The Story
West Indies are currently prepping up to face their biggest challenge listed on their cricketing calendar this year, as they are currently in England ready to commence the Test series.
The news from the home team’s camp is that the upcoming series is been regarded just as a warm up for the Ashes Tour which they will be playing Down Under later this year.
The assumption made by England is not due to their recent historic win over South Africa, or the home advantage; it’s plainly because West Indies’ “Test” unit is simply not up to the mark to pose a threat to them.
The star players are missing and the youngsters are as of now at a nascent stage of realising their potential. The team, as a whole, has been marred by under performance that would help a side win Test matches.
There are Flaws to Exploit
Head coach Stuart Law feels that England surely has flaws which West Indies can exploit – the worries in the batting department.
He has used this weakness to send a subtle warning to avoid being complacent of the challenge in the three-match Test series. A keen look at the batting order would be enough to understand the uncertain nature of English batting order. Opener Alastair Cook and skipper Joe Root seem to be the only names who have some stability in their batting while others like Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Gary Ballance and Tom Westley have failed to put up big scores.
These men comprise of the top order, therefore, a part of a headache (Ballance is out of the squad).
“If we can get Shannon Gabriel up to bowling a hundred miles an hour he could break a few hands and that would help Australia!” Law said jokingly. “No, we’re not out to hurt anyone. I’m not really bothered about Australia’s fortunes because right now I’m concentrating solely on West Indies and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.”
“There have been things said about this being a warm-up for the Ashes and as an Australian I know that is very much still the No. 1 series on the calendar,” Law told The Daily Mail.
“England will want to take their players to Australia in good form but if they believe we’re just going to turn up and crumble it could backfire on them because we’re not thinking that way.
“I’m sure some see this as a mismatch and I’ve been involved in a few of those thought processes. Underestimating a side can be detrimental to a team’s health. If that’s the case with England now it will be great for us.”
On the Path of Improvement
While Law admits that West Indies won’t be the taken as “tough” challengers, he declared that the side is on a path of improvement which may spring surprises.
“Steady improvement is our target but I believe if we play anywhere near our capabilities we’ve got the chance of nipping a Test match,” Law stated. “So regardless of the result of the series, I’m pretty confident we will go close to upsetting certain people in the English public who doubt us when we get out there.
“We’re achieving small targets all the time and long may that continue because we’ve got a massive wall to build and we can’t put it together in a week. We will do it slowly but make sure everything we do will benefit West Indies.”
Happy to have Gayle Around in the Test Setup Again
The downfall of the Test side occurred due to the absence of the senior’s names. Many experts feel that bringing back the seniors, who are currently only part of the T20 side, can do wonders to the effort of rebuilding the reputation of the team. The interest among senior players has not waned a bit which makes it easier to effect such drastic reprisal in the team setup.
However, form and fitness may prove to be a hurdle.
Chris Gayle, who last played a Test in 2014, has expressed his desire to return to play in the five-day format. The 103-Test veteran may face the fitness challenge, Law said about the Jamaican’s wish to get back to play Test cricket.
“The players who haven’t played Test cricket for a while still seem to have a thought bouncing around their heads that they want to,” said Law. “If that’s the case, great because cricket teams are built with youthful exuberance and energy matched with cool, calm experience. We haven’t got too much experience and if it ever bears fruit the kids will only get better.
“Chris has expressed a desire to play Tests again but whether that becomes reality remains to be seen. He’s not 21 anymore and Test cricket is a lot longer than 20 or 50 overs. It’s just a matter of working out whether it can happen. If not we will keep on trying to find ways to make these kids better.”