England in May. Now more than ever, the team needs a few more players with experience to guide the youngsters until they are ready to take over. What the Australian series proved was that the youngster are not quite there yet.

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20 Responses to “WINDIES NEED A MORE EXPERIENCED LINE-UP”

Reginald Crutchley says:

April 29, 2012 at 1:52 pm

While one would agree that there is a need for greater experience in the team, the article has not made any concrete suggestions. The team is on its way to England where conditions are different from the West Indies. At [present there are two former players in Sarwan and Nash who seem to be among the runs in the English county season. Should they not have been drafted into the squad to strengthen the batting? And what members of the Jamaican winning team can find their place in the squad?WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT PERFORMERS FROM AMONG THE CHAMPIONS WHO HAVE MERITED THEIR PLACE?
Sammy has been doing a cpommendable job, but need help to close out the teams he always seem to get on the ropes but who somehow always wiggle their way out. Isay, he is not totally committed mentally, because of the mindset to catahing. His cathing in the slips is very poor and he should remove himsel;f from that position until he has improvrd extensively in that area. That cpomes with much private practice and mental overhaul. The shot that he got out with in the last test is totally not the shot for that occasion. It is one thing to blast a few fours, but captains and batsmen must realise that the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure to the end and come out victorious. So the mindset to win produces the right action at the necessary and appropriate time. To me Sammy had given up and saw the end coming any minute. That is the inappropriate attitude for winning, especially when the odds are stocked against you.
When I dealt with Jimmy Adams we discussed the winning attitude no matter the occasion. When we gave Zimbabwe 99 to win we bpowled them out for a m,ere 63. The mindset to win produced winning balls, winning catches and a disrupting auora for our opponents. I do not detect this mental attitude as a comfort zone in the present West Indies squa. This attitude is bulstered by leaders who understand how to be tough yet encouraging. W
Reginald Crutchley says:

April 29, 2012 at 1:56 pm

While one would agree that there is a need for greater experience in the team, the article has not made any concrete suggestions. The team is on its way to England where conditions are different from the West Indies. At present there are two former players in Sarwan and Nash who seem to be among the runs in the English county season. Should they not have been drafted into the squad to strengthen the batting? And what members of the Jamaican winning team can find their place in the squad?WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT PERFORMERS FROM AMONG THE CHAMPIONS WHO HAVE MERITED THEIR PLACE?
Sammy has been doing a cpommendable job, but need help to close out the teams he always seem to get on the ropes but who somehow always wiggle their way out. Isay, he is not totally committed mentally, because of the mindset to catahing. His cathing in the slips is very poor and he should remove himsel;f from that position until he has improvrd extensively in that area. That cpomes with much private practice and mental overhaul. The shot that he got out with in the last test is totally not the shot for that occasion. It is one thing to blast a few fours, but captains and batsmen must realise that the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure to the end and come out victorious. So the mindset to win produces the right action at the necessary and appropriate time. To me Sammy had given up and saw the end coming any minute. That is the inappropriate attitude for winning, especially when the odds are stocked against you.
When I dealt with Jimmy Adams we discussed the winning attitude no matter the occasion. When we gave Zimbabwe 99 to win we bpowled them out for a m,ere 63. The mindset to win produced winning balls, winning catches and a disrupting auora for our opponents. I do not detect this mental attitude as a comfort zone in the present West Indies squad. This attitude is bulstered by leaders who understand how to be tough yet encouraging. Every area of the game has its leaders. The executive, the administrative, the advisory and the operational must all band together as Siamese twins in sending a message of perfect synchrony.
Reginald Crutchley says:

April 29, 2012 at 2:07 pm

While one would agree that there is a need for greater experience in the team, the article has not made any concrete suggestions. The team is on its way to England where conditions are different from the West Indies. At present there are two former players in Sarwan and Nash who seem to be among the runs in the English county season. Should they not have been drafted into the squad to strengthen the batting? And what members of the Jamaican winning team can find their place in the squad?WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT PERFORMERS FROM AMONG THE CHAMPIONS WHO HAVE MERITED THEIR PLACE?
Sammy has been doing a cpommendable job, but need help to close out the teams he always seem to get on the ropes but who somehow always wiggle their way out. Isay, he is not totally committed mentally, because of the mindset to catching. His cathing in the slips is very poor and he should remove himself from that position until he has improvrd extensively in that area. That comes with much private practice and mental overhaul. The shot that he got out with in the last test is totally not the shot for that occasion. It is one thing to blast a few fours, but captains and batsmen must realise that the race is not for the swift but for those who can endure to the end and come out victorious. So the mindset to win produces the right action at the necessary and appropriate time. To me Sammy had given up and saw the end coming any minute. That is the inappropriate attitude for winning, especially when the odds are stocked against you.
When I dealt with Jimmy Adams we discussed the winning attitude no matter the occasion. When we gave Zimbabwe 99 to win we bpowled them out for a mere 63. The mindset to win produced winning balls, winning catches and a disrupting auora for our opponents. I do not detect this mental attitude as a comfort zone in the present West Indies squad. This attitude is bulstered by leaders who understand how to be tough yet encouraging. Every area of the game has its leaders. The executive, the administrative, the advisory and the operational must all band together as Siamese twins in sending a message of perfect synchrony. The I AS NUMBER ONE IN THE PERSON BECOMES THE I WHICH ALL DEPARTMENT UNIFY AS EACH MUST PLAY THEIR PART.
Messengjah says:

April 30, 2012 at 6:38 am

I keep reading articles suggesting that Sammy is doing well as captain. Really?? What games have the authors been watching?? In the ODI series 1 run was needed from 3 balls to win the game and the series, with the said Sammy at the crease. Somehow that 1 run became an impossible task and the Windies failed to win the game and the series. Not only was this outcome a satisfying achievement for Sammy, he was actually elated, as evidenced by his broad grin. For him, it seems that just being on the same playing field with the Australians is an achievement in and of itself. He obviously does not have what it takes to lead any team to win a series.

In the test matches, he hides himself when the going gets tough and rough, and so bowl very few overs, even though he bats at No. 8. This is intended to preserve his average, as he once remarked how low his economy rate has been. He comes in to bat mainly to play cameo roles when all is lost and there is no pressure. This is not what the team needs from a captain. It needs one similar to Michael Clarke who leads from the front and does not hide from situations. Sammy’s woeful catching ability has already been highlighted so need to regurgitate such.

When all is said and done, the outcome on the field of play reflects substantially on the coach also. Word is that he is a bully, treats the players like schoolboys and dares them to seek advice from past players like Gibbs and Holding. Like Sammy, he suffers from low self-esteem and is probably mindful of losing his job if others (Holding et al) were to appear more effective than himself.

The tour to England will once more reveal the ill-preparedness of the team at test level. Those claiming that Sarwan and Gayle are “bad influences”, have yet to state what that means. If the suggestion is that Gayle in particular is unafraid to express himself and this might embolden others to do likewise, then maybe it is the reason why the team lacks any killer instinct, as when players are subdued and muted, they become apprehensive and self-doubt sets in. Players need to be able to talk to the coach and management without fear or favour.
levyl says:

April 30, 2012 at 8:32 am

Whether you want to accept it or not Sammy has grown in his role as captain and he has also grown as a player. And I disagree that he hides himself when the going gets rough. Just recently, I believe it was the start of the third Test when the Australians were putting on an early partnership and frustrating our pacers, he came on and got two quick wickets. It is true he didn’t that enough in the series but his climb in the rankings as a bowler is justified, unless you feel that the WICB and Gibson have something to do with that too.
Gayle and Sarwan have been deemed poor examples because of the examples they set. Sarwan’s work ethic has always been in question and it manifests in the fact that he gets injured so often. Gayle is an influence on the team, but according to people who know, his influence is not always what it should be. You dont have to like the man, but the facts speak for themselves.
In the recent past – against any Australian team – these Tests would have ended in three days. Everyone of them went into the fifth day and with the West Indies in with a shot at winning. The team – now that it has begun to develop, now needs to learn how to win. Once it starts to do that the confidence they will gain, will help them to win more. A lot of their confidence now and team spirit and fighting spirit now comes from their captain. And just for the record, when they were chasing the 370 in the last Test, Sammy wasnt batting under no pressure, he was playing to win in the way he knows best – by attacking the Australians. He tried and fell short but it was a commendable effort. You need to give justice where it is due and stop hating on a man who did not appoint himself captain but who has – under extreme pressure and scrutiny from skeptics like yourself – performed admirably.
levyl says:

April 30, 2012 at 8:35 am

This is Cricinfo’s summary analysis of Sammy’s series.

Darren Sammy (capt)
As a bowler he did not have the partnership-breaking impact as in past series but as a batsman and captain he flourished. Sammy put together his best collection of scores since taking over the captaincy. Batting at No. 8 – and in the case of the second-innings run chase in Trinidad, No.3 – he played to his strength and attacked, while being generally more selective of which balls to hit. Players responded well to his positive leadership.

6
Jason says:

April 30, 2012 at 11:56 am

Just a couple of questions for Reginald.
(1) If Jamaica is the champion for so many years and whilst I can agree that only a few of them merit a place on the test team, then why so few of them can make the “A” team?
(2) Who were the best bowlers in the just concluded Red Stripe competition and didn’t Richards, Brown, and Miller performed well enough to even make the “A” team squad?
Settler says:

May 1, 2012 at 3:20 am

I give up, Who in their right mind would play a Test Series in England in May,I hope Sammy have a two sided coin a put in England first every time.If you can’t catch a ball when the climate is hot,what are you doing playing cricket in May in England?
Are WICB that spineless that they can protect their players?
Frank Asphall says:

May 1, 2012 at 7:21 am

Although WI put up good fight against Australia in the recent concluded series, at no time during the series the front line batting perform.In England where the ball serve and move around more their bats men will have to try harder to get closer to the line of the ball.majority of our bats men only play about quarter forward,instead of stretching their body out to the line of the ball.Many of then were out either LBW caught behind or bowl.We probably need to do more on our early coaching in batting,the bowling seem to be doing fine.
Vaga says:

May 1, 2012 at 9:47 pm

It is apparent that some of us have no idea about this game called cricket.Mr. Sammy can only get a place in the Leeward side. First we pick a captain then the team. We have Dwayne Bravo, Pollard,Russell. Would you pick Sammy over any one of these players.Neither Sammy nor the Coach knows the game. As a matter of fact Clyde Butts and his cronies don’t know the game either.
Pagon should be there opening the batting, Bernard deserves a game in England and Lambert is a better cricketer than Sammy and a better Captain.
What Odean Brown and Miller have to do to get a game.
On a cricket team every man has a role.What’s Mr Sammy’s role?.
I agree Sarwan should be on this team.
Mr Gibson declares that he has a three year contract,and by the time it ends West Indies will be winning again. Yes they can win if the better cricketers are chosen.
saunchez says:

May 4, 2012 at 4:49 pm

@levyl..you are a joke.. so the WI are getting better because they lose in 5 days instead of 3 or 4? NOW THEY ARE BETTER BECAUSE THEY TAKE LONGER TO LOSE?? do you know what they say about coming second? second place means you are 1st loser.. so losing in 1,2,4 or 5 days makes no difference..wasnt one Test interrupted by rain? wouldnt that be a reason why that Test went to 5 days? how is that a positive for the WI? for years now we keep hearing that WI are turning the corner. did the Aussies send their strongest team? every series its the same..”oh the West Indies are getting better”..no they are not. they are actually getting worse by the year. keep dreaming about the 80s.those days wont be returning. the WEST INDIES remind me of Liverpool Football Club,once great,now its always “next year is our year”..at least Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005 and will be in the FA Cup Final tomorrow. The WI will be swept in England
WI CRICKET IS DEAD!!!
Dorothy Hobson says:

May 5, 2012 at 9:10 am

WOW so much venom, no wonder the team cannot flourish. Most of of the comments have been so disingenuous. Can anyone give the record as captain of those who came immediately before Darren Sammy. I am certain it will make interesting reading. As a fan of WI cricket I have no intention of loosing faith. Things are not perfect but I continue to watch and listen to their progress. One day they will get it right. Good luck in England
levyl says:

May 5, 2012 at 2:09 pm

People forget Dorothy. Gayle has three wins in 20 Tests as captain. Sammy has two wins and eight draws in 16 Tests. he and gayle have the same number of draws as captain and Sammy has been captain four fewer tests. Adams has four wins, Chanderpaul one I think. But people behave as if Sammy is somehow the cause of the West Indies’ demise.
levyl says:

May 5, 2012 at 2:11 pm

Taking longer to lose is one thing but there were in a position to win in two of the three Tests. You are only looking at the outcome. I tend to look at the path towards the outcome.
maxx says:

May 8, 2012 at 8:57 am

Australia didn’t send their best because of the IPL and we couldn’t win anything. Something needs to be changed starting at the top. WICB, the coach and the captain. Why the situation has be so dire for the captain to pretend to give it his best. In my days he what we would call a “YAM licker”…seems that’s the only way he knows how to bat. Wasn’t impressed. It’s time to put our best 11 guys on the field. When available Narine and Shillingford must be included in any further teams. If Sammy can’t make it as a bowler he should be replaced. If Fidel and Rampaul is fit they should be two speedster. That leaves for six batsmen and hopefully a wicket keeper who can give us some runs when needed. Baugh is not the answer.
colin says:

May 8, 2012 at 8:55 pm

at the beginning of the tour the coach came on TV and said “we are not as good as the Australians” the team took the cue and failed…as instructed.
Stephen says:

May 10, 2012 at 11:25 am

West Indies has shown a bit of improvement in the last Test Series against Australia but to me they most definitely need a more impressive line up. I would still go with Sammy as Captain but the line up has got to change. We need to look at our openers once again as we cannot seem to get that right from the days of Greenage and Haynes. Our batting has got to improve. I see a improvement in own bowling. I hope that the team selected for England will continue to play and fight like they did against Australia in the recent concluded home Digicel series. I think England are going to have some good competitive competition. Good luck to the guys when the series kick off.
mario grant says:

May 11, 2012 at 1:03 am

west indies with their present team will no doubt struggle in england due to lack of experience ,but they will learn a lot from the experience i am sure.the swinging ball will cause lots of problems but the coach knows what to expect so he should be preparing the batsmen to deal with this threat, our bowlers will do well in these conditions as they have done well in less favourable conditions. i look forward to supporting the west indies in this struggle and i am not expecting any mirracles good luck to the team it will be stronger with gayle in it also sawan.
Delroy says:

May 12, 2012 at 3:48 pm

in my opinion for west indies to get back to start Playing cricket again they need to get Rid of otis gibson he was no good when he was coach of england but we in the west indies always pick Reject because they Are cheap Theyneed to get Rid of Some Selector Politic Have No place in cricket On that What happening In The West Indies.
Messengjah says:

May 15, 2012 at 10:02 pm

Why isn’t the best captain in the region, Tamar Lambert, leading the team in England?? Nearly all countries are picking their teams to match the format of the game and maximize their chances of winning. Not so with the Windies, as we are being fed a pack of lies that Sammy is the ONLY option available for the captaincy in ALL formats of the game. This is absolutely the wrong approach as the world, minus the WICB, knows that Sammy is no test cricketer. People are pointing to his average for justification of his continuation in the team, but facts do not lie and a batting average of 19 just does not swing it as an allrounder. Play him in the shorter forms of the game, but replace him in the tests. He is keeping out more capable test players like Russell, Dwonarine, Dwayne Bravo and Pollard and this is not the way forward for the team.