West Indies Cricket

[odyssey]

Just wondering how u rate the Windies...

 

[Craig]

I think they have a lot of talented young players in their team and coming through their ranks at the moment, and hopefully Bennett King can use the magic he used with Queensland in the Pura Cup with the West Indies. However, IMO the West Indies have not turned a brand new corner until they are consistent in both forms of the game for a whole season in all conditions home and abroad.

I'm not sure on how high the standard of West Indies domestic cricket is, so I won't really comment on that.

 

[JASON]

They are a good team in ODIs as their winning the Champions Trophy shows. On their day they can beat any Team in ODIs.

However in Tests they need more of their batsmen scoring regularly and supporting BC Lara, who despite his talents cannot carry Windies alone on his shoulders all the way .

They seem to have found some good bowlers lately, but they still have a long way to go in developing these bowlers into serious world beaters like Marshall, Garner, Walsh, Ambrose etc. were.

Bennett King has a very tough job ahead, particularly in making Windies a competitive Test Team, but I am sure he has the resources and the experience to make the best out of this Windies Team.

 

[odyssey]

Can anyone tell me what happened to Marlon Samuels his progress..., last time he toured Aus he was awesome and looked like the next Windies great...

Also i'm wondering if anyone can tell me how they feel about the Windies not playing a test series (not being granted a Test series by Cricket Australia) against Australia in Australia this year?
I think it's disrespectful, but perhaps there is another reason, I'm thinking Cricket Aust think the Windies have no good bowlers coming through, so they think Aus would make like 1000 each innings, but NZ and Pakistan aren't much better...

Can anyone answer my Q's???
TY.

 

[garage flower]

Samuels played in the recently concluded regional 1-day tourney. Didn't pull up any trees and, in my view, hasn't done enough to make the 1-day side, though he might squeeze into the squad for Australia (though this may prove immaterial given the brewing dispute between the WIPA and WICB).

If Australia cancelled planned tests against the West Indies to fit in a tour to India or the visit of Pakistan I wouldn't complain from a fan's point of view. I know which series I'd rather watch at the moment.

 

[odyssey]

No actually the Australia Cricket Board decided to cancel the 5 test Sir Frank Worrell Trophy series between the Windies and Australia....... and instead are playing New Zealand in a 2 test series then Pakistan in a 3 test series - in-place of the Windies this Summer, but still allow the Windies to compete in the triangular ODI series.
+ On paper i think the Windies are better than New Zealand- perhaps Pakistan.

So I think Windies fans have every right to be pretty pi$$ed off.

 

[garage flower]

No actually the Australia Cricket Board decided to cancel the 5 test Sir Frank Worrell Trophy series between the Windies and Australia....... and instead are playing New Zealand in a 2 test series then Pakistan in a 3 test series - in-place of the Windies this Summer, but still allow the Windies to compete in the triangular ODI series.
+ On paper i think the Windies are better than New Zealand- perhaps Pakistan.

So I think Windies fans have every right to be pretty pi$$ed off.

I thought that the test series in India was the one arranged at short notice and was the reason for any planned tests against the Windies being scrapped. If I'm wrong, fair enough.

Either way, I don't think the Windies merit a 5-test away series against anyone at the moment from a cricketing point of view and I assume their commercial appeal is also on the wane....And I'm a (non West-Indian) West Indies fan.

 

[garage flower]

+ On paper i think the Windies are better than New Zealand- perhaps Pakistan.

I don't think they are and they're certainly not as good based on results, which is what counts really.

At the moment the Windies are short of a test bowling attack, possibly a test 'keeper, an opener and a middle-order batsman.

 

[vic_orthdox]

i tell you what, with bennett king going over there, it'll wake up any west indians who think they have it all! he's supposed to be a nutter. well, he knows what he's doing, but guys who've been to the academy reckon he runs a very tight ship. he'll have them dancing to a new calypso beat

 

[odyssey]

What about Ridley Jacobs or Courtney Browne (good replacement)
The New Zealand tests were arranged at short notice (this year) starting next week, and if you look at there side on paper it's not going to make you shake in there boots.
I think also the Windies have played England - easily the second best team.
So that's not so bad losing to them.
Pakistan, Windies, Sri Lanka, NZ and India are all roughly the same. in my opinion...

 

[marc71178]

I don't think they are and they're certainly not as good based on results, which is what counts really.

Based on results against England, they're pretty identical over the last year

 

[odyssey]

I'm disappointed the West Indies aren't coming down to play us this year in a test series, i look forward to them coming every 4 years, there my second favourite side. And i'm telling you NZ are gonna get killed in both tests, Pakistan won't do too much better in there 3 tests.
May aswell have the Windies down here even though they would lose they can learn from the best side. And that would develop there players.
I haven't noticed even one person realising there'll be no Windies test series this Summer here - i think it's a pretty big deal actually and the ACB can kiss my A$$.

 

[garage flower]

What about Ridley Jacobs or Courtney Browne (good replacement)

I think also the Windies have played England - easily the second best team.
So that's not so bad losing to them.

I've heard Ridley may have a career-threatening injury and I don't fancy Browne as a replacement for test cricket.

Don't think England have done enough yet to be called "easily the second best team" and the margin of defeat doesn't reflect well on West Indies either way.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

What about Ridley Jacobs or Courtney Browne (good replacement)

Courtney Browne is only a couple years younger than Jacobs. If you're looking for youth you've got Carlton Baugh Jr. and Dinesh Ramdin.

Baugh needs to learn to switch between slip-catching-practice mode and Test match mode whilst Ramdin needs a bit more FC exposure.

 

[garage flower]

Based on results against England, they're pretty identical over the last year

Though, in general, New Zealand competed on a more equal footing.

 

[garage flower]

And i'm telling you NZ are gonna get killed in both tests, Pakistan won't do too much better in there 3 tests.
May aswell have the Windies down here even though they would lose they can learn from the best side. And that would develop there players.
I haven't noticed even one person realising there'll be no Windies test series this Summer here - i think it's a pretty big deal actually and the ACB can kiss my A$$.

I'm not suggesting NZ or Pakistan will run Australia close, but a cursory glance at West Indies away record in recent years and an analysis of the bowlers currently available would show you that West Indies are likely to fare at least as badly as either.

 

[garage flower]

I haven't noticed even one person realising there'll be no Windies test series this Summer here

Which is quite telling, don't you think?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

At the moment the Windies are short of a test bowling attack, possibly a test 'keeper, an opener and a middle-order batsman.

I really believe Devon Smith is the answer in Test cricket as a partner to Gayle, but he needs the selectors' faith. Regarding the middle order, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul are all pretty good, then there's Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo and Omari Banks (he's a good batsman).

Of regional prospects there's Sherwin Ganga, Imran Jan, Runako Morton () and Narsingh Deonarine among others. Then of course there's Xavier Marshall.

The bowling attack is plagued by injury and lack a leader. Dillon is there, but the selectors have no faith in him. Tino Best, Fidel Edwards and Pedro Collins are all very talented and Collins is beginning to emerge. Kenroy Peters and Reon King are on the sidelines of the pace attack whilst Amit Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed and Suleiman Benn are probably the top 3 regional spinners.

 

[garage flower]

I really believe Devon Smith is the answer in Test cricket as a partner to Gayle, but he needs the selectors' faith. Regarding the middle order, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul are all pretty good, then there's Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo and Omari Banks (he's a good batsman).

Of regional prospects there's Sherwin Ganga, Imran Jan, Runako Morton () and Narsingh Deonarine among others. Then of course there's Xavier Marshall.

The bowling attack is plagued by injury and lack a leader. Dillon is there, but the selectors have no faith in him. Tino Best, Fidel Edwards and Pedro Collins are all very talented and Collins is beginning to emerge. Kenroy Peters and Reon King are on the sidelines of the pace attack whilst Amit Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed and Suleiman Benn are probably the top 3 regional spinners.

Yep, the potential is certainly there, but at the moment the only names you'd confidently ink into the test teamsheet are: Gayle, Sarwan, Lara, Chanderpaul and - probably - Collins.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Though, in general, New Zealand competed on a more equal footing.

Aye, but the umpires were attrocious for the West Indies series. Then of course there was that awful Mumbai track...