CHAPTER 2:12
“The West Indies have forced me to find my pen”
A myriad of reasons have mitigated against my being able to produce an article since last year. The combination of my son’s death and an increasingly busy schedule did not provide me with the opportunity that I as a writer need, to have a clear head to write. However the complete annihilation of the English Cricket Team by the West Indies Team has forced me to pick up my pen and write. In this article, I intend to look at the significance of the win by the West Indies in its historic and futuristic context while also making some suggestions about team selections moving forward.
The West Indies Team was once seen as the powerhouse of international cricket over fifteen years running from 1980 when The West Indies toured England in the Wisden Cup up until 1995 when they relinquished the Frank Worrell Trophy in Jamaica to the Aussies.
During that time span the West Indies played 29 test series without a single series loss. They played 115 tests over that time span winning 59 (51.3%) and losing just 15 (13%) while drawing 41 (35.6%). In contrast over the next 14 years dating back to the 1995 series against Australia, up to the last series in New Zealand, the West Indies have played some 41 test series totaling some 135 games. In those games their record is sickeningly horrible with 29 wins (21%), 73 losses (54%) and 33 draws (24%). Going into a test series with a 21% winning record over the past 14 years certainly does your confidence no world of good.
Add that to the fact that the West Indies had gone two and a half years and six test series without a single test victory between May 2005 when they beat Pakistan in Barbados and December 2007 when they beat South Africa in Port Elizabeth South Africa and you would understand the sorry state of affairs that was West Indies Cricket.
When one also contemplates that last week’s victory by an innings and 23 runs was the first time in five years that the West Indies won a test match by an innings dating back to 2004 against the lowly Bangladesh at Sabina Park it forces one to realize just deep in the abyss the West Indies team was buried. It is statistics like these that make the victory over England in such commanding fashion all the more euphoric to the die hard West Indies fan.
For too long the West Indies have been in rebuilding mode and the 29 victories over the past 14 years have been diminished by the fact that we lost 2 times as many games as we won. The West Indies fans whether in Charlestown, Georgetown, Bridgetown or Kingstown have gone through many seasons of depression, denial, distress, disgust and desperation over these past 14 years.
Despite our victory in the first test in this series there is still work to be done with three more tests in Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad to go. While we were all pleased with the equanimity with which the likes of Gayle, Sarwan, Nash and to a lesser extent Ramdin and Benn batted and the efficacious nature in which the bowlers went about taking wickets, performances like these have to be replicated time and time again for us to conclude whether we have truly turned the corner. Nevertheless, for the first time in a long time we have reason to be hopeful. We now have three batsmen in Chanderpaul (49.53), Gayle (40.10) and Sarwan (40.12) who average more than 40 in test cricket.
Gayle has been averaging in the 30’s for most of his career but with an average of over 50 since assuming captain he is now averaging 40 over his career. Gayle has shepherded his men well and it is apparent that the players both respect and revere him. Although he is captain, he is still seen as one of the boys and this bodes well for this current crop of cricketers as he does not seem divorced from them as captain. His field placing and bowling changes have also been admirable as has been the maturity and mastery with which he has batted since assuming captaincy.
In Brendan Nash we have the perfect No. 6 batsman who is no stranger to grit and guts and who knows how to bat with the tail. In Jerome Taylor we finally have a bona fide fast bowler to lead the attack after Walsh left eight years ago in 2001 and Ambrose a year earlier in 2000. Unfortunately that means that there are only five people who must play in every West Indies starting eleven with Bravo being out with injury. Benn looks good but must show that his performance was no fluke and surely Powell’s days are numbered.
While Edwards is seen as a wicket-taker his control after six years of test cricket still leaves a lot to be desired but the fast bowling cupboards in the West Indies are bare. Ramdin’s glove work continues to be impressive while we still need more consistency from him with the bat. Gayle has still not found a steady opening partner as the Devon Smiths and Daren Gangas have not been the answer and we have finally jettisoned Xavier Marshall. It is now for the selectors to come up with a set of 13 or 14 players that they feel will serve the West Indies well moving forward and give them a good run.
If I were in the selection room I would not merely pick players who had a good season but players who have performed consistently well over at least two seasons. We in the West Indies are quick to pick players who have a couple of good regional games here and there a la Keiron Pollard, Recaldo Powell, Xavier Marshall, Patterson Thompson, Dave Bernard Jr., Ryan Ramdass, Donovan Pagon, Leon Johnson, Austin Richards, Dwayne Smith et al only for them to prove they are not international material.
On the other hand countries like Australia and South Africa have shown us that the best players are those who have performed outstandingly and consistently at first class level a la Michael and David Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Mithcel Johnson, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge, Shaun Tait, JP Duminy et al have shown us that there is no substitute for some good seasons of first class cricket. In that light then Ryan Hinds is an excellent pick as he has been performing with the bat year in and year out. Runako Morton is another player to watch especially if he scores heavily again this year. Lendl Simmonds after having played 53 first class games should also be a good pick. At the back of the selectors’ minds must also be May 2010 when Marlon Samuels will again be eligible for selection.
If you are the typical West Indies fan, you will look towards the second test in Antigua with no more than cautious optimism. We have not yet come out of the tunnel but for the first time in over a decade we have seen some light with the first innings victory since 2004. Our hopes that were previously dashed have been deepened now that we have three batsmen in Gayle Chanderpaul and Sarwan averaging over 40 in test cricket and Taylor spearheading the attack.
Our dream of a united team finally seems to becoming a reality under skipper Gayle and Nash has brought with him the Aussie never say die attitude that we so genuinely needed to be inculcated in our psyche in the West Indies. The team is still developing and we are still far from being world beaters. At least now, it is not a matter of IF, we will ever be successful but a question of WHEN, and one thing is for sure; The West Indies Team have certainly forced me to find my pen.
By Ron Daniel
