FRESH BLOOD BRINGS IN RENEWED HOPE FOR WINDIES

Is it just me or are we seeing the emergence of a new West Indies during this series against England? By ‘new’ I mean, a set of players like Kraigg Braithwaite, Jermaine Blackwood, and Jason Holder, who seem to be playing for something more than themselves. By new I also mean, a new attitude that we have seen become more apparent from players like Captain Denesh Ramdin, who since he was appointed captain of the Test team has perhaps become of its most dependable batsmen.

This is not about the West Indies turning that enormously long corner that the regional team has been on for the last 15 years, it’s about a shifting attitude about consistency of performance. It’s early days yet, but there are just little signs that things in the region just might be changing for the better.

Take Braithwaite, for example. who on Friday scored his fourth Test century playing in only his 19th Test match. Braithwaite is only 22 and may have been introduced to Test cricket too soon hence his early struggles but it is instructive that his four Test centuries have come within the last year against Bangladesh,  New Zealand, South Africa and now England. Yes, this pitch in Grenada is flat but how many other West Indies batsmen other than Marlon Samuels have scored centuries on it?

What we have seen from Braithwaite is an application not usually seen on a consistent basis from anyone but Shivnarine Chanderpaul who could before this series is over, become the most prolific West Indies batsman ever.

The maturity shown by Braithwaite suggests that as he matures even more he may well be the rock the West Indies need at the top of the innings. His game is solid and can only improve and based on what we have seen from Braithwaite is that he is a thinking cricketer, who is able to adjust, able to learn from his past mistakes, something we rarely see from West Indies batsmen in this our darkest era.

If all goes well, the six half centuries and four centuries we have got from the young Barbadian  could translate into 40 centuries and 60 half centuries before his career is over.

Like Braithwaite, Blackwood is still young only 23, and in his seventh Test match, has one hundred and three fifties. His game is less developed than Braithwaite and he is still to eliminate certain high-risk shots from his batting, but in Blackwood the West Indies have a youngster who could become an attacking force in the middle order than can take games away from opponents. He has the right mindset but needs to work on shot selection and needs to develop greater powers of concentration but he is definitely someone who has the potential to be like an Alvin Kallicharran or Rohan Kanhai in the West Indies middle order.

Jason Holder also scored his first Test century in the last Test in Antigua. It was also his first First Class Century and he played brilliantly. He left the balls he didn’t need to play, blocked those that deserved to be and hit the bad ones for four. Holder also possesses the tools needed to be a great fast bowler, someone like a Joel Garner, someone who can get you with both pace and bounce. Though still a work in progress, Holder has an amazing upside as an all-rounder.

So what we have here are three talented, intelligent youngsters that can become the foundation for a new era in West Indies cricket under new coach Phil Simmons; one where talent and smarts combine to usher the region forward. Over the next few years, hopefully we can see the emergence of more talented players who will come in and help complete a team that will help herald in a return to winning ways.