***Official*** West Indies in Sri Lanka 2015

[aussie]

Except that Rampaul is now Round Paul, Gayle dgaf, Narine has been called for chucking, and DW Bravo has just never been very good.

The round Paul reference to Rampaul is insignificant and its one of biggest misconceptions about him due to perceived extra size as fast bowler. He has his injury problems but it has never been a serious as people think, its just bad selection policies by WICB they never wanted to pick him for tests.

Narine has been cleared FYI. The only reason he is not on this test tour is because he told coach Phil Simmons selectors that he is not 100 % confident of playing test cricket with his new action just yet - but in general its fine based on what i saw of him in recent Caribbean Premier League - Narine not ready for a Test return yet | WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD

What do you mean Bravo has never been good? Bravo started his test career with a bang and while he declined a bit, he is one of biggest victims of the WICB bad treatment of their players who are IPL/T20 stars & they failed to utilize his services properly in test cricket, before he retired prematurely from tests after he has been continuously victimized for what happened in India tour pull out.

 

[aussie]

Gayle has been out bitch for a long long time. Other than on occasion he faced an attack with recovering bowlers, he was awful against us. He was Vaas' and the Kulasekara's bitch. Any medium pacer bowling wicket to wicket is guaranteed picking him up. And we have Mathews, who is medium pace and bit more with the ball. Only other class player missing in that line up is Narine. Narine averages 40+ in test cricket. Don't rate him to be successful against us in tests. If we have out five fast bowlers fit, and Mathews fit and bowling, don't give much chance for WI on SL tracks. Dwayne Bravo didn't do much last time, but he is a good player, but not a one that I will lose sleep on. On the other hand we have picked some pedestrians in the team. Shehan Jayasuriya should be batting at #3. Anything other than 3-0 drubbing in a test (even with that line up) would be disappointing.

Even a team with Haynes, Lara, Hooper, Ambrose and Walsh in 1994 were struggling against us on spinning pitches.

Yes Gayle's test form has not been great, especially now that he has a persist back problem. But without a doubt if he were fit to play, he would have SRI more worried than WI selectors choices or picking a middle-order batsman in Shai Hope to open or the shocking back-up choice of Chandrika who never scored a FC hundred in WI piss poor domestic competition & made a pair on debut vs AUS.

Narine is another victim of WI selectors treatment towards its IPL stars, he is better than that 40 average. I'll never forget their smart choice of not playing him in 2014 test series vs New Zeland just because he wanted their pre series camp clashes with IPL final - while NZ let McCullum and other IPL players fly in without playing in warm-ups.

Of course I wouldn't expect that possible full-strength WI team to win easy in SRI, cause WI batsmen have their issues playing spin even with their best available side - but I would be confident in them winning this series if that was the team on display instead of THE under-strength team they have ATM.

 

[cnerd123]

I'd pick Dwayne Bravo in the current side. He's genuinely good, just a bit of an underperformer.

Gayle and Narine would realistically get in, but I wouldnt expect them them to perform any better than their alternatives. Narine hasn't shown any serious long-form nous yet (there is a huge step up from WI domestic cricket to Test cricket), and Gayle probably lacks the fitness and hunger for runs at Test runs.

I reckon Narine, if he keeps his action legal, has the raw materials to do well in Tests. But thats a big 'If', and he also needs a lot of long form cricket against good batting lineups and I dont think he will get that anywhere else apart from the Test team.

 

[aussie]

In the most recent test Narine played vs the current very good NZ batting line-up that has been performing all over the world last 2 years now - they played him with great caution and respect - 3rd Test: New Zealand v West Indies at Hamilton, Dec 19-22, 2013 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

As i mentioned before its just typical shocking WICB man management towards their IPL players that made him miss the home series vs NZ in 2014 for aforementioned reasons.

On talent alone I see no reason Narine can replicate the form in ODI/T20 that made him # 1 bowler in those formats for much of his career & be on par with Ashwin/Shah as best spinners in the world - even legendary West Indies spinner Lance Gibbs thinks so - Gibbs hails Narine open to help spinners | WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD


"But Narine is certainly good enough to be an equal threat in Tests whenever he feels confident enough in his action to play that format again.

I see no reason why he can’t replicate his white ball cricket form. "

 

[Black_Warrior]

I know WICB is in shambles and gets a lot of hate.. and rightfully so at times..but in this matter.. you also have to consider how much Narine even wants to play for WI. It's not fair to just blame on side.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Anyway, this should be a good game. West Indies seamers bowling well

 

[Howe_zat]

Chandimal and Mathews in now. The preamble over, actual game starts now

 

[Pratters]

No offence to SRI fans, but its hard to be overly impressed by anything about this team other than Mathews and Herath, Prasad is a ok quick bowler, while Chandimal is progressing slowly.

They are just being made to look good here by seriously under strenght West Indies team that has all sorts of behind the scenes turmoil.

A proper West Indies team such as this IMO would be toppling SRI:

Gayle
Brathwaite
Bravo
Samuels
Blackwood
DW Bravo
Ramdin (c)
Narine
Taylor
Rampaul
Bishoo

But it is disrespectul. Prasad is not just ok. He is really good. I am a big fan of Rampaul but his best days are done. You are saying oh nothing to be impressed by this team. They have played good test cricket and forgive me Sir Aussie not every one can be as good as Knott and Stewart. I will still discuss them and not say oh they are too rubbish for my pretty nose and elitist airs.

 

[aussie]

I know WICB is in shambles and gets a lot of hate.. and rightfully so at times..but in this matter.. you also have to consider how much Narine even wants to play for WI. It's not fair to just blame on side.

I have seen no evidence that Narine does not want to play for West Indies. But there is much evidence to show West Indies selectors not picking him.

 

[Black_Warrior]

West Indies are trying to develop a team in the last year or so with these bunch of players and they have been quite decent to be honest. They drew a series against England who would later go on to win the Ashes. I can understand their point of view with trying to build a team with these boys. Give them some time. Bishoo would be my first choice spinner anyway.

 

[aussie]

But it is disrespectul. Prasad is not just ok. He is really good. I am a big fan of Rampaul but his best days are done. You are saying oh nothing to be impressed by this team. They have played good test cricket and forgive me Sir Aussie not every one can be as good as Knott and Stewart. I will still discuss them and not say oh they are too rubbish for my pretty nose and elitist airs.

Can't agree that Prasad is really good just yet, despite him clearly improving ever since he took that 5 for vs ENG in the famous Leeds win last year. Got to get that average down to low 30s at least first.

Which Rampaul have you been watching? I have seen no evidence watching the last time he played ODIs for Windies or recent CPL that his best days are behind him, its quite the opposite. Add Rampaul alongside Taylor/Roach and West Indies have a very good pace trio for tests.

SRI have as much mediocre test cricket as they have good in recent times, of the main 8 test nations they have the least bunch of obviously highly quality players.

 

[Pratters]

Please watch Prasad for two sessions without closing your mind. People make the mistake far too often to think he isn't very good as his pace is lower.

I saw Rampaul in a CPL game as well. He was much bigger and was not bowling well. Was hit around by the batsmen.

Any ways, that's not my point. It's quite annoying discussing players and some one make a blanket statement like this group of players are mediocre compared to full strength WI.

 

[OverratedSanity]

A career average has precious little to do with how a bowler is bowling currently. He could get his average down below 30 or go way back over 40 for all we know. But right now, he's bowling well.

 

[aussie]

West Indies are trying to develop a team in the last year or so with these bunch of players and they have been quite decent to be honest. They drew a series against England who would later go on to win the Ashes. I can understand their point of view with trying to build a team with these boys. Give them some time. Bishoo would be my first choice spinner anyway.

Exactly they drew at home versus ENG without guys like Gayle, Bravo, Simmons, Pollard, Russell, Narine, Rampaul - so they should be building on that draw with those experience players alongside talented youngsters. But instead shocking WICB board politics, terrible selection and victimization of Bravo & Pollard dating back to India tour pull-out means they are threatening to continuously undermine their potential to improve as results in AUS series and 1st test here shows.

 

[aussie]

Please watch Prasad for two sessions without closing your mind. People make the mistake far too often to think he isn't very good as his pace is lower.

I saw Rampaul in a CPL game as well. He was much bigger and was not bowling well. Was hit around by the batsmen.

Any ways, that's not my point. It's quite annoying discussing players and some one make a blanket statement like this group of players are mediocre compared to full strength WI.

I have no bias when watching Prasad, I'm under no delusions regarding his pace or that he bowling well since Leeds 2014 & that teams have to take him seriously now. But IMO its nothing overly superb yet.

Rampaul's size is no different to what it was when I last saw him in the 2015 West domestic OD final in January or when he last played for WI in India tour pull out - so I'm not too sure what you are seeing.

Rampaul got hit around in 2 of CPL games, which can have to the best of bowlers in T20 - otherwise he bowled well.

For me the best available WI team are better than SRI & had a great chance of winning this series. Thats my POV, no problem if you don't agree.

How well they have started this tests just adds fuel to the belief.

 

[Howe_zat]

Huge wicket for Holder just before lunch. In with a great chance now

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

I have seen no evidence that Narine does not want to play for West Indies. But there is much evidence to show West Indies selectors not picking him.

Narine of course would have wanted to play for WI but there are certain things that indicate your dedication as a player. A team starts practicing before a tour or series and if you want to be part of the team, you better participate in those. If you are busy playing around in other leagues which have nothing to do with the series ahead, you are obviously giving a feeling that you give damn about your own team. There should be a good balance in these things. I don't know what's exactly the case with Narine but if I can recall he was given ultimatum or some sort to join WI training or ipl (?) You can say f*** training with national team and the individual can just join the team on the day the match starts and perform still. But things don't run this away. Shakib's example comes to my mind. He went to play CPL despite his team's training schedule clashing and chandika plus board were not particularly happy with this. This and mixed with some other disciplinary things, he got banned. Supported the decision because it felt like he was thinking himself as bigger than the team. Now Shakib could easily show middle finger to the board and start to live as mercenary t20 player.That did not happen because he was willing to play for BD more than anything else. This does not mean Narine or Gayle or whoever has to accept everything WI board trying to dish out on them. I don't know the cases inside out but think the blame does not rest solely on WI board for not picking those players. Certainly not for all of them.

 

[Pratters]

I don't care if full time west Indies XI or all time west Indies XI or all time Australian XI can beat Sri Lanka, aussie. When we are discussing players why give such blanket statements.

 

[cnerd123]

That's an unexpected first session there. WI in with a real shout if they can wrap up SL's first innings soon.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

.

Sunil Narine's decision to stay with Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL final on Sunday will result in him not being considered for next month's Test series against New Zealand. Narine had been given a June 1 deadline by the WICB to join the training camp ahead of the Tests that start on June 8.

Most other West Indians in the IPL have been able to meet that deadline, but with Knight Riders making the final, Narine's stay in the IPL has been extended. Narine, though, will be considered for selection for the T20s against New Zealand in July.

Richard Pybus, the WICB director of cricket, said the new "West Indies First" policy required players to make themselves available for team's preparatory camps. "The onus of the WICB is to protect the integrity of international cricket at all times. International cricket, and specifically Test cricket, is priority and requires dedicated preparation which is integral to team success," he said. "The WICB policy requires players to commit to sufficient preparation leading in to a series as part of a culture of excellence."

Sunil Narine picks IPL over Tests | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo