Ex-Windies pacer Franklyn Rose wants aggressive bowling in N/Z

Nov 20, 2020 Sports

By Sean Devers

Franklyn Rose just after his return from New Zealand in 2016. (Getty Images)

Oshane Thomas (Getty Images)

Kaieteur News – Former West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who played and coached at Birkenhead City Cricket Club on Auckland’s North Shore during the 2011–12 Season in New Zealand where he lived in Auckland until 2016 when he re-located to his home Island Jamaica, feels that fast bowling will be the strength of the Caribbean side in their two Test matches set for December 3-7 at Seddon Park, Hamilton and December 11-15 at the Basin Reserve, Wellington.
Rose, who along Guyanese Reon King, seemed well set to take the fast bowling mantle of the West Indies team in last 1990s and 2000s, but never lived up to the high expectations with Rose capturing 53 wickets from 19 Tests between 1997 and 2000.
Speaking on the Mason & Guest Radio programme, Rose said he would love to see the West Indians bowling with pace and hostility.
“I would like for our bowlers…we have guys there bowling at 145-150 …We have to go at them; bring back the memories…show aggression. Even if we make 150, back in the days we would defend that….our bowling is our strength.

Shannon Gabriel (Getty Images)

John Campbell with his new Test cap © Getty Images

We have an inexperienced batting line-up in New Zealand but I think we have the fire-power in the bowling….it’s a bit inexperienced but we have the fire power to run at them. Once we are fit we have at least three guys who could bowl 150 miles per hour, we have defended 150 totals numerous times in the history of West Indies cricket so why can’t we do it in New Zealand.
I am just saying this because our batting is a concern in New Zealand but if we have 150 on the Board, the 150 is already there. Our fire power is there and they have go out and defend it….that has been the backbone of West Indies Cricket over the years…Fast bowling; bring back the memories guys,” Rose challenged the West Indian quicks.
The genuinely quick Rose provided his thoughts on the selection of fellow Jamaica John Campbell who was selected to open the batting with Kraigg Braithwaite in New Zealand despite just managing a single half century from nine Tests at an Average of 25.5 and lamented the lack of a proper fast bowling programme for the young West Indies pacers.
The 48-old Rose, who was born on February 1, 1972 in Chalky Hill, Saint Ann, Jamaica, said he was concerned that the out of form Campbell was selected but added he should be given a chance.

Alzarri Joseph (Getty Images)

“Yes of course I am concerned, he needs to get some big runs and bat long but I think that (his failures) comes with inexperience and he has been failing which has been unfortunate. But we should give the guy a chance, not because he is Jamaican….we need to give our young talent around the Caribbean some chances because we are rebuilding. It is tough you will be under a lot of pressure when you fail but we are rebuilding. What can you do? Is there someone out there better than him?”, asked Rose, one of nine West Indians to take a five-wicket haul on their Test Debut.
Speaking on his thoughts on the New Zealand tour which includes three T20 matches on November 27, 30 & 30, Rose said the tour would be tough.
West Indies last won a Test Match in New Zealand 25 years ago in 1995 when Skipper Courtney Walsh took 13 wickets in the first Test, while the last time the Windies toured New Zealand; they lost 2-nil in the two-Test series in 2017.
“It is goanna be tough in New Zealand but hopefully these guys can bat out an entire day, we haven’t seen that in a long time but we have to bat long.
Apart from Darren Bravo and Braithwaite, the batting is very inexperienced and going up against a New Zealand team with the likes of Trent Bolt, Neil Wagner and Tim Southee in their line-up, is going to be tough, but all we have to do is try to bat out the day and once we can do that we can score a reasonable total,”added Rose, who bagged 6-101 on debut against India at Sabina Park.
Rose who played for Jamaica, West Indies, Gauteng, Herefordshire, Northamptonshire and Surrey said when he started playing for the West Indies as a young talented fast bowler there were no proper programmes in the Caribbean when you came back on a break to maintain our fast bowling.
“Someone like Oshane Thomas is one of the quickest fast bowlers in the West Indies but who is working with him? Who is working with Shannon Gabriel in Trinidad, who is working with Alzarri Joseph in Antigua?
Nobody! There is nobody working with them. As a player and as a spectator I don’t know who is monitoring them? We pick them and watch them fail and then criticize them. And not only the bowlers but the batters as well.
These guys come back home and go in the nets and think they are doing well but no one is monitoring them. What type of programme we have to monitor these Cricketers? We wait until they fail then we drop them and criticize them,” lamented Rose, who has 27 wickets from 27 matches, 294 wickets from 94 First-Class matches and 99 scalps from 81 List ‘A’ games.