Windies need to understand winning is in the mind

BY BRYAN DAVIS

JASON Mohammed is the captain of the team to Bangladesh to play in three One-Day Internationals. Only recently he was complaining of not getting an opportunity to represent West Indies (WI) especially after doing so well for the TT team in the past couple of years.

I saw him score a century for TT against Guyana in a 50-over final at the Queen’s Park Oval some years ago, on a most difficult pitch with the ball coming through at varying heights and turning viciously, sometimes at a 90-degree angle. A pitch on which Sunil Narine got six wickets for nine runs. It was a magnificent knock and one that should have given him tremendous confidence to perform at the highest level.

Mohammed, 34, will not have too many years left in the game, so he has nothing to worry about. He ought not be talking of how challenging and tough the tour will be, when there are only three 50-over games. He should be thinking of giving his players every confidence without mollycoddling them.

It’s a young, inexperienced team, so he needs to build them up, talking positive all the time and let them know that once committed to a cricket game, one’s approach is to win. There is no other reason for participating.

To be fair, I just heard his first interview and it was quite positive; I hope he maintains that calm and attitude during the games, encouraging all players to concentrate on their game and give of their best, thinking only of their next move to assist the team in winning the game.

Kraigg Brathwaite is the captain of the Test team in the absence of Jason Holder. He has been having a lean time lately with the bat.

He was even replaced as the vice-captain on the recent tour of NZ to free him of the additional responsibility so he could concentrate on his batting. The intention was good, but the arrangement did not work. Nevertheless, he was given the captain’s pennant for this brief two-Test series.

The sheer lack of experience in the team chosen, because of the many withdrawals, left the selectors with no option. At least five were unavailable for reasons other than fear of covid19, like having to play in a club franchise tournament or for “personal reasons.”

Brathwaite should work on cleansing the aura of negativity within his team and its management. One keeps hearing statements like; “Obviously going to Bangladesh it’s a very, very, difficult tour because they’re going to prepare spinning pitches and we’ve got to adapt quickly. We’ve got to be ready.”

Now, this was said by one of the assistant coaches Roddy Estwick. This coach spouts more negativity than any other I have ever heard.

That’s no way to prepare a team, especially a group of inexperienced players, to face off against an international opponent.

These youngsters and newcomers now have a built-in excuse for losing. Only two Test matches are scheduled and the coach is saying that it’s a very, very difficult tour and the wickets will be spinning and we have to adapt quickly?

My question to Mr Estwick is, what are you doing to prepare them for these two games? What skills are you getting them to practise in the nets? The coach should be expressing motivation, enthusiasm and self-confidence.

The answer is in the mind of the players. Already they are being prepared to lose because they are led to believe that Bangladesh are better than they are, especially at home.

There are fine words of encouragement from the captain, boosting his players by telling them what a wonderful opportunity this is for them to establish themselves! I commend Brathwaite on his words of reassurance and inspiration. However, there are too many negatives from others.

It doesn’t matter whatever team one is playing against, the attitude should always be, “We can win by playing better than they can.” And believe it.

What a shock I had when I read that 14 people comprise the management contingent accompanying the squad of 25 players for the playing of three ODIs and two Tests. Impossible! I couldn’t believe it. A head coach and three assistant coaches, two massage therapists, a physiotherapist, a strength and conditioning coach, a team doctor, a mental skills coach (really?), a media and content officer, a security and compliance officer and a team analyst. Then of course the team manager. Wow.

Waste of money.