WI need to get rid of defeatist mentality

IT is time to get rid of the negativity enveloping the players and officials of the West Indies (WI) cricket teams. One cannot listen to newscasts or read the newspapers without feeling a sense of defeatism. It is a sad story when an international side reaches that level of pessimism that they sink into an abyss of emptiness from which a rescue is out of the question.

All that we seem to hear from some of our players and coaches are how good our opponents are and never a word on how to conquer them.

The utterances are so depressing that one wonders on what the answer is, to decrease this cheerless attitude.

They have lost that sense of pride of being West Indian, having led the cricket world for several years, with their region always considered a leading developer of cricket talent that produced a team whose exploits on the field of play have been exciting, entertaining, combative and who have been forever popular off it.

I must admit that Phil Simmons, the head coach, Jason Holder, the Test captain and Kieron Pollard, the limited-overs skipper, are not included among the above but are positive and optimistic about the New Zealand (NZ) series. Their remarks are usually the kind that has to do with planning and applying the necessary formulae for bright performances. Nevertheless, they are surrounded by cricketers and coaching staff who spout rhetoric that reveals a deep insecurity that can poison any positive vibes which they may inspire in the team.

Then, before I become entrapped in this undesirable frame of mind, I was pleasantly surprised to read in an interview with Andre Fletcher, who has been overlooked for the past two years because of bad form, “the team goal for me is to make sure that we can actually win the series.”

And the clincher for me was when he said, “In 2016, when we won the World Cup, every single player was supporting each other, we were enjoying each other’s success, we had fun, the management, staff and everyone were all behind each other and so far, I’ve seen that in this team, everyone is enjoying themselves…and you want to make sure everyone is comfortable and that’s when you get the best out of each and everyone.” Simmons was the coach at the time.

That is one of the main attributes of success, without which, the application of the other virtues of sound discipline, hard practice plus a winning attitude, would be left to flounder in a sea of carelessness and negative thinking, which is what WI is going through. Well said, Fletcher.

It is not wise for officials, like assistant coaches and several team members, while giving interviews to the media, to praise the strength of the opposing team, remarking on how difficult it would be to beat them especially on their home soil. This is the practice of a losing team and it is happening more often with the WI these days.

Roddy Estwick, a member of the coaching staff believed that “NZ is a very, very difficult side playing at home” and continued by reminding players of how “nobody goes to NZ and wins easily.” Why?

As an assistant coach, he has to build up his players. He has to let them know what is expected of them to achieve this goal, inculcate the right attitude for winning. However, issuing statements like those above sounds more like excuses than trying to construct a winning side.

Fletcher explained it well when he talked about the camaraderie of the team. When everyone is happy and content with their fellow players, that is the first step to success in a team game.

When putting the cricketers through their paces one must always instil the confidence that one’s team is going to win. After all, this is the main reason that you’re preparing them. Therefore, lots of work in the nets, batting and bowling, followed by hours on the field in catching and fielding. Plus, the mental build-up in meetings on how to get the better of one’s opponent, always with the stipulation that one’s team is the best and is ready for all comers.

Then the players would ignore the pessimism of how powerful the adversary and by so doing, create a cheerful attitude with players in whom one wants to build confidence and assurance.

A team so trained is built on rock. We need that.