More quality cricket work required for WI success

There’s a lot of work to be done if the West Indies have to show any signs of success and improve their game, so that the team would start winning some series. It’s the only reason to play the game, and that is to win.

By doing so, the team builds confidence and those on the sidelines are then enthusiastic to be in the side, by working to improve their performances, hence putting pressure on the majority of those who are showing signs of being failures, thus creating the wrong attitude. When a hole like that is dug, it just becomes deeper and in every subsequent game it becomes tougher to pull the players to the surface of light and freedom and out of the darkness.

The problems are multiple and they are in bad need of leadership, which of course, includes plenty of practice, loads of enthusiasm, inspired by confidence and spurred on by encouragement. It is worrisome that administratively, the structure of selection of teams needs strengthening, as at present, the foundation is weak and the cracks that have been appearing for some time now, are pretty close to collapse.

Because of this, the administrators have to do some soul-searching. If improvement doesn’t start soon by using professional experts, the knowledge of what is required, and certainly not the present guesswork, it could cause the crumbling of the foundation.

It took so many years of hard work that consisted of intellectual cricket output, in addition to an input of regular practice under the supervision of knowledgeable cricket professionals and enlightened amateurs, to bring WI up to the top of world cricket players.

If it’s the positive results the team is searching for, it is necessary for the head coach to understand his duties and train his assistant coaches with the approach that befits the playing of cricket as a professional team with a deep understanding of the game.

The coaching clique of which he is the principal, must be trained in the principles of the game, plus the various approaches in the different formats and the right manner in which each player must tune in to the game, so that all 11 team members would be reading from the same page. If not, the best of plans could appear haphazard.

Of course, this is what is being witnessed in the present day, that no one could make sense of the action that is going on in the field, from the batting approach and the application of batsmanship, that includes the placing of the ball in the gaps. The planning of an innings is almost non-existent and batsmen play wildly with no effort or skill to play the ball away from the fielders. Also, when to take risks and where and when to take singles to keep the score moving along nicely. There must always be a plan.

The bowlers, who certainly don’t seem to practise the way they ought to, have to improve on their lines and lengths. The wides are controlled to a certain extent, but the long hops and half volleys need endless practice. One gets the impression that enough practice is being done, however, that’s the only way to improve. Winning international teams and athletes in all sports, become champions by constant practice. Cricketers always seem to be those sportsmen who put out less at practice than other athletes. Not all, but the greater percentage. They do practise, but not as much as they ought to.

Fielding is an art to which not enough attention is paid. WI, again, are at fault here and a keen observer can recognise it. And while all fielding and throwing is vastly important, it is obvious in the field how untidy the West Indians’ throwing is. However, it’s easy to identify those who don’t practise. The catching is quite good and so is the judgment, nevertheless, it could be better.

An example

On Sunday, June 1, England defeated West Indies at Cardiff in their second meeting of their three-match ODI series after also winning the first match. The first game was on Tuesday, June 3, at Kia Oval, London. The WI team travelled to London after the ODI game at Cardiff on June 1 and declined to practise on Monday, June 2, because of the three-hour journey to London on that day. They were beaten by seven wickets on June 3 and suffered a series sweep.