***Official*** Sri Lanka Tour of West Indies 2018

[cnerd123]

Narine could've developed as a proper spinner, I think though he has gradually lost his magic. Just needs more discipline.

Narine's playing as a batsman in the IPL because he can't stop chucking, I think him becoming a 'proper' spinner was never really a possibility tbh

 

[TheJediBrah]

Well how many of the t20 allrounders make the team with Holder and Chase already playing?

Bravo, Brathwaite, Russell, Pollard, Narine, Smith - just how many are able to be squeezed in?

You missed the point

Impossible to tell how players like Narine, Russell and all the other T20 specialists could have developed as Test players had they had sufficient incentive.

I'm not saying they would magically become the best team if all of a sudden their T20 specialists decided to play Tests. They're not Test players.

It just shows that they've got plenty of talent and if the pathways & incentives were a bit different then said talent could have led different career trajectories

Even their better T20 batsmen like Pollard aren't accomplished enough put them up with the best. Pollard didn't develop as an FC batsmen till fairly late I think and averages 37. Russell would be competing for no. 8, DJ Bravo's a known quantity, he played 40 tests FFS. I see them doing about the same, but not really much better. Ditto for Brathwaite, who along with Russell would not be good enough to bat 7 (though imo Holder isn't either).

Narine would've just gotten reported for throwing more.

Too much truth. Let me have my fantasies.

 

[Starfighter]

Narine could've developed as a proper spinner, I think though he has gradually lost his magic. Just needs more discipline.

Proper spinner? What he does isn't even defined as bowling. He needs learn how to bowl first, then maybe he can become a proper spinner.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Ajantha Mendis didn't chuck it did he? He was in a similar mould IIRC. Whatever happened to that guy? Burst on to the scene like he was going to be the greatest thing in cricket history.

I'm guessing either 1) he just got worked out or, 2) he actually did chuck it and had to change his action because he knew he would have got banned and then wasn't as good.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[Starfighter]

I think batsmen worked out that he never actually deviated the thing off the straight.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Pretty successful troll if true. Took 150+ ODI wickets @ 21 a piece bowling slow straight balls.

 

[Starfighter]

Pretty much.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I think batsmen worked out that he never actually deviated the thing off the straight.

He did. It was just that it was pure sidespin. Any spinner who puts virtually zero topspin isn't going to be effective for long.

 

[Starfighter]

He did. It was just that it was pure sidespin. Any spinner who puts virtually zero topspin isn't going to be effective for long.

I know our pitches aren't exactly spin friendly, but the one time he came down here he was putting so few revs on the ball that they might have been accidental. Just sort of drifting out of the hand. Maxwell's carrom ball had more spin.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I know our pitches aren't exactly spin friendly, but the one time he came down here he was putting so few revs on the ball that they might have been accidental. Just sort of drifting out of the hand. Maxwell's carrom ball had more spin.

He wouldn't be the first Asian bowler that just bowled straight balls in Australia. When you play on dustbowls all you need I a tiny bit of tweak. Ashwin didn't turn a thing last time he was here.

 

[Slifer]

You mean that period when they were whitewashed by South Africa, Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand and lost to England for the first time in decades?

Wi were atrocious away but as long as Ambrose was in the fray Wi were still formidable at home. They lost two series at home in the 90s if I recall.

 

[vcs]

Wi were atrocious away but as long as Ambrose was in the fray Wi were still formidable at home. They lost two series at home in the 90s if I recall.

Who beat them in the WI apart from Australia in '95?

 

[Slifer]

Who beat them in the WI apart from Australia in '95?

I believe south Africa beat wi at home as well. Oh wait, on second look that was 2001, well after curtly retired. So I stand corrected; wi lost one series at home during the 90s.

 

[GotSpin]

Matthews pulling out for personal reasons. Anyone with the inside scoop or is it nothing

 

[Beamer]

I don't know if this has been mentioned already as I can't be bothered to go back through every post (lazy I know), but I loved the pitch at QPO. A little bit of pace and bounce, turn on day 4 and 5. The outfield was excellent too. When conditions are like that, Test cricket in the Caribbean can be electrifying and a good product. That should be what they aim to reproduce most of the time.

 

[harsh.ag]

Shame it's impossible to follow for the subcontinent time zone.

 

[GotSpin]

Surely Windies are massive favourites now

 

[GotSpin]

Will this pitch have anything in it for the bowlers?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Will this pitch have anything in it for the bowlers?

Haven't caught the pitch report yet

 

[Borges]

There should be some help for the quick bowlers, if history is anything to go by:
3rd Test, India tour of West Indies and United States of America at Gros Islet, Aug 9-13 2016 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo