Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 12, 2015 Sports
Colin E. H. Croft
The three-Test series that begins tomorrow (Monday) at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium between
West Indies and England is extremely important for both teams, especially after such underwhelming efforts by both teams in the recent World Cup.
WI supporters should not care much about what happens to England’s cricket development, but the poor recent efforts, even if only in ODI’s, should make England and WI want to redeem themselves immediately in these three crucial Tests.
WI has done little recently in Tests too to appease critics. Therefore, this situation is simple for Denesh Ramdin’s men. Nothing short of a WI victory would be acceptable!
Late in 2013, WI lost 2-0 to New Zealand, in NZ, in a 3-Test series. Return fixtures in the Caribbean in 2014 saw NZ beat WI 2-1 (3 Tests). WI did beat Bangladesh 2-0 (2 Tests) in 2014 in WI, before losing 2-0 (3 Tests) to South Africa, in SA, in 2014/15.
In recent Test series, WI has fared even worse than ODI failures, so, with that record, WI’s players should not need incentives to perform well.
But if WI needs those to perform well, then one, open-mouthed, ready-made, has already been provided, an audible kick in the backside, by England & Wales Cricket Board.
By now the team must have heard that incoming ECB Chairman Colin Graves has publicly suggested: – “I expect WI team to be mediocre!”
If that insult is not incentive enough for WI to destroy England, then nothing can be!
This could well be that elusive dawn of a new era for WI too, with newly-appointed Head Coach Philip Simmons at the helm, anxious to get off to a positive start.
Fraught with problems on and off the field, WI will hope Simmons can provide much needed leadership and stability on, even off the field of play too.
Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons are unavailable for varying reasons.
Thus, it will be left to veterans Ramdin, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Sulieman Benn, Jerome Taylor and 40 year old Shivnarine Chanderpaul to use experiences and know-how to keep WI together, then expansive enough to beat England.
Younger guns called into WI training squad, players eager to play and show off their skills, also have a great opportunity to emphasize that they really do belong and want their inclusions to be permanent.
Carlos Brathwaite, 26 year old Barbadian fast bowler, has only six international games for WI; four ODI’s and two T-20-I’s; but his 1st class returns have been creditable.
Another Barbadian, 24 year old Miguel Cummins, was not selected in the final squad for Test No. 1, but his speed could yet bring him opportunities in the future.
Compatriot 21 year old Shai Hope gets the nod ahead of yet another Barbadian, 23 year old Shane Dowrich. Both, interestingly, also wicket-keepers, have had good 2015 1st Class seasons, each having made one century, the former a double too.
Guyanese orthodox left-arm leg-spinner Veerasammy Permaul will, strangely, have to wait for Benn to fail, despite Permaul’s magnificently successful 2015 1st Class season.
That other Guyanese spinner, though, right-armed leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo gets his return, after bowling brilliantly; 61 wickets; to help Guyana win overall in 2015. His return could be very interesting indeed.
For England, the soap-opera continues as the Kevin Pietersen saga seems never-ending, while many questions remain over captain Alastair Cook’s form, function and effectiveness, perhaps his very authority.
Under-pressure opener Cook’s last Test century, v New Zealand, was two years ago. If he fails again here, his tenure as captain and place in the team before the big Ashes 2015 series will come under more intense scrutiny.
Pietersen will be watching this series with great interest, as, having seemingly been offered an olive branch by ECB Chairman Graves, the controversial batsman appears intent to get back into England’s Test fold, electing to play for Surrey in County Cricket.
This distraction cannot be good for England. For their own benefits, they need to draw a line under this situation sooner rather than later.
Jonathan Trott is also back. His output can be ultra-important to England’s hopes in the Caribbean and especially for that later Ashes series against Australia.
Gary Ballance too will be under the microscope, as he seems to be heir-apparent for all things great in English batting.
Also expect James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s normal opening bowlers, but who looked so jaded during CWC 2015, to be re-ignited, firing on all cylinders, having enjoyed sea, sand, sunshine and great Caribbean food in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Pitches in Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada and Barbados are expected to be batsman-friendly, with runs plentiful, except perhaps at Kensington Oval, where it should be more bouncy. Pitches could play their own parts as to which team triumphs.
The teams last met in the Caribbean in 2009, WI surprisingly taking that close series 1-0, but so much has changed since then, for both teams, that this series could be won by either team. The stakes are extremely high. Rally, West Indies! Maybe! Enjoy!
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Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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