Khan confident of WI chances against Bangladesh

FORMER NATIONAL and West Indies cricket team manager Omar Khan is confident of the WI’s chances against Bangladesh in the two-Test series which will bowl off today, at 10 am, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

The second Test will be staged at Sabina Park in Jamaica from July 12-16.

The West Indies were held to a 1-1 draw in their three-Test series against Sri Lanka, which ended last week.

But Khan, in an interview yesterday, said, “I expect them to beat Bangladesh.”

He pointed out, “Bangladesh have some good individual players but, as a team, they haven’t been a force to be reckoned with, especially overseas. Playing at home, they’ll be a force, but away from home, we expect to dominate. I expect the West Indies to build on the momentum they had from Sri Lanka and come up on top.”

Looking back at the Sri Lanka series, Khan said, “The bowlers did a fantastic job. Shannon Gabriel (and) Jason Holder (were) outstanding.”

Khan, also the manager of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team Guyana Amazon Warriors, continued, “We need to improve in the spin department. (Devendra) Bishoo didn’t do as well as expected. He was expected to play a big part. The batting: (I don’t know) whether they’ll go with Devon Smith again or they’ll go with (Shimron) Hetmeyer, or if they’ll extend the batting against Bangladesh.” The West Indies used five batsmen – Smith, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope and Roston Chase – against Sri Lanka, with wicket-keeper/batsman Shane Dowrich at six and captain Holder at seven.

Veteran opener Smith (who scored 91 runs in six innings) and pacer Miguel Cummins (three wickets in the three Tests) were retained by the selection panel for the Bangladesh series, but Khan wants to see new players included in the starting XI, at the expense of the struggling duo.

“I expect Shimron Hetmeyer to come in, in place of Devon Smith, so they can open with Kieran Powell and Brathwaite, and let Hetmeyer bat (at) three,” said Khan. “I think Keemo Paul should be in the team. He adds all-round capabilities too. He could bat. He should replace Miguel Cummins.”

There will also be three One Day Internationals – July 22 and 25 (both at the Providence Stadium in Guyana), and July 28 (at Warner Park, St Kitts), followed by three T20 Internationals – July 31 (at St Kitts), August 4 and 5 (in Florida, United States).

This will be the first time the West Indies ODI team has been in action since March, when they earned qualification for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England.

“We need to look at the ODI squad and try to build for the World Cup in England next year,” Khan said.

“I expect that the ODI squad will have some new players.

“(We can) look at the opening batsmen who have been doing well. I expect some changes. I expect the West Indies selectors to come up with a team that they can build on for next year’s World Cup.”