The West Indies cricket discussion thread

[Craig]

Part 1 - the bowlers:

The West Indies batting is fine, but I find the West Indies weakness is in their bowling, here is my thoughts:

Fidel Edwards - yet to see him bowl. I'm told that he has the good qualities in swing, pace and accuracy. Will need to get on performing. Potentially Lara has unearthed a diamond.

Jerome Talyor - as above. I'm told the Jamacian is highly rated in Jamaica.

Perdo Collins - a real disappointment. Bowled well against India when India toured the Carribbean, but wasnt at his best against Australia.

Merv Dillion - similar action to the great Courtney Walsh (I share his surname ) but I dont feel he is off international standard. He is too inconsistant.

Jermiane Jawason - a big future a head of him once he fixs his action. A long Test career for him.

Omari Banks - A good young finger spinner who I felt bowl well in his Test debut.

Dinath Ramnarine - I feel he has a future still, but I felt he wasnt going to get a game with Hooper as captain.

Rion King & Franklyn Rose - good bowlers who fell out with the selectors and/or with the law.

Vasbert Drakes - Probably the most experienced of the lot, but playing in South Africa and in England prevented him from having a longer Test career.

Corey Collymore - Bowled very well in his return to Test cricket after being pidgen holed as a ODI specialist - who is very accurate and injuries as well. But then again I dont think much of all West Indies selectors in the last five or so years.

More opinions on West Indies cricket coming soon.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

1/ Edwards is a superb prospect. He looks like the child of Waqar and Thompson (not in a perverted way :P) when he's bowling.

2/ Taylor didn't have much success in his first 2 Tests but he did bowl well. Even when he got hit for runs (his inexperience showing) he kept his head up and kept charging in.

3/ Collins is the type of bowler who relies on confidence. He is easily deflated and as such, he can be very much hot and cold.

4/ I think Dillon is still one of the better bowlers in the region and has a role to play (together with Drakes) in guiding the youngsters.

5/ Jermaine Lawson is a big talent.

6/ Omari Banks has been very impressive with the ball but has been unlucky. He's also a brilliant fielder and a talented batsman.

7/ Ramnarine has not been in form of late. I did not agree with his sacking when it occurred but the fact is that it did and since then, he hasn't done much to prove the selectors wrong.

8/ Reon King has suffered due to injury. After returning in 2001, his action has been inconsistent- not the flowing Holding-esque action he used to have. I suspect that this is due to the injury. However, he showed some signs of a return to some sort of form in this year's Carib Beer Cup... before getting injured again. :P

9/ Franklyn Rose is too indisciplined and full of himself.

10/ Vasbert Drakes has been more than the WICB could have asked for when they fashioned his return to WI cricket.

11/ Many (veteran) people on the forum would know that I have always been a Collymore fan and have pushed him for a spot in the Test team for a long time now. His success did not surprise me, he's a very good bowler if he can stay fit.

Craig, do you have MSN? I'd like to ask you a couple of things.

 

[Craig]

Unfortunatly not. You can ask here.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Have you considered applying to become a staff member on Cricket Web? Currently I am the only West Indies reporter and you seem to have an interest in the team as well as a decent level of knowledge.

 

[Craig]

I have thought about and I'm still considering. I have read the autobiographies of Sir Viv Richards (he has two), Sir Garry Sobers, a biography on Courtney Walsh and a book on Brain Lara.

I have read parts or half way through a book called "A complete history of West Indies Cricket" by former Jamiacan PM Michael Manley and he knows a thing or two about cricket. That goes up to the end of the West Indies 1986/87 tour of New Zealand.

 

[masterblaster]

Im a big fan of West Indies cricket, and believe they have some excellent future players.

Gareth Breese is another good potential off spinner/all rounder that comes to mind, as well as Ryan Hurley and Ryan Hinds.

Although I feel, the West Indies may be short on 'prolific' batting talent, as Ricardo Powell and Devon Smith are good players, but indeed not 'prolific'.

Also I think, a decent Wicketkeeper batsman to replace the old Ridley Jacobs is lacking.

All in all though, West Indies do have good future prospects, but all they need is another Viv, and another Curtly.

 

[Craig]

Tino Best is another I feel needs to work on his run-up. He should be working with Michael Holding.

 

[Mr. P]

i believe drakes is the best west indes bowler. he bowled well during the cup, and wasn't terrible during the tour against australia. i like his style.

 

[Craig]

Funny you are saying that dispite not seeing a ball of the West Indies series.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think that Sarwan could be a very prolific batsman and, if he gets his head straightened out, Samuels too. There are a few up-and-coming batsmen who look quite good.

Baugh is quite a talented wicketkeeper batsman. He has some developing to do with the gloves, but he's a good young batsman. Another prospect is a 17-yr-old 'keeper from Trinidad. He hasn't played FC cricket as yet, but he's a very talented batsman. In the T&T club leagues last season, he tore up all opposition and posted some ridiculous amount of runs. In the Under-19 regional tournament (going on now) he's been in fine form with the bat.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I have thought about and I'm still considering. I have read the autobiographies of Sir Viv Richards (he has two), Sir Garry Sobers, a biography on Courtney Walsh and a book on Brain Lara.

I have read parts or half way through a book called "A complete history of West Indies Cricket" by former Jamiacan PM Michael Manley and he knows a thing or two about cricket. That goes up to the end of the West Indies 1986/87 tour of New Zealand.

I have read all of those books several times. Good reading. Do you have an e-mail address you can be reached at?

 

[Tim]

I don't believe U17 & U19 competitions domestically are a great indication of talent.

Maybe at U19 international level or FC level.

 

[Craig]

What is his name. I have been a bit disappionted in Devon Smith and Daren Ganga.

 

[Craig]

Sure: cricketdream2002@yahoo.com.au

I have several but I use this for Cricket Web.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

What is his name. I have been a bit disappionted in Devon Smith and Daren Ganga.

Devon Smith hasn't done too badly all considered. Chris Gayle average around 15 in Tests (and less in ODI's) for quite a while. You can't expect everyone to fire straight away.

Ganga has been tried and failed on several occasions. I see no need to play him in the side unless there are serious injury problems. I hoped that his twin centuries against Australia this would represent a turnaround in his career, but it was back to regular service from then on.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I don't believe U17 & U19 competitions domestically are a great indication of talent.

Maybe at U19 international level or FC level.

True, but this a means by which to get selected for U19 international and FC level.

 

[masterblaster]

Liam, do you think Runako Morton will be back in West Indies Colours pretty soon?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If he is, I will be very disappointed. I rate Morton very highly as a batsman and a cricketer and a couple of years back, I would have been practically pushing him into the team (ala Dave Mohammed), but after his exploits last year, I see no place for him in maroon any time soon. He needs to get his attitude sorted out. It's a real pity because he's very talented.

 

[gibbsnsmith]

as i have stated elsewhere i feel ambrose was a magnificent bowler. if west indies can unearth a bolwer of half his quakity they should be very pleased. They have a huge number of aspiring pacemen but the fact remains in my view is that they are all very raw and need proper guiding in various areas...

The batting is good but not without flaws, gayle, hinds, lara, chanderpaul are their main batsmen so like australia, south africa, india they have a strong top rder but they havent got real depth.

i feel for the good of west indian cricket, there hould a sort of conditioning camp as in india but longer and lasting for 3 mnonths or so, they should select their 30odd of their most promising lads and work with them to mould their undoubted raw talent into consistency and then choose the best fo the 30odd to take part in a long TOUR of India and Australia as i feel they are the hardest tours of all and make men of boys

 

[Craig]

Morton hs had some discpline problems along with Benn, Samuels, Rose, King and Mohammed.

One thing I have found is the WI selectors are selecting players on potential even though their records are poor as part of a "learning on the job".